LeMat... Worth It?

Would you buy a Pietta LeMat as a shooter?

  • Yes

    Votes: 26 53.1%

  • No

    Votes: 23 46.9%
  • Total voters
    49
  • Poll closed .
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Panzerschwein

Panzerschwein

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Are the Pietta LeMat .44s worth it?

PH0608.jpg

These seem to be going for nearly $1000. In addition to this, I've heard of many problems with the loading levers and of frequent misfires with the shotgun barrels. With so many problems, would these really make for a fun and enjoyable range experience?

So what do you think, are Pietta LeMats fun and worth the cost of admission if you plan to actually shoot the gun?
 
Being a faithful copy of the original, it bears the same cross of a less than ideal loading lever setup...but that's not enough to condemn the pistol. Think of it more like a quirk or personality.:) Just like comparing a C96 and their less than ergonomic grip shape...it's just the way they are. The design has plenty of good things to enjoy, so I overlook the weird things just because they're old and weren't as well though out as they are now a days.

The LeMats' are beautifully made guns and I think well worth what they ask for them...though I got mine several years and about $400 less than they are now. That's par for the course as the Italian guns have all gone up, but even at the new barely sub $1000 price they're a really nice gun.

Once you decide to get one, you might pay attention to Cabela's as they'll run a sale now and then that might save you some coin. I got mine from Dixie and I don't remember them ever going on sale, but it's possible...especially around the Holidays.
 
As said, they're beautifully made guns. Pietta seems to go to extra effort on their Le Mats than the other revolvers they make, but it shows with the price.
I bought one maybe 20 years ago when they were cheaper -- but still more expensive than the others.
While I like it, I find the revolver clumsier to load than the typical Colt or Remington. Pulling up on the loading lever just doesn't come naturally for me.
 
I like the concept, but they just seem heavy and clunky which to me is the opposite of what I want for a fun gun. Plus the price is steep.
 
I would love to get my hands on a functioning Lemat. but then again, I am a huge fane of Deathlands and Doc Tanner.

Secret- It is that series that first drove me to the store to purchase my first gun. I went in looking for s Sig Sauer P226 and walked out with an Springfield RO and a Sig P250 (I'm left handed).

Next on the list, a Steyr
 
The LeMat is an unusual, historic, and unique cap & ball revolver. Is it worth $1000? That depends on how much you value $1000. When I was a college Student 50+ years ago, $1000 was a king's ransom. Now, I spend $1000 at a weekend gun show and don't bat an eyelash. I bought a Pietta Cavalry LeMat about 10 years ago when they were "only" $675. After delivery, I did not think it was money well spent. 10 years later, I still have it and think it was a good deal even at the time.

It is fun to shoot but an S.O.B to clean afterward. It is not particularly accurate compared to my other C&B revolvers. The "shotgun" barrel only fires about half the time with a single hammer-fall. It does draw attention at the range, and nearly everyone wants to shoot it. I'm not sure this is always a good thing. My most fun outings is when no one else is around. That way I don't have to fix miss-fires, and cocking/indexing problems and worry about neophytes dropping my gun.
 
It's a poorly thought out gun, yet it's beautiful.

Buy one for the historical provenance not for using.
 
I always thought two Le mats on the hips, with two 20G Howdas on either side small of the back would make a nice setup... Toss in dual shoulder holstered 1860 snub noses and Id be just about ready for the zombie invasion... Or cowboy action shooting.. whichever comes first LOL
 
Stormson said:
I always thought two Le mats on the hips, with two 20G Howdas on either side small of the back would make a nice setup... Toss in dual shoulder holstered 1860 snub noses and Id be just about ready for the zombie invasion... Or cowboy action shooting.. whichever comes first LOL
Click to expand...
I saw a Pedersoli Howdah 20 gauge pistol at Cabelas last week. Gorgeous gun.
 
I voted no because at that price you can buy so many more revolvers that are better shooters. I mean at that price you're getting close to a Hege or a Pedersoli Remington both proven shooters. But if you're only interested in making smoke they look like that would be a blast to shoot.
 
Crawdad1

I voted no because at that price you can buy so many more revolvers that are better shooters. I mean at that price you're getting close to a Hege or a Pedersoli Remington both proven shooters. But if you're only interested in making smoke they look like that would be a blast to shoot.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same reason I voted NO on the LeMat. Too much buck for the bang, so to speak.
 
I voted yes on the poll. Here is why:

I suppose I have a different way of looking at these types of purchases. I look at how much more time I might have on this earth to experience the places and things I want to do before I get too old to really enjoy them.

This thought process has driven nearly all the personal and financial decisions I have made in my life. Quite honestly, life is way too short to dither around about doing something that you would like to do, by saying "well that is just too expensive to do". Folks, money is just flat not everything in life. True, it is nice to have and the bills need to be paid. But beyond that, what is it's real purpose in life? To me, it is there to allow me to do what I want to do.

I also do not seek other peoples opinion, nor do I care about whether they approve of the decisions I make.

Buy the gun, if you don't like it you can always sell it and get most of your money back out of it.

