Flintlock

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Flintlock

Flintlock of an 18th century hunting rifle, with flint missing.

Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. Theterm may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies,such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock mechanisms. It continued to be incommon use for over two centuries, replaced by percussion cap and, later,cartridge-based systems in the early-to-mid 19th century. Although long superseded bymodern firearms, flintlock weapons enjoy continuing popularity with black powdershootingenthusiasts.

SubtypesFlintlocks may be any type ofsmall arm: long gun orpistol, smoothbore orrifle, muzzleloaderorbreechloader.

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Pistols

French flintlock pistol circa 1790-1795

Flintlock pistols were used as self-defense weapons and as a military arm. Their effective range wasshort, and they were frequently used as an adjunct to a sword orcutlass. Pistols were usually

smoothbore although some rifled pistols were produced.

MusketsMain article: Musket

Flintlock mechanism

Flintlock muskets were the mainstay ofEuropean armies between 1660 and 1840. A musket was amuzzle-loading smoothbore long gun that was loaded with a round lead ball, but it could also beloaded with shot forhunting. For military purposes, the weapon was loaded with ball, or a mixture ofball with several large shot (called buck and ball), and had an effective range of about 75 to 100meters. Smoothbore weapons that were designed for hunting birds were called "fowlers." Flintlockmuskets tended to be of large caliber and usually had no choke, so they could also be used to fire aball.

Military flintlock muskets tended to weigh approximately ten pounds, as heavier weapons were foundto be too cumbersome, and lighter weapons were not rugged or heavy enough to be used in hand to

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hand combat. They were usually designed to be fitted with a bayonet. On modern weapons, bayonetsare a last ditch weapon that rarely plays a significant role on the battlefield. On flintlocks, the bayonetplayed a much more significant role, often accounting for a third or more of all battlefield casualties.

Flintlock weapons were not used like modern rifles. They tended to be fired in mass volleys, followedby bayonet charges in which the weapons were used much like the pikes that they replaced. Becausethey were used as pikes, military flintlocks tended to be approximately five or six feet in length(without the bayonet attached), and used bayonets that were approximately 18 to 22 inches in length.

RiflesSome flintlocks were rifled. The spiral grooves of rifling make rifles more accurate and give a longereffective ranges but on a muzzle-loading firearm they take more time to load due to the tight-fittingball, and after repeated shots black powdertended to foul the barrels. Military musketeers could notafford to take the time to clean their barrels in between shots and the rifle's greater accuracy wasunnecessary when tactics were based on mass volleys. Most military flintlocks were thereforesmoothbore. Rifled flintlocks did see some military use by sharpshooters, skirmishers, and othersupport units; but most rifled flintlocks were used for hunting.

By the late 18th century there were increasing efforts to take advantage of the rifle for militarypurposes, with specialist rifle units such as the King's Royal Rifle Corps of 1756 and Rifle Brigade(Prince Consort's Own) of 1800. Despite this, smoothbores predominated until the advent of the Miniball by which time the percussion cap had made the flintlock obsolete.

In the United States, modifications to small game rifles originally designed in Europe led to the longrifle ("Pennsylvania Rifle" or "Kentucky Rifle,") which due to their long barrels were exceptionallyaccurate for their time, with an effective range of approximately 250 meters.[1]SincePennsylvania/Kentucky rifles were used primarily for hunting, they tended to fire smaller caliberrounds, with calibers in the range of .32 to .45 being common. This type of rifle was sometimesreferred to as a "pea rifle" since the round ball was approximately the same size as a pea .[2]

The jezail was another example of a long flintlock rifle, but its use in Afghanistan, India, Central Asiaand parts of the Middle East was primarily as a military weapon, so tended to fire a larger and heavierround.

Multishot flintlock weapons

Multiple barrels

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A three barrel flintlock pistol.

Because of the time needed to reload (even experts needed 15 seconds to reload a smooth-bore,muzzle-loading musket[3]), flintlocks were sometimes produced with two, three, four or more barrelsfor multiple shots. These designs tended to be costly to make and were often unreliable anddangerous. While weapons like double barreled shotguns were reasonably safe, weapons like the

pepperbox revolverwould sometimes fire all barrels simultaneously, or would sometimes just explodein the user's hand. It was often less expensive, safer, and more reliable to carry several single-shotweapons instead.

