Frenchman Dr. Jean Francois Alexander LeMat (1821-1895) is primarily remembered for his unusual percussion and pinfire handguns from the Civil War era that were used by some Confederates including General J.E.B. Stuart. However, after the war, LeMat continued to design more advanced versions of his distinctive firearms and returned to France in 1868. In France, he also led an American volunteer legion during Franco-Prussian War, was a negotiator during the French Insurrection in 1871, and developed early airships. Production totals for the LeMat firearms are not known. However, given that production of the more well-known and more often seen percussion revolvers numbered only in the low thousands, the centerfire carbines from the late 1860s to the 1880s production totals were likely very low, possibly only a few hundred. There are very few surviving examples. Though there is at least one known example with a serial number in the thousands, it may have been continued from percussion, pinfire, and rimfire ranges, and most known centerfire LeMat carbines have fairly low serial numbers like this example. Revolving rifles, carbines, and shotguns were never very popular and were essentially obsolete when compared to repeating arms manufactured by Winchester and others in the same period. Similar Belgian LeMat centerfire carbines are illustrated and described on pages 127-131 of "LeMat, The Man, The Gun" by Forgett and Serpette. The carbine features a blade front sight built into the upper barrel band and a notch and folding leaf rear sight fitted to the dovetail just behind the "COLONEL LEMAT PATENT" marking on the octagonal breech section. The barrel bands, rifled barrel, smoothbore barrel, arbor, loading gates, saddle ring stud, and trigger guard are all marked "3". The arbor also has an oval "RD" marking, and the barrels have "crown/U" proofs. The smoothbore barrel has the "EL" proof and "15.2" bore marking.

Very good with mostly gray and artificially applied brown patina and general mild overall wear. The stock has a spliced toe section and is otherwise very good with a few small worm holes and mild scratches and dings. Mechanically fine.