Differently colored revolver chamber-bottoms?

Rachen · November 21, 2014, 10:03 AM

Now this may not be of much importance pertaining as to fit or function but curious to see if anyone else has seen this occurrence in their revolvers.

I had taken delivery of a spare cylinder for my daily carry LeMat .44/.63 and was wiping down all the heavy cosmoline from the cylinder before I fit the cylinder to the revolver by slightly widening the locking pin apertures in the back of the cylinder.

Once the cosmoline was cleaned off completely, I found that the bottom of one of the chambers had a deep bronze color. The rest of the chambers are bright silver but this one appears to be deep, rich bronze gold. I found this quite amusing.

Have you guys ever seen this before?

TemboTusk · November 21, 2014, 05:23 PM

Sorry, I lost track of the question after reading "daily carry LeMat .44/.63 "

That is impressive! I think we need a picture!

Bpcurious · November 21, 2014, 09:09 PM

Yes! Pictures!

Rachen · November 21, 2014, 09:12 PM

Well I haven't posted here for some time but most of the guys here know that I do carry a LeMat as my truck/backpack gun. I have acquired a .36 Leech & Rigdon recently and that sometimes rides with me, but most of the time it is the LeMat.

It is not that big or heavy at all. Especially with the side-mounted loading assembly removed because it has a tendency to flop around due to recoil, and if I do need to reload on the field that lever can be attached by hand and removed again just as easily.

I actually have an article coming up that I am going to post here regarding the LeMat and it's potency as a backpack gun. And the step-by-step processes of how I timed and fitted a couple of spare cylinders for it as well. from Note that I refer to it as a backpack gun and not a holster or belt pistol. It is not a "gunfighter" or SASS weapon...too heavy and bulky for any type of speed-shooting. It is not for carry in an urban environment under clothing. For that purpose I have the Rigdon. But as a pack gun that was what it was designed for in the first place. I load the central barrel with a single .63 patched round ball over 45 grains of FFF. Grapeshot loads have a very wide spread from that barrel and from range firing I found that accuracy out to 30 yards can be attained using the patched ball.

I have been meaning to make a detailed post about the LeMat some time ago but I am just fully occupied writing my novel. The article should come as soon as I get a nice first draft done.

Anyhow lets get back to bronze colored cylinder chamber bottoms?

Anybody else seen this phenomenon before? I was thinking that it may have been caused by the tool used to bore out the chambers.

bedbugbilly · November 22, 2014, 12:37 PM

Boy I'm glad that you clarified it as a truck/backpack carry!

I had a friend who had one - an interesting revolver for sure but what a hunk of iron! I was just trying to imagine what it would be like to carry one of those IWB or OTB. That would take the assistance of one heck of a set of heavy duty suspenders!

I shot my friend's LeMat once and it was fun and a nice experience - nice to be ale to say "I shot one". I don't think he'd ever shot his shot barrel.

Rachen · November 23, 2014, 03:56 PM

If we are talking IWB carry, then it is a REALLY big gun. There is no way the pistol will fit IWB, and even if you manage to get it to fit, it would be mighty uncomfortable to have that huge mass pressed in against your kidney.

The few times where I did attempt to CC the LeMat on my person without a backpack or haversack was when I was wearing a really heavy greatcoat on a particularly brutal day and the gun was riding inside one of the inner pockets of the coat. And that was for experimentation only, due to a thread on a different site where someone wanted to CC a Walker. I wanted to see how large revolvers of that class could be carried without being placed in a separate piece of luggage. And even with a coat of that weight, the LeMat is HEAVY when fully loaded.

There are NINE .454 balls inside weighing at 140 grains each. Each with 33 grains of FFFg black powder behind them. And then 50 more grains of musket powder in the central barrel and a .63 ball on top of that along with a lot of cotton wadding to make a good gas seal. That adds a lot to an already heavy gun.

As a backpack gun though, that is what this gun is designed for in the first place. It was intended for the saddlebags of a mounted trooper, and for infantry use, this thing most likely rode in a backpack as well, in a side compartment or near the zipper. Extremely easy to reach around in a crossdraw, pull it out and deliver a rapid and effective shot.

As a combat weapon the LeMat is unparalleled. It holds more ammunition than a 1911 or ANY single stack auto without an extended magazine. And those who are well versed in combat knows that getting a good sight picture in time is what wins a fight. And in that department the LeMat excels as well. The sides of the hammer extend above the hammer nose to form an open square bracket like the Chinese character kou The front sight notch, when lined up in between that bracket, makes the character zhong. When the threat is being viewed through that zhong, it means that threat is going to have a very bad day.

I have tried to practice instinctive shooting with the Remington but the rear sight bracket, unless unmodified, is rather hard to pick up. On a Colt, the hammer notch is also small and difficult to pick up in a split second. The LeMat sights however, offer the best combat style arrangement in my opinion. That is on the NAVY model revolver by the way. I don't think the Cavalry or Army hammers have that extended side bracket.

