The Portuguese Vergueiro: for almost half a century, Portugal's far-flung c...

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Author:
Scarlata, Paul
Date:
Aug 1, 2009
Words:
1259
Publication: Guns & Ammo
ISSN:
0017-5684

Although one of the smaller European countries, a series of dynamic seafaring explorations
beginning in the 14th century bequeathed Portugal numerous colonies in South America, Africa,
Asia and the East Indies. To keep order in her distant territories, Portugal took advantage of
developing military technology. In the early 1880s they adopted the Espingarda Mod. 1885
Guedes-Castro, made by Steyr: a single shot, falling block rifle, and the very first to use a
smallbore cartridge--the 8x60R Guedes.
France's adoption of the Fusil d'Infanterie Mle. 1886 Lebel, firing the revolutionary,
smokeless 8mm Balle M cartridge, rendered the Mod. 1885 obsolete so the Portuguese placed
orders with Steyr for a Kropatschek design, the Espingarda Mod. 1886, which used an
eight-round tubular magazine and was chambered for the 8x60R cartridge loaded with a
smokeless propellant.
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In 1896, Portugal purchased a quantity of 6.5mm Mannlicher carbines and short rifles--Carabina
e Mosqueton Mod. 1896--from Steyr for issue to cavalry, artillery and naval units.
Portuguese army trials of 1902-1903 tested various rifles including the Mauser Infanteriegewehr
98, Dutch M.95 Mannlicher, Rumanian Pusca 1893 Mannlicher, Mannlicher Schonauer and the
little-known French Mle. 1896 Daudeatau. The Mannlicher Schonauer came out on top ... but its
cost made the Portuguese exchequer balk.
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Into the midst of this indecision stepped a Portuguese officer by the name of Vergueiro who
combined the Mauser's charger-loaded magazine, sights, stock, and fittings with a
Mannlicher-style split bridge receiver. His primary contribution to the rifle was a greatly simplified
bolt, was based upon the German Infanteriegewehr 88, and had dual frontal locking lugs, a
separate bolt head containing the extractor and ejector while the bolt handle which turned down
in front of the receiver bridge. No bolt sleeve was provided and the safety was fitted directly into
the cocking piece and the bolt cocked half way upon opening and half way on closing.
The end result was adopted as the Espingarda Portugueza 6.5 Mod. 1904 and an 100,000-rifle
order was placed with Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken of Berlin.

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The 1904 featured a walnut stock with a peculiar shallow pistol grip, spring retained barrel and
muzzle bands. The stagged column magazine was loaded via five round chargers and the
magazine floor plate could be released for quick and safe unloading. The 8.4 pound rifle held a
29-inch barrel giving an overall length of 48.2 inches. The V-notch rear sight was graduated from
200 to 2,000 meters and the rifle was issued with an 11-inch bayonet.
The Cartucho cal. 6,5 com bala mod. 1904 consisted of a rimless, bottlenecked case 58mm long
whose 155-grain round nosed, FMJ bullet was propelled to 2,350 fps. The Portuguese never
updated this round with a pointed, spitzer bullet.
In 1906, using left over parts, DWM assembled 5,000 1904 rifles chambered for the 7x57 Mauser
cartridge for Brazil who issued them to police (Forcas Publicas) in the cities of Rio de
Janeiro and Sao Paulo. According to Brazilian authority, Adler Homero Fonseco de Castro, they
proved unpopular and within a few years were replaced with Mausers.
SERVICE LIFE
The 1904 saw its most extensive combat service in Portugal's African colonies. With the outbreak
of the Great War Portugal began reinforcing their units in Mozambique. The garrison originally
consisted of 10 companies of native askaris (companhias in-digenas), a mixed unit (Guarda
Republicana de Lourenco Marques) and one artillery battery most of whom were still armed with
the Mod. 1886. In early 1915, Portugal reinforced the garrison with regular infantry, cavalry and a
mountain artillery battery armed with the 1904 and Carabina Mod.1896. Later that year,
additional regulars were sent to replace those troops lost to fever, disease and desertion.
Additional askari units were raised while, in July 1916,4,500 additional troops arrived from
Portugal.
After declaring war on Germany, in May of 1916 Portuguese troops crossed the border into
Deutsches Ostafrika (now Tanzania) to assist British and Belgian forces in pursuing the German
field commander, Lt. Col. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. They were quickly repulsed, whereupon
they fell back and built a line of fortifications on the border. A second offensive drove the
German forces back towards Lindi, however a German counter attack at Nevala pushed the
Portuguese force back across the border again. Having demonstrated they were no match
against the Germans, a third expeditionary force of 4,000 men was dispatched from Portugal.
With British, South African and Belgian forces in hot (but futile) pursuit, the ever-enterprising
Lettow-Vorbeck invaded Mozambique. The Germans caught the Portuguese completely by
surprise, destroyed their defensive lines and captured badly needed food, clothing, medical
supplies, munitions and weapons--including large numbers of 1904s and 1886s which LettowVorbeck issued to his troops. The Germans repeatedly defeated Portuguese units until
September of 1918 when they slipped back into Deutsches Ostafrika where they continued to
evade Allied forces until after the war ended in November 1918.
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A little known historical footnote about the 1904 is that it was officially adopted by South Africa.
In 1915, desperately short of Lee-Enfields, the South African government purchased 25,000
1904s from Portugal for issue to their commandos taking part in the conquest of DeutschSudwestafrika (now Namibia). Reportedly, they served well and were quite popular. After the war
many were sold on the civilian market where they proved popular with South African sportsmen.
While Portugal obtained large numbers of No. 1 Mk. III Lee-Enfields during and after WW I, the
1904 continued in service, primarily with colonial forces. In the late 1930s, the Portuguese army
adopted a 98 Mauser, the Espingarda Mod. 937-A. So as to extend their service life, many 1904s
were retrofitted with 24-inch barrels chambered for the 7.9x57 cartridge and re-baptized the
904/M39.
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Some 1904s were used by Portuguese troops during the short-lived opposition to the Japanese
invasion of East Timor in 1942. When the Indian army occupied the Portuguese enclave of Goa
in 1961, some 1904s (and even some 1886s!) were issued to Portuguese reservists--but were
never fired in anger as the colonial authorities wisely surrendered the colony. Lastly, numbers of
both the 1904 and 904/M39 saw service with all sides and factions throughout the "national
liberation" wars that ravaged Portugal's African colonies during the 1970s and '80s.
TEST FIRING THE MAUSER-VERGUEIRO:
I obtained a 1904 from fellow collector John Klear that was in VG condition and bore the crest of
King Carlos I on the receiver. Fellow InterMedia contributor Bob Shell (www.obsoleteammo.com)
provided a supply of custom loaded ammunition made from trimmed and resized .270
Winchester cases topped with 160-grain Hornady soft point bullets backed by a charge of H4831
powder.
I test fired the 1904 from a rest on my gun club's 100-yard range. The bolt both worked very
smoothly, the rifle was graced with a crisp, two-stage trigger pull and the long sighting radius
provided a rather decent sight picture. Using a six o'clock hold on the targets, I produced a
series of groups that averaged under three inches in size. Not too bad for uma Menina Velha
quern nao recebe qualquer mais jovem (an Old Girl who is not getting any younger).
To my way of thinking, the Espingarda Mod. 1904 typifies the military rifle of the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Well made (you might almost say elegant), fine handling, accurate and--as
with many of its contemporaries--long serving. We shall never see their like again.
Photos by Nathan Reynolds
COPYRIGHT 2009 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc.

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