The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

I bought a used Pietta Lemat on GB a week or two ago and it arrived yesterday. It is like new, never fired and just perfect in every way, I'm over the moon about it. I have had some less than perfect Piettas in the past and this LeMat is certainly a big step up from anything I have ever seen from that maker. The fit & finish is great, the bluing is deep black and highly polished. Even the wood fits well and looks great. This is a high quality that rivals my decades old S&W large frame .357.

It came with no box or papers and I thought that it would be a simple matter to find all the useful info on the internet. I downloaded the PDF from the Pietta website and found it is exactly the same one as provided with the other revolvers. There was nothing outside of loading data and an exploded view specifically about the LeMat. I looked elsewhere and read that there is a takedown lever on the bottom and that the .44 barrel unscrews from the shotgun barrel. OK, this makes sense but I saw no pictures and do not wish to mark up my new treasure playing around with it.

Can anybody point to a step by step illustrated takedown guide? I want to take it apart and give it a good clean and oil. I understand it has been on display in a home for ten or fifteen years.

BTW, is there a spell checker on this forum? I have looked and don't see one. It sure would save time & misttakes.

This is not that generation of Pietta, this is the new Pietta, and a world away from the poorly fitted wood, crappy bluing, and so on found on the earlier Pietta's. Dixie Gun Works in Union City Tennessee should be able to provide you with some form of a guide, either that or call Pietta directly because I know my LeMat did come with a clear takedown guide. All these years later I have no clue what I did with that guide, and I haven't shot that revolver in a long time so I don't recall exactly how it goes. I do remember that I did take it apart and it wasn't that difficult. No spell check, Windows 7 here on my computer seems to come with it's own, don't worry about the errors, just blame it on age, arthritis, and since none of us can spell anyway nobody will notice.

Can't do illustrated, but from the manual, it looks like you take the takedown screw out. It's the one on the RH side of the barrel assembly, just below or beside the shotgun barrel. It has a spring running down to the takedown pin. There are two different types of take down pins; Army/Navy uses the screw and that spring it holds in; Cavalry has a wedge with it's own captive spring that goes in the same area. Removing whichever version you have should enable you to slide the barrel(s) forward off the frame. This should allow the cylinder to slide off the shotgun barrel; That's as far as you should need to go, except you can remove the sideplate (left side) by unscrewing the sideplate nut in the middle of it, to inspect and lube the action. HTH.

Reading a description found somewhere on the web I got the impression that the .44 barrel unscrews from around the shot barrel. This revolver has such a wonderfully great polished finish that I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't mess it up fooling around with it. Pietta must have sold thousands of these over the years so some of us must have taken one apart to clean it after firing.

The other possibility is that this great donk of a pistol is not often actually shot? I have no plans about whether to shoot this one or keep it virginal myself.

This was, and is one of their most expensive revolvers, they didn't sell many, and most are probably in display cases.

Yes, I notice that Dixie Gun Works is selling the latest batch for $1100.00. Possibly few are actually shot. My example sat on display in a cabinet in the first owner's living room for a decade or two and was never fired. I'm off to the range tomorrow with the Uberti Second Dragoon & a Uberti 1951 Navy that both need their first firing. The LeMat will sit, at least until I can find out how to clean it.

BTW, I should have my 1923 Model T back tomorrow as well. I brought it up to a shop that specializes in Model Ts for some work on some specialized areas.

You found a shop that fixes Model T's???? Such has not existed around here since 1940 or so. What specialized areas? The T is as basic as an automobile can get, my riding mower has more complex systems in it than the T. Engine problems? Magneto issues?, Bands? Having something aftermarket installed? I will have the A out in the morning, right now it and the T are the only functional auto's I own unless I want to drive my motorhome everywhere.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:You found a shop that fixes Model T's???? Such has not existed around here since 1940 or so. What specialized areas? The T is as basic as an automobile can get, my riding mower has more complex systems in it than the T. Engine problems? Magneto issues?, Bands? Having something aftermarket installed? I will have the A out in the morning, right now it and the T are the only functional auto's I own unless I want to drive my motorhome everywhere.

They are simple to us, here and now, because we've dealt with TH400's and Quadrajunk carbs. When my Grandpa started working on them in the mid twenties, (he was born in 1913) they were cornfusing enough for most folks that he was able to make very good money for a pre-teen keeping them running for some cattle rustlers in North Dakota. He went on to start his own business, specializing in gereators and alternators (later on).

Reading a description found somewhere on the web I got the impression that the .44 barrel unscrews from around the shot barrel.

Yes and no. It comes off kinda the way I said; You either loosen the takedown screw and pull the spring out, or more logically, (now that I think about it) push the spring to the right and pull the takedown pin forward-and then that's when you unscrew the .44 barrel from the shotgun barrel. If it's a Cavalry model, you pull the front of the pin down and back so it clears the barrel assy. that's as far as you need to take it down for cleaning after shooting. I woud recommend you pull the sideplate and inspect and properly lube the action before firing. You shouldn't need to do this everytime you shoot, though.

See-not so hard at all; as easy as a Glock!

We are fortunate in my area of megoloplis to have two folks who work on Model Ts. One actually has a shop called the Tin Shed and that it where my Model T is now. I just talked to Larry who runs the place and my car is done now.I go up Wednesday evening to pick it up, I can hardly wait to see how it looks with its new wheels.

I did most of the work myself but there were some things that I did not care to tackle as they are specialist jobs which require knowledge & tools that I do not possess. While Model Ts are conceptionally simple, they were designed so long ago that shop procedures, tools & materials required for some jobs are no longer commonly available. The Model T was in production in 1908 and was the product of that shiny new century. Try to find a shop that knows how to pour bearings nowadays. What would they understand of pouring and setting up the "fourth main?" Model Ts are full of mine fields, things that keep the current day driver & mechanic learning to keep the T running & happy.

I feel that Model As are much simpler for us now. Just as an example, while the A still have poured bearings, the ignition is simple coil & points. Autos had matured a great deal in the 19 years that Henry produced the T. The A was more mainstream and I feel is easier for a beginner to maintain.

I had a good look at the LeMat last night and think the issue I had might have been not pressing the takedown lever back far enough. I'll try it again with a bit more murphy to see if it might decide to free the barrel assembly. It might be a used revolver but it is absolutely flawless. I wish the two Uberti Colts I bought new a few weeks ago were as nice.