A short balkan musket

[Philip]

Attached are a couple of photos showing an example of a fecho de nó made in the 19th cent. for export, probably at Braga (Portugal) or Liège. It is "in the white", unused and most likely never installed on a gun. Compared to the obvious production shortcuts and fairly crude finish of the example already on the gun under consideration (not to mention late-production export trade guns from Belgium), the build quality is quite good on this one and the mechanical essentials are the same.

There was quite a market for flintlock guns in Africa down to the eve of the First World War despite the growing use of percussion systems worldwide. Because of the long Portuguese presence in some parts of the continent, there was continued demand for archaic flint systems such as this due to the strength of tradition. The complete guns varied a lot in quality; the typical trade musket was cheaply made, often with a red-painted stock studded with brass upholstery tacks and incorporating a small mirror on the buttstock. (again I refer you to Rick's post #14 showing the extremely rough quality of the locks used on such guns, and his mention of the effort needed to tune it up to work properly). However, one occasionally sees very well made ones, obviously for sale to persons of means. The popular name for these guns in Portuguese style was Lazarinos, in tribute to the Brescian family of barrel-makers who flourished a couple centuries earlier.