Vergueiro M1904/39
Faced with a decision between the Mauser and Mannlicher rifles to replace their black powder Kropatscheks, the Portuguese would instead choose a locally designed hybrid rifle for their forces.
At the dawn of the twentieth century, the Portuguese were the only European power that was still standardized on a black powder repeater, and the need for a modern rifle was apparent. The Kropatschek rifles then in service had been the most advanced of the black powder rifles, and had been adopted just before the French introduced smokeless powder with their Lebel rifle. A few smokeless rifles were already in service, such as with the cavalry, but the need for a general issue weapon was acute.
The History
Despite the obsolescence of the Krpoatschek, the Portuguese had been slow to adopt a new smokeless design. Small numbers of Mannlicher M1895 6.5mm rifles had been purchased, but never in quantity, and as trials commenced for a new standard issue rifle the competition came down to a race between the Mannlicher and the Mauser 98.
The rear sight of the Vergeuiro is surrounded by a full handguard, and is graduated from 200 to 2,000 meters. Note also the number markings on the base, a relic of the original settings from the 6.5mm chambering.
The 6.5mm cartridge was selected quickly over the older 8mm cartridge, black powder or otherwise, and this combined with their previous purchasing of Mannlicher rifles from OEWG, to cause them to bypass the Mauser M1898 pattern for the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1900. This would not, however, be the end of the process, as infighting within the Portuguese military resulted in the program being cancelled until 1903, and with no one wanting to agree on the Mauser or the Mannlicher, the hybrid design produced by Captain Jose Vergueiro, a member of the Portuguese army commission and rejected almost out of hand in 1900, was selected.
Accepted now as the Espingarda 6,5 mm m/1904 (Rifle, 6.5mm, model of 1904), the Vergueiro went into production at DWM in Germany. Chambered in a new rimless 6.5x58mm cartridge, the new rifle began to be issued with an initial 100,000 ordered with a due date in mid 1907 for the final batches. Production first went to infantry units, followed by artillery and engineers. The cavalry preferred to retain their Mannlicher rifles, and most colonial troops retained the Kropatschek at first.
The front sight of the M1904/39, with its distinctive protector
When Portugal entered the First World War in 1916 its Expeditionary Corps in France was equipped with British SMLE rifles to ease supply, but Portuguese colonial forces had already been engaged in skirmishes in southern Africa, and the Vergueiro began to see service with both Portuguese forces as well as South African forces, who purchased 20,000 rifles for their troops and used them in the theater.
After the war the Vergueiro remained in service alongside the SMLE rifles, but as the 1930s wore on the Portuguese elected to replace both rifles with the German Kar98k Mauser, which was adopted as the M937, along with a changeover to 7.92x57mm. This would lead to a massive program to convert the M1904 Vergueiro rifles to the new cartridge, redesignated as the M904/39. This program would convert more than half of the rifles produced, and as a result of various factors the original 6.5mm Vergueiro rifles are today extraordinarily rare.
Despite Portuguese neutrality during the Second World War, the Vergueiro would see some use, as the Japanese invaded Portuguese East Timor in 1942. Further use would occur across Africa during the violent collapse of the Portuguese Empire in the later twentieth century. As a result, the Vergueiro remains in use in smaller local conflicts in the region to this day.
The receiver of the rifle, with its combination of Mauser and Mannlicher features on display
The Design
The Vergueiro was designed to be the “best of both worlds” regarding the Mauser and Mannlicher designs, and thus incorporates features of both. Its trigger group and magazine are essentially Mauser type, and the receiver is very similar to a small-ring Mauser, albeit with a Mannlicher style split bridge. The bolt is more a holdover from the Mannlicher rifles, although it has a redesigned gas shield and cocking piece. It retains the exceptionally smooth action characteristic of Mannlicher rifles. The rifle has a Mauser style integral magazine as well, with an Arisaka style catch in the trigger guard to release the hinged floorplate.
The 1939 conversion resulted in the rifle being shortened slightly as well as having a new, protected front sight attached. The rear sight was also modified for the new 7.92mm cartridge. The receiver was notched for the longer cartridges as well, to facilitate loading the charger clips.
The receiver wall markings, identifying that this rifle was produced by DWM in Germany. Note the 6.5 caliber marking has been crossed out after the 1939 conversion to 7.92mm
This Example
The example seen here is, like most Vergeuiros encountered today, one of the M904/39 conversions to 7.92mm. It is in excellent condition, with matching numbers on all components, and has an original leather sling attached. It was produced by DWM in around 1906 (dating information is difficult to locate on these rifles). The markings, including the crest of King Carlos I on the receiver ring remain very crisp, and both the metal and wood condition is excellent.
The crest of King Carlos I on the receiver
Opinions
The Vergueiro is an interesting and often overlooked rifle, and many who know of them refer to them as the “Portuguese Mauser”, a term the author feels is quite inaccurate. The rifle is a hybrid of both Mannlicher and Mauser designs, a unique type only produced for Portugal in relatively small numbers. It retains the strength and smooth loading of the Mauser, but combines that with the beautifully smooth Mannlicher action, all in a very light and handy package.
The sights are clear and easy to use, and the accuracy of the rifle is excellent. One notable caveat in the opinion of the author is that such a light rifle produces a significant recoil, indeed possibly the worst of the 7.92mm rifles he has fired, a list which is fairly extensive. It is not unmanagable, but does begin to trend toward the unpleasant, particularly for those unaccustomed to heavy recoiling weapons. Despite this, the Vergeuiro is a beautifully made firearm that deserves a place in any collection.
Portuguese soldiers drill with their Vergeuiro rifles
Observed Values and Frequency
Updated: February, 2024
AVERAGE VALUE (USD): $600 - $800
FREQUENCY: Rare
COLLECTOR’S NOTES: Small numbers imported in late 2023 along with M937 Mausers
Commonly misidentified as “Portuguese Mausers”