When I was in my late twenties I hungered for some adventure so I sold my house, bought a sailboat and spent a couple of years sailing around the world. When I was sixty years old, I rode my motorcycle by myself from where I lived in The Peoples Republic of California to Prudoe Bay in Alaska. In between those adventures I raised a family and was a responsible adult. Even at that, I still did things that were fun and a bit out of the ordinary.

Now that I am retired, I have a small motorhome that I drive all over the US and Canada visiting as many interesting places as I can. I may not be sitting on a large savings account, but as long as the bills get paid and I can travel, I am more than satisfied.

When I die I am sure not going to say that I wished I would have spent more time working and less time doing what I really wanted to do.
 
I don't buy BP guns for any practical reason. They're purely for fun, and I think the Lemat is a really, really interesting piece from a fascinating period of history. I think $1000 is a little bit steep for them, but it's also on the short list of things to watch for on Black Friday sales.
 
"...Deathlands and Doc Tanner..." My thought exactly. Even Doc eventually went to a replica. snicker.
Still rather have a Schofield, but a guy can't have too many toys.
 
I'll agree with Highpower.
Since Cablea's full price is $899, and there are always Cabelas, points, gift card deals, % off or $ off coupon codes etc you can probably figure out how to get it for less than $800 out of pocket anyway.

I've see them sell for over $800 used on Gunbroker in the past so if you ever decide you want your money back you can probably get it (or at least most of it) fairly easily.

You are not likely to be lamenting the purchase on your death bed.
 
highpower said:
I voted yes on the poll. Here is why:

I suppose I have a different way of looking at these types of purchases. I look at how much more time I might have on this earth to experience the places and things I want to do before I get too old to really enjoy them.

This thought process has driven nearly all the personal and financial decisions I have made in my life. Quite honestly, life is way too short to dither around about doing something that you would like to do, by saying "well that is just too expensive to do". Folks, money is just flat not everything in life. True, it is nice to have and the bills need to be paid. But beyond that, what is it's real purpose in life? To me, it is there to allow me to do what I want to do.

I also do not seek other peoples opinion, nor do I care about whether they approve of the decisions I make.

Buy the gun, if you don't like it you can always sell it and get most of your money back out of it.

When I was in my late twenties I hungered for some adventure so I sold my house, bought a sailboat and spent a couple of years sailing around the world. When I was sixty years old, I rode my motorcycle by myself from where I lived in The Peoples Republic of California to Prudoe Bay in Alaska. In between those adventures I raised a family and was a responsible adult. Even at that, I still did things that were fun and a bit out of the ordinary.

Now that I am retired, I have a small motorhome that I drive all over the US and Canada visiting as many interesting places as I can. I may not be sitting on a large savings account, but as long as the bills get paid and I can travel, I am more than satisfied.

When I die I am sure not going to say that I wished I would have spent more time working and less time doing what I really wanted to do.
Click to expand...
That is awesome. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your life instead of working all the time! Too many people do that nowadays.

I didn't realize Cabelas had LeMats now... they might go on sale and be cheaper than Dixie Gun Works prices... I LOVE Cabelas black powder sales!
 
Ed Harris's character uses a LeMat in the new HBO series "Westworld ". It will be interesting to see if this will affect price and availability.
 
J-Bar said:
Ed Harris's character uses a LeMat in the new HBO series "Westworld ". It will be interesting to see if this will affect price and availability.
Click to expand...
I just looked it up on the IMFDB and it appears that one is a .38 Short Colt conversion. Interesting!
 
I vote...

'Maybe'.
They are interesting reproductions of a historically significant firearm, nicely made and well finished, BUT:
A friend who has now Gone West bought one a few years ago, and we shot it, with fairly good results, I thought, so far as practical accuracy at pistol ranges goes. There were a few failures to fire, but not excessive for a percussion revolver as complex as the LeMat.
Later, I borrowed the revolver for a comparison with a pretty crude 'blacksmith-made' LeMat copy (which we finally figured-out was a 'movie LeMat', capable of popping off a few blank rounds, but not intended or made for proper function with normal loads).
Imagine my surprise when, on close examination of the Pietta example, I realized that BOTH barrels were smoothbored. It appeared that Pietta had skipped a step (an important one, IMO) in barrel manufacture, and their QC folks, if any, had not caught it or thought it important.
This is not as unusual as one would think, in my experience with Italian-made arms, even those of 'best quality'. A number of their long arms I've inspected over the years had barrels with internal dimensions which did not conform to SAAMI or CIP standards, and several of them were so roughly finished internally they might have been gnawed-out by rats. And they were not all Piettas; some were Pedersolis or other makes.
So, before I plunk-down my money for any Italian reproductions, I'd inspect them very critically and closely.
Caveat Emptor.

PRD1 - mhb - Mike
 
Not worth it,,,

No reproduction handgun is worth one thousand dollars.

There are simply enough people out there who want one for the manufacturer to justify making them.

JMHO

Aarond

.
 
Would it be worth it at $810.00?

Today only get 10% off and Free shipping at Cabelas with code 16CLUB11

can be used with any combination of Cabela’s CLUB Visa, CLUB Points, gift cards, gift certificates
 
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