Pietta Le Mat Cavalry

About the Pietta Le Mat Cavalry

The Pietta Le Mat Cavalry is a modern black-powder percussion revolver reproducing the Confederate-era LeMat 'grapeshot' revolver. It is a nine-shot .44 caliber cap-and-ball revolver built around a central 20-gauge single-shot smoothbore barrel that also serves as the cylinder axis pin. Flipping the movable hammer nose lets the shooter select between the rifled .44 revolver barrel and the underslung shotgun barrel loaded with buckshot. Built by F.lli Pietta of Italy, the Cavalry model features a 6.75-inch octagonal rifled barrel, case-hardened hammer and trigger, blued steel components, a checkered two-piece walnut grip, a spurred trigger guard and a lanyard ring.

The original LeMat revolver was invented by Jean Alexandre LeMat, a New Orleans doctor, and championed by his cousin P.G.T. Beauregard, who became a Confederate general. The nine-shot cylinder plus buckshot barrel earned it the nickname 'the grapeshot revolver,' and it was carried by notable Confederate officers including J.E.B. Stuart. Pietta's Cavalry reproduction keeps this rare Civil War design in production for reenactors and black-powder shooters.

Pietta Le Mat Cavalry specifications

The dual-barrel design gives the shooter ten shots before reloading: nine .44 rounds plus one shotgun charge. The Cavalry model is distinguished by its spurred trigger guard and lanyard ring; Pietta also offers Navy and Army pattern LeMat reproductions.