At last ... a blunderbuss with a bronze barrel

[corrado26]

In the "Neue Stöckel" there is listed a VIANNA at Oporto (Porto) ca. 1820-1860. In my foto archive I found these fotos of locks made in Portugal too.
cortrado26

[fernando]

Thank you Udo; that must be the VIANNA that came listed in Sousa Viterbo's work (dated 1908); although we can only guess that he is the one whom made this lock. If so, it must have been in his early active days, judging by the type of (flint lock). Viterbo mentions in his work that he includes A.J.P. VIANNA in an opuscule dedicated to Portuguese inventors (INVENTORES PORTUGUESES - 1902). I will try and acquire a copy, to dig into this Vianna's activities.
I am amazed with pictures you post; they were released out there by myself . The first is a somehow rare lock posted HERE-
The other one was posted HERE.., a page edited and copied from ESPINGARDA PERFEYTA.
I am glad that you archive such interesting material .

[Philip]

Nando: Congratulations on a very interesting blunderbuss! First Portuguese lock I've seen with a brass lockplate.

For the benefit of forum readers at-large, it's the type called pé de cabra or goat's foot, for the projecting "hoof" at the base of the cock which engages the half- and full-cock sear studs. The foot appears to be an adaptation of the Spanish patilla as seen on the common miquelet lock originating in that country, here incorporated in a mechanism that uses an internal mainspring as on other flintlocks.

Goat's foot locks, which are generally seen on guns dated to the first quarter of the 19th cent., appear to be an offshoot of the Portuguese fecho de nó or "knot" lock, originating in the late 17th cent. The knot lock has a similar exterior appearance but lacks the "foot"; an internal tumbler with half- and full-cock detents in the French style provides the sear engagement (see Daehnhardt, Espingarda Perfeyta , photoplates Figs. 19, 20 for an example).

These goat locks usually have lockplates shaped in the French style, as seen on this example. Daehnhardt / Gaier, Espingardaria Portuguesa, Armurerie Liègeoise has two analogous goat's foot locks mounted on pistols, in plate 11.

Udo: Thanks for posting your example of a goa'ts foot lock, whose uniquely shaped and curved lockplate revives that on the earlier and iconic Portuguese fecho de molinhas or "spring lock" (which you also illustrate in your post). A typical case of the Portuguese love of hybridization, and the strength of tradition.

This peculiar style of lockplate illustrates the persistence of the external styling of the molinhas type which is also retained in an outwardly similar and later hybrid called fecho de três parafusos (three-screw lock, from its method of mounting to the stock). But in this instance, the more complex and expensive-to-produce sear mechanism of the original molinhas design is replaced by the simpler "guts" of the typical "French" flintlock.

(to forum readers: please refer to Corrado's post immediately preceding for two views of a molinhas lock, one of which shows the internal workings which as can be seen have a sear system notably different from the familiar, so-called French lock that we commonly see. For those so inclined, Daehnhardt, Espingarda Perfeyta contains two diagrams of a molinhas inside and out with all its parts identified in Portuguese and English, plus photo images Figs 23-27 of several examples all with the curved lockplates). But let's keep our eyes on the goat for now...

A final note of comparison is that both the molinhas and the later hybrid três parafusos locks do not have the projecting foot on the cock and the miquelet-type transverse sears of the fecho pé de cabra seen on Nando's blunderbuss. This, despite any similarities in cock jaws, lockplate, or frizzen spring. Below is an example of a três parafusos probably of Liège manufacture for the Portuguese colonial trade. This external view shows something that is practically indistinguishable from the molinhas locks that Daehnhardt illustrates (supra):

[Philip]

Lest the viewer be confused by the preceding image, what appears to be a projection at the base of the cock is a separate component, a swiveling "brake" which acts as a manual safety catch, to block the fall of the cock at the "half" position. The photo was taken of the lock in half-cock or "safe" position with the brake in rearward position against a ratcheted notch at the cock's base.

This brake has a similar function to the rear mounted dog catches seen on early English flint systems, or on the Catalan and Algerian agujeta type miquelets.