November 21, 2014, 10:03 AM	#1
Rachen Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Weekend cowboy Posts: 542	Differently colored revolver chamber-bottoms? Now this may not be of much importance pertaining as to fit or function but curious to see if anyone else has seen this occurrence in their revolvers. I had taken delivery of a spare cylinder for my daily carry LeMat .44/.63 and was wiping down all the heavy cosmoline from the cylinder before I fit the cylinder to the revolver by slightly widening the locking pin apertures in the back of the cylinder. Once the cosmoline was cleaned off completely, I found that the bottom of one of the chambers had a deep bronze color. The rest of the chambers are bright silver but this one appears to be deep, rich bronze gold. I found this quite amusing. Have you guys ever seen this before?

November 21, 2014, 05:23 PM	#2
TemboTusk Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2012 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 139	Sorry, I lost track of the question after reading "daily carry LeMat .44/.63 " That is impressive! I think we need a picture! __________________ ...You will experience a giant “BOOM” and will disappear into a cloud of flame, smoke and debris. It will be awesome! www.TemboTusk.com

November 22, 2014, 12:37 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Boy I'm glad that you clarified it as a truck/backpack carry! I had a friend who had one - an interesting revolver for sure but what a hunk of iron! I was just trying to imagine what it would be like to carry one of those IWB or OTB. That would take the assistance of one heck of a set of heavy duty suspenders! I shot my friend's LeMat once and it was fun and a nice experience - nice to be ale to say "I shot one". I don't think he'd ever shot his shot barrel. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

November 21, 2014, 09:09 PM	#3
Bpcurious Member Join Date: October 4, 2014 Posts: 50	Yes! Pictures!

November 21, 2014, 09:12 PM	#4
Rachen Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Weekend cowboy Posts: 542	Well I haven't posted here for some time but most of the guys here know that I do carry a LeMat as my truck/backpack gun. I have acquired a .36 Leech & Rigdon recently and that sometimes rides with me, but most of the time it is the LeMat. It is not that big or heavy at all. Especially with the side-mounted loading assembly removed because it has a tendency to flop around due to recoil, and if I do need to reload on the field that lever can be attached by hand and removed again just as easily. I actually have an article coming up that I am going to post here regarding the LeMat and it's potency as a backpack gun. And the step-by-step processes of how I timed and fitted a couple of spare cylinders for it as well. from Note that I refer to it as a backpack gun and not a holster or belt pistol. It is not a "gunfighter" or SASS weapon...too heavy and bulky for any type of speed-shooting. It is not for carry in an urban environment under clothing. For that purpose I have the Rigdon. But as a pack gun that was what it was designed for in the first place. I load the central barrel with a single .63 patched round ball over 45 grains of FFF. Grapeshot loads have a very wide spread from that barrel and from range firing I found that accuracy out to 30 yards can be attained using the patched ball. I have been meaning to make a detailed post about the LeMat some time ago but I am just fully occupied writing my novel. The article should come as soon as I get a nice first draft done. Anyhow lets get back to bronze colored cylinder chamber bottoms? Anybody else seen this phenomenon before? I was thinking that it may have been caused by the tool used to bore out the chambers.

November 23, 2014, 03:56 PM	#6
Rachen Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Weekend cowboy Posts: 542	If we are talking IWB carry, then it is a REALLY big gun. There is no way the pistol will fit IWB, and even if you manage to get it to fit, it would be mighty uncomfortable to have that huge mass pressed in against your kidney. The few times where I did attempt to CC the LeMat on my person without a backpack or haversack was when I was wearing a really heavy greatcoat on a particularly brutal day and the gun was riding inside one of the inner pockets of the coat. And that was for experimentation only, due to a thread on a different site where someone wanted to CC a Walker. I wanted to see how large revolvers of that class could be carried without being placed in a separate piece of luggage. And even with a coat of that weight, the LeMat is HEAVY when fully loaded. There are NINE .454 balls inside weighing at 140 grains each. Each with 33 grains of FFFg black powder behind them. And then 50 more grains of musket powder in the central barrel and a .63 ball on top of that along with a lot of cotton wadding to make a good gas seal. That adds a lot to an already heavy gun. As a backpack gun though, that is what this gun is designed for in the first place. It was intended for the saddlebags of a mounted trooper, and for infantry use, this thing most likely rode in a backpack as well, in a side compartment or near the zipper. Extremely easy to reach around in a crossdraw, pull it out and deliver a rapid and effective shot. As a combat weapon the LeMat is unparalleled. It holds more ammunition than a 1911 or ANY single stack auto without an extended magazine. And those who are well versed in combat knows that getting a good sight picture in time is what wins a fight. And in that department the LeMat excels as well. The sides of the hammer extend above the hammer nose to form an open square bracket like the Chinese character kou The front sight notch, when lined up in between that bracket, makes the character zhong. When the threat is being viewed through that zhong, it means that threat is going to have a very bad day. I have tried to practice instinctive shooting with the Remington but the rear sight bracket, unless unmodified, is rather hard to pick up. On a Colt, the hammer notch is also small and difficult to pick up in a split second. The LeMat sights however, offer the best combat style arrangement in my opinion. That is on the NAVY model revolver by the way. I don't think the Cavalry or Army hammers have that extended side bracket.