Background
LeMat was born in France in 1821 and studied for the priesthood at an early age.
LeMat was born in France in 1821 and studied for the priesthood at an early age.
He decided against it and became a doctor. Beauregard would lead the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in 1861. LeMat was an avid inventor as well as a practicing physician and Beauregard financed some of these ideas.
LeMat, secured United States 15925 for his "Grapeshot revolver" design on October 21, 1856.
British patents for the same design were issued in 1859, and he later designed a revolver rifle of similar concept as the handgun.