[fernando]

Philip, thanks for enjoying (once more) my fine example of a goat foot lock with an 'armoured' frizzen posted by Udo, as also the molinhas diagrams i have 'stolen' from Daehnhardt's page whom, by the way, told me in his exuberant manner that, he was certain that the manual safety catch you talk about, was the best safety cock system he knew.
(Attached one of such lock examples in one of my finest blunderbusses ... ex-Daehnhardt, by the way)

.

[corrado26]

This safety catch is very interesting and certainly unique in the field of flintlock- or percussion firearns but it is certainly not better than a dog catch behind the cock. Both systems have the same effect - stopping the fall of the cock. A stopper in front of the cock was later in use at the Austrian cavalry pistol M 1862 and at the Hessian cavalry pistol M 1822/46. During the flintlock aera thre was a similar system in use with the shooters carbine 1817 of Württemberg
corrado26

[ulfberth]

I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of this blunderbuss and the beautiful decoration, It's a combination you rarely see .
kind regards
Ulfberth

[Philip]

Originally Posted by corrado26

This safety catch is very interesting and certainly unique in the field of flintlock- or percussion firearns but it is certainly not better than a dog catch behind the cock. Both systems have the same effect - stopping the fall of the cock. A stopper in front of the cock was later in use at the Austrian cavalry pistol M 1862 and at the Hessian cavalry pistol M 1822/46. During the flintlock aera thre was a similar system in use with the shooters carbine 1817 of Württemberg
corrado26

Udo, thanks for posting pics of a similar concept seen on the locks of some military firearms from Germanic states, of which I am much less familiar with than with those of southern Europe. Am I correct in assuming that all the examples in your post also utilize half-cock detents on their tumblers?

It's interesting to speculate why the apparent resurgence of a frontally-acting "brake" or stop at such a late date, at least on a few models of guns, a century or so after the rear-mounted dog catch fell out of general use. What are your ideas on this? If you have personal experience in shooting flint or percussion guns with locks fitted with these external stops, what are your impressions of the functionality and ease-of-use of such devices?

[Philip]

Originally Posted by fernando

... Daehnhardt, by the way, told me in his exuberant manner that, he was certain that the manual safety catch you talk about, was the best safety cock system he knew.
(Attached one of such lock examples in one of my finest blunderbusses ... ex-Daehnhardt, by the way)

.

Nando, thanks for the pic of your additional example, it certainly is a fine one!

I've also believed that Daehhardt's enthusiasm for the "Portuguese brake" is rather exuberant, perhaps tinged with a lot of national pride. My tendency is to agree with our friend Udo, who says in his post that it doesn't seem to be better than the dog catch used elsewhere in Europe. If an advantage can be assigned to both, it's that they secure the cock by a means that is totally independent of the sear linkage, and thus could not possibly be deactivated by the trigger in the case of a worn or defective mechanism.

From the standpoint of the shooter's convenience and ease of operation, the half-cock detents of the Spanish-style patilla and the French flintlock are superior in that they can be engaged no matter what angle the barrel is held at, and in a one-hand operation. Although both locks have entirely different sear systems, the heart of the half-cock position is having a sear engage a notch so deep as to prevent disengagement by the leverage exerted via the trigger. (miquelets have two separate sear noses, true flintlocks and their successors only one). In both cases, half-cock is also overriden automatically when the gun is discharged from full cock. The fact that on a well-made lock in good condition, these systems are quite secure is evident in their continued use on locks into the percussion and even as late as the early breechloading periods as long as guns were detonated with an external flint or by a hammer striking a cap or primer or firing pin. From the first half of the 17th cent. until over 2 centuries later, this is a considerable span of time for a relatively simple concept to remain current.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Philip

...I've also believed that Daehhardt's enthusiasm for the "Portuguese brake" is rather exuberant, perhaps tinged with a lot of national pride. My tendency is to agree with our friend Udo, who says in his post that it doesn't seem to be better than the dog catch used elsewhere in Europe...

Yes, my mentioning his exuberant mode was a way to imply that a spiced statement was to be considered.
Obviously the concept of best, besides being passive of a determined context, is limited to how wide is your information to cover everything of the kind and, even so, your claim that something is the best ... is in the least subjective.
I have an old dog lock blunderbuss. Checking on its mechanism and reading opinions out there i came HERE. (read as from post #29) and rehearsed a little brainstorm where the dog lock system was not denied to (also) have its Achilles' heel.