I wrote that article and later did some shooting with another Identical Lemat so I will add this from my book "Percussion Pistols and Revolvers...."
Our observations come from two examples, both of which function very much alike and present similar issues in the areas of design and execution. The first revolver was a Navy Arms Cavalry Model several years old. The current example-also a Cavalry Model, built in 2004 came from Dixie Gun Works. The metal and grip finish on the earlier model appears superior to the new revolver but the newer one has a lighter trigger pull. Both exhibit perfect revolver function and timing. The chamber mouth diameter on the current revolver measures .447” as does the groove to groove and forcing cone measurements of the barrel. The .451 diameter ball is correct and a ring of lead shears from the ball during seating.
The shot barrel is .635” and, with both revolvers, does not function reliably without special treatment. Also poorly designed and problematic is the loading lever assembly. The internal lock work is quite robust and functionally reliable. The cylinder cam is a circular spring -adjustable by means of a timing screw that impinges through the right side of the frame. The cylinder-locking bolt is a cam operated rod powered by a coil spring and should be much more durable than the flat spring -operated bolt of the Colts. The trigger-return spring performs only the function of resetting the trigger and is much larger than the combination bolt/trigger spring of other designs.
Shooting the Lemat
The loading lever of the LeMat works by compound linkage by pulling the arm up and backward to move the short seating ram into the chamber. It aligns with the eleven o'clock chamber-a circumstance that proves less salubrious than the lever positioning of the Colt and Remington revolvers. One shooter of a modern replica experienced an eleven o'clock chain fire that carried off his loading lever assembly. Such occurrences with the Colt and Remington seldom damage the revolvers. The lever arm is hollow and contains a separate ramrod for loading the shot barrel. This ramrod must remain inside the assembly or the arm will bend. The chambers are shorter than other .44 revolvers. They hold a charge of about 30 grains of FFFg or Pyrodex P. Because of the short throw of the ram, lighter charges would need filler material to allow full seating of the ball. This is a heavy revolver and recoil is quite mild. Upon firing, the loading lever bounces up out of the fragile U-shaped retaining stirrup and flings the ramrod out on the ground. Frequent tightening of the main loading lever screw will minimize this. The barrel latch and the bottom-front of the frame will unseat and drop downward when the gun fires. This becomes worse as the gun breaks in. A paper wedge will correct the tendency. Launching of the central ramrod is a problem and the thing will become lost unless firmly wedged into the hollow ram handle. Some shooters report that the loaded and capped shot barrel will fire inadvertently during normal shooting of the revolver. In general though, the shot barrel will not fire at all without multiple strikes of the hammer.
The revolver is quite accurate at twenty -five yards and handles fired percussion caps very reliably. Functional hang-ups almost never occur. Nine rounds routinely go down range with perfect and repeatable reliability.
Firing the Shot BarrelVery likely, the traits of the replica revolvers discussed to this point are the same as with the originals. One original development was replacement of the barrel latch with a more positive screw /turn- lug attachment. The lack of reliability from the shot barrel may very well stem from the difference in modern lead stipenate percussion caps and the original and very volatile mercury fulminate caps used in the 19th century. With the hammer rotated downward to fire the shot barrel, length of throw is less than one inch. The nose strikes the cap at an angle. Even with the very strong LeMat main spring, there is not enough force to set off a primer on the first hit. For reliable ignition of the shot barrel it is necessary to stone down the Remington or CCI caps until the top of the cup is foil-thin. (The percussion cap could possibly go off and cause injury during this process.) The CCI cap requires about twice the stoning as the Remington to arrive at the same amount of reduction). It is also beneficial to make sure the nipple and ignition channel are free of any lubricant. References to the proper charge for the shot barrel are few and suspect. Navy Arms suggests loading a sixty-caliber ball over no more than 25 grains of FFFg or substitute. Pietta, the manufacturer, suggests ¾ to one ounce of buck shot with 35 grains of powder. We have used a number of combinations of shot loads ranging from seven or eight .31 “ balls to 3/4ounce of shot ranging from # 2 to #8 over charges of Pyrodex P ranging from twenty- five to sixty grains/ volume equivalent. The twenty- five- grain charge, well wadded and packed in, will barely discharge the shot from the barrel. The heavier loads are well over the maximum from any published source. The shooter who uses them does so at his own risk. They cause considerable recoil and even then, the buckshot bounces off seasoned wood that a .22 Long Rifle round would fully penetrate. The buck shot rounds will stay within the confines of a man-sized silhouette at 20 feet, and not beyond that range. .31” buckshot will penetrate a 1” pine board at 20 feet (except for shot on the outside edge of the pattern) and #8 Birdshot will penetrate to a depth of 3/8” with small game-effective patterns to forty feet.