EXTREMELY RARE CONFEDERATE BABY LE MAT PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

EXTREMELY RARE CONFEDERATE BABY LE MAT PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 31. Cal. 32 & 41. One of the most rare of all Confederate firearms is the Baby Le Mat with only about 100 ever delivered of the 2,000 ordered by the Confederacy in 1865. Delivery of these 100 revolvers came just about the time of cessation of hostilities and although they did not reach the Confederacy before the war’s end, they are still considered to be Confederate firearms. The first 100 Baby Le Mats were apparently delivered to Lt. William Murdaugh, Confederate Arms Inspector & Agent in England. Little more is known of these rare revolvers except that only 10-12 of them are known today. This revolver is described as being simply a scaled down version of the orig Le Mat with 9-shot 32 caliber cylinder and a 4-1/4″ oct bbl with the last style of Paris marking on top flat “Systeme le Mat Bte s.g.d.g Paris”. It also has a 4-1/4″ sgl shot bbl that functions as a cyl pin, which is rifled in caliber 41 vs. the smoothbore configuration on full size Le Mats. This revolver has the rammer attached to left side of bbl lug with a removable handle which when combined with the tube screwed into the buttcap functions as the ramrod for the sgl shot bbl. Front sight is a tall dovetailed bead consistent with Le Mat design. Revolver has a small oval trigger guard and long spur hammer with articulated nose which is used to fire both the cylinder and sgl shot bbl. Grip frame is 1-pc with integral buttcap that has the aforementioned threaded tube used as a rammer extension and is mounted with checkered walnut grips. While this cataloger did not completely disassemble this revolver to ascertain matching serial numbers on the various parts, such disassembly was accomplished by noted Confederate authority Mr. Frederick R. Edmunds, which is detailed in an accompanying written report of his examination of this revolver. He states in this report that the matching SN was found on sixteen different parts with various inspector initials & numbers on eight other parts. This cataloger has previously examined two other percussion Baby Le Mats and this one is, by far, the finest of the three and may be the best extant. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching as previously noted. Overall retains generous amounts of orig factory blue with strong blue in sheltered areas on bbl showing only light sharp edge wear and slight muzzle edge wear. Cylinder is a blue/gray patina. Grips are very fine with a couple of chipped diamonds and retain most of their orig oil finish with a few minor nicks & scratches. Trigger, hammer & ramrod extension in the butt retain generous amounts of their orig straw colors. Mechanics are crisp, bores are bright & shiny with orig blue still visible in both bores and chambers of the cylinder. 4-39382 (75,000-125,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2010

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2383	$103,500.00	EXTREMELY RARE CONFEDERATE BABY LE MAT PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 31. Cal. 32 & 41. One of the most rare of all Confederate firearms is the Baby Le Mat with only about 100 ever delivered of the 2,000 ordered by the Confederacy in 1865. Delivery of these 100 revolvers came just about the time of cessation of hostilities and although they did not reach the Confederacy before the war’s end, they are still considered to be Confederate firearms. The first 100 Baby Le Mats were apparently delivered to Lt. William Murdaugh, Confederate Arms Inspector & Agent in England. Little more is known of these rare revolvers except that only 10-12 of them are known today. This revolver is described as being simply a scaled down version of the orig Le Mat with 9-shot 32 caliber cylinder and a 4-1/4″ oct bbl with the last style of Paris marking on top flat “Systeme le Mat Bte s.g.d.g Paris”. It also has a 4-1/4″ sgl shot bbl that functions as a cyl pin, which is rifled in caliber 41 vs. the smoothbore configuration on full size Le Mats. This revolver has the rammer attached to left side of bbl lug with a removable handle which when combined with the tube screwed into the buttcap functions as the ramrod for the sgl shot bbl. Front sight is a tall dovetailed bead consistent with Le Mat design. Revolver has a small oval trigger guard and long spur hammer with articulated nose which is used to fire both the cylinder and sgl shot bbl. Grip frame is 1-pc with integral buttcap that has the aforementioned threaded tube used as a rammer extension and is mounted with checkered walnut grips. While this cataloger did not completely disassemble this revolver to ascertain matching serial numbers on the various parts, such disassembly was accomplished by noted Confederate authority Mr. Frederick R. Edmunds, which is detailed in an accompanying written report of his examination of this revolver. He states in this report that the matching SN was found on sixteen different parts with various inspector initials & numbers on eight other parts. This cataloger has previously examined two other percussion Baby Le Mats and this one is, by far, the finest of the three and may be the best extant. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching as previously noted. Overall retains generous amounts of orig factory blue with strong blue in sheltered areas on bbl showing only light sharp edge wear and slight muzzle edge wear. Cylinder is a blue/gray patina. Grips are very fine with a couple of chipped diamonds and retain most of their orig oil finish with a few minor nicks & scratches. Trigger, hammer & ramrod extension in the butt retain generous amounts of their orig straw colors. Mechanics are crisp, bores are bright & shiny with orig blue still visible in both bores and chambers of the cylinder. 4-39382 (75,000-125,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2010 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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