Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 21st February 2016, 11:06 PM

The above detail photos are much appreciated! And thanks, Sten, for the comments on how well yours works. The clarification regarding the "thingie"in front of the cock is most useful, based on that I need to amend my prior post slightly in order to keep things straight:
1. If the projection is a functioning manual safety, (as opposed to a hammer-stop as you'd find on, say, a Scottish snaphaunce, then the proper term for this type of lock is indeed "fecho meio à portuguesa e meio à francesa" as I have said earlier.
HOWEVER--

2. If it is an immobile stop for the cock's forward fall AND IS NOT A PIVOTING SAFETY PAWL, then the lock is called a "fecho de nò" or "knot lock". This is a simpler predecessor to the portuguesa/francesa type and was known as early as the second half of the 17th cent. So the later, possibly Liege-made lock for the African colonial trade in the previous pics is a last-gasp manifestation of the knot lock.

You might be interested in what the Portuguese thought of these locks back in the day, judging from the opinions of the smiths who wrote ESPINGARDA PERFEYTA (by C. Fiosconi and J. Guserio, in Lisbon 1718):

"[knot locks are not] capable of being fired in the air (i.e. muzzle elevated) since they are too stiff when pulling the trigger, and if it be wished to make them softer (i.e. easier to cock), they also become unsafe and easily uncock themselves, since the mechanism has only two parts of poor shape, and if many persons make use of them, it is because they are cheaper."

"Locks which are half Portuguese and half French are much better than those we have described, although they are slow in uncocking (i.e. have a sluggish hammer-fall), but much more durable, having the half-cock brake in the Portuguese style, outside, for which reason they must be applied to muskets and pistols, for also with them the stock is more elegant since they lave the [lock]plates in the French style."

I agree that the version of the Portuguesa/Francesa lock on the Algerian gun in this thread looks to be a handmade native copy, not an industrially-made cheap European export product. It couldn't be all that bad, though, since it works!

21st February 2016, 11:06 PM	#24
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	Horses of a different color The above detail photos are much appreciated! And thanks, Sten, for the comments on how well yours works. The clarification regarding the "thingie"in front of the cock is most useful, based on that I need to amend my prior post slightly in order to keep things straight: 1. If the projection is a functioning manual safety, (as opposed to a hammer-stop as you'd find on, say, a Scottish snaphaunce, then the proper term for this type of lock is indeed "fecho meio à portuguesa e meio à francesa" as I have said earlier. HOWEVER-- 2. If it is an immobile stop for the cock's forward fall AND IS NOT A PIVOTING SAFETY PAWL, then the lock is called a "fecho de nò" or "knot lock". This is a simpler predecessor to the portuguesa/francesa type and was known as early as the second half of the 17th cent. So the later, possibly Liege-made lock for the African colonial trade in the previous pics is a last-gasp manifestation of the knot lock. You might be interested in what the Portuguese thought of these locks back in the day, judging from the opinions of the smiths who wrote ESPINGARDA PERFEYTA (by C. Fiosconi and J. Guserio, in Lisbon 1718): "[knot locks are not] capable of being fired in the air (i.e. muzzle elevated) since they are too stiff when pulling the trigger, and if it be wished to make them softer (i.e. easier to cock), they also become unsafe and easily uncock themselves, since the mechanism has only two parts of poor shape, and if many persons make use of them, it is because they are cheaper." "Locks which are half Portuguese and half French are much better than those we have described, although they are slow in uncocking (i.e. have a sluggish hammer-fall), but much more durable, having the half-cock brake in the Portuguese style, outside, for which reason they must be applied to muskets and pistols, for also with them the stock is more elegant since they lave the [lock]plates in the French style." I agree that the version of the Portuguesa/Francesa lock on the Algerian gun in this thread looks to be a handmade native copy, not an industrially-made cheap European export product. It couldn't be all that bad, though, since it works!