A Portuguese blunderbuss

[M ELEY]

Beautiful gun, Fernando! Where do you manage to find all of your amazing pieces?! I really must follow you around some day!

In regards to the spreading of shot with flared muzzles, I agree; perhaps many believed it distributed shot broadly, but it is the length of barrel and the "looseness" of the shot that actually creates the shot-gun effect.

I also question the rompe puntas on cup-hilts as far as supposed function. I guess I could imagine that perhaps an extremely skilled duelist might temporarily snatch the point of his opponent's blade enough to deflect it momentarily?Just enough to set him "off-balance" before a killing thrust? Likewise, if it was such an important component of this type sword, why did the ones made in New Spain lack this detail?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Beautiful gun, Fernando! Where do you manage to find all of your amazing pieces?! I really must follow you around some day! ...

Thank you Mark,
Amazingly the finest (and more expensive) pieces that i manage to gather, do happen to come across, not needing to go look for them; for my disgrace, they look for me .

Originally Posted by M ELEY

... I also question the rompe puntas on cup-hilts as far as supposed function. I guess I could imagine that perhaps an extremely skilled duelist might temporarily snatch the point of his opponent's blade enough to deflect it momentarily?Just enough to set him "off-balance" before a killing thrust? ...

Well said; maybe only an extemely skilled duelist could catch his opponent's blade tip, but (most of) these cup hilted swords were used by simple men and in combat, where they handled them in a practical (brutal) way, without resource to any intrincate moves ... i would say