[sltm1]

I just got one of these purdy monsters and intend to shoot it ASAP. The questions are, where can I get complete disassembly instructions, not just the basic clean up stuff ? The chambers measure .4380, and the booklet recommends .454 rbs, wouldn't .451 be a better fit? And finally, loads, what is a good starting load for the rb's and shotgun bbl + anyone know what max is? Thanx

[NobleSniper]

Congrats on the Lemat ;) Haven't shot mine yet. First off order the screw bits from madcratebuilder. I just ordered a set this week and once they get here will tear it down and give it a good cleaning and going thru........... check out the post below as I asked soem of the same questions. I think I am going to try .454 round balls adn see how they do in it. Hopefully they will work alright so my Walkers will coexist on that diet as well :D

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=464640

PS............. I know for a fact that BigBadGun has a pattern for making a holster for a Lemat ;)

[madcratebuilder]

I have worked on three different LeMats, all had .445 chambers and used .451 rb.

A .438 chamber and a .454 rb well tax the integrity of the loading lever. Are you measuring at the mouth of the chamber?

28-30grs is a good load for the .44 chambers.
The recommended 25gr load for the shot barrel is very weak IMHO. I'm shooting 50gr from the shot barrel and I think I could go higher. The shot barrel is threaded directly on the frame so I don't think I can hurt anything but my hand.

[mec]

here's some information that might be useful- partial chapter on the lemat. Pietta .44 chambers doe run a bit tight and .451 balls work very well. 454s will work too.

Loads: Two LeMat Replicas VelocityHe Spread
Revolver 1 .451” Ball 28 Pyrodex P 835 fps 60
Revolver 2 .451” Ball 28 Pyrodex P 699 fps 109
Revolver 2 .451 “ Ball 28 Goex FFFg 701 fps 78
Revolver 2 .451 “ Ball 24 H777 816 fps 96
Revolver 2 .451” Ball 28 Swiss FFFg 796 fps 87
The accessory bullet mould produces a round-nosed slug with a single lubrication groove. Bullets from that mould are very pretty, but will not work in the Lemat because they are too long to fit under the seating stem.
The LeMat, once the shooter has become accustomed to the acute grip angle, handles and shoots very comfortably. The hammer is hard to cock compared to the Colt or Remington. The very heavy hammer spring is necessary if there is to be any hope of getting the shot barrel to fire.
Routine Disassembly
Place the unloaded revolver on half-cock and then pull downward on the barrel latch. (This is at the bottom of the frame and may have the alternative knurled screw/turn-lug feature.)
Then unscrew the Barrel from the Shot barrel and pull forward to remove. Lift out the cylinder. The shot barrel will also unscrew from the breach and may come off with initial cylinder removal.
Remove grips. This is about as far as dismounting can proceed without special tools. Both of our examples and every other LeMat replica we have heard of present a major challenge to disassemble to the degree needed for parts replacement or thorough cleaning - our next topic.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=28306&d=1125488821



Full Disassembly
Start by removing the grips and main spring. The cylinder-locking bolt is removable by unscrewing a spanner screw on the right side of the frame and withdrawing the coil spring and the bolt.
The Lemat has a side plate on the left side of the frame covering the major internal lockwork. The hammer screw enters the frame from the right and comes out on the left after passing through the side plate. The side plate attaches in place by a hollow nut with spanner cuts that screws down over the hammer screw. For some unknown reason, the maker of this revolver attaches the side plate nut and hammer screw with a tremendous, unnecessary amount of torque. The hammer screw is of the extra thin, slotted, decorative type of the 19th Century. It is necessary to tool down a high-quality gunsmith’s screwdriver head to enter this slot. The first need is to create a split screwdriver head to engage the spanner slots on the side plate nut. This entails slow and laborious work with a small set of files to avoid compromising the temper of the screwdriver blade.
Before applying the newly created side plate spanner blade, we ran the revolver across an open flame to heat it a bit. The well-fitted tool held up to the torque necessary to remove the nut. Only then would the hammer screw move at all-and then only with a great deal of force. Remove the side plate by tapping the grip frame with a non-marring tool until it bounces off. Prying the side plate off will raise burrs around the edges and mess up the well-fitted symmetry of the revolver. With the side plate off and the hammer screw removed, the internal parts, hammer and trigger are easy to remove and replace. There is no need to over-tighten the hammer or side plate at replacement. The internal parts are large and robust. A flat, curved spring of the type used in the Colt and Remington types, powers the cylinder hand and it will probably need periodic replacement due to metal fatigue and breakage.

[sltm1]

Thanks for the info guy's!!