Single barrelSome repeater rifles, multishot single barrel pistols, multishot single barrel revolvers, ... were alsomade. Notable are the Puckle gun, Mortimer[4], Kalthoff, Michele Lorenzoni, Abraham Hill, Cooksonpistols[5], the Jennings repeaterand the Elisha Collier revolver.[6][7][8][9][10]

Drawbacks

Scottish Flintlock pistol: David McKenzie, a Dundee gunsmith made this pistol. The heart shapedbutt is commonly found on pistols made in Scotland. The gun is steel with silver inlay showing Celticdesigns.

Flintlocks were prone to many problems, compared to modern weapons. Misfires were common. Theflint had to be properly maintained, as a dull or poorly napped piece of flint would not make as muchof a spark and would increase the misfire rate dramatically. Moisture was a problem, since moistureon the frizzen or damp powder would prevent the weapon from firing. This meant that flintlockweapons could not be used in rainy or damp weather. Some armies attempted to remedy this byusing a leather cover over the lock mechanism, but this proved to have only limited success.[11]

Accidental firing was also a problem for flintlocks. A burning ember left in the barrel could ignite thenext powder charge as it was loaded. This can be avoided by waiting between shots for any leftoverresidue to completely burn. Running a lubricated cleaning patch down the barrel with the ramrod willalso extinguish any embers, and will clean out some of the barrel fouling as well. Soldiers on thebattlefield could not take these precautions though. They had to fire as quickly as possible, often firingthree to four rounds per minute. Loading and firing at such a pace dramatically increased the risk ofan accidental discharge.

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When a flintlock is fired it sprays a shower of sparks forwards from the muzzle and another sidewaysout of the flash-hole. One reason for firing in volleys was to ensure that one man's sparks didn't ignitethe next man's powder as he was in the act of loading.

An accidental frizzen strike can also ignite the main powder charge, even if the pan has not yet beenprimed. Some modern flintlock users will place a leather cover over the frizzen while loading as asafety measure to prevent this from happening. This also slows down the loading time, which

prevented safety practices such as this from being used on the battlefield.

The black powder used in flintlocks would quickly foul the barrel, which was a problem for rifles andfor smooth bore weapons that fired a tighter fitting round for greater accuracy. Each shot would addmore fouling to the barrel, making the weapon more and more difficult to load. Even if the barrel wasbadly fouled, the flintlock user still had to properly seat the round all the way to the breech of thebarrel. Leaving an air gap in between the powder and the round (known as "short starting") was verydangerous, and could cause the barrel to explode.

Handling loose black powder was also dangerous, for obvious reasons. Powder measures, funnels,and other pieces of equipment were usually made out of brass to reduce the risk of a static discharge

which could ignite the powder. Soldiers often used pre-made "cartridges", which unlike moderncartridges were not inserted whole into the weapon. Instead, they were tubes of paper that containeda pre-measured amount of powder and a lead ball. Although paper cartridges were safer to handlethan loose powder, their primary purpose was not safety related at all. Instead, paper cartridges wereused mainly because they sped up the loading process. A soldier did not have to take the time tomeasure out powder when using a paper cartridge. He simply tore open the cartridge, used a smallamount of powder to prime the pan, then dumped the remaining powder from the cartridge into thebarrel.

The black powder used in flintlocks contained sulfur. If the weapon was not cleaned after use, thepowder residue would absorb moisture from the air and would combine it with the sulfur to produce

sulfuric acid. This acid would erode the inside of the gun barrel and the lock mechanism. Flintlockweapons that were not properly cleaned and maintained would corrode to the point of beingdestroyed.

Most flintlocks were produced at a time before modern manufacturing processes became common.Even in mass produced weapons, parts were often handmade. If a flintlock became damaged, orparts wore out due to age, the damaged parts were not easily replaced. Parts would often have to befiled down, hammered into shape, or otherwise modified so that they would fit, making repairs muchmore difficult. Machine-made, interchangeable parts only began to be used shortly before flintlockswere replaced by caplocks.

HistoryFrench courtierMarin le Bourgeoys made the first firearm incorporating a true flintlock mechanism forKing Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610.[12]The development of firearm lockmechanisms had proceeded from matchlock to wheellock to snaplock to snaphance and miquelet inthe previous two centuries, and each type had been an improvement, contributing some designfeatures which were useful. Le Bourgeoys fitted these various features together to create the flintlockmechanism. The new system quickly became popular, and was known and used in various formsthroughout Europe by 1630. In particular, dragoons serving with the Parliamentarian army in the

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English Civil Warwere known to use snaphaunce muskets, or early forms of flintlocks. Examples ofearly flintlock weapons can be seen in the painting "Marie de' Medici as Bellona" by Rubens (paintedaround 1622-25).

Various breech-loading flintlocks were developed starting around 1650. The most popular action hasa barrel which was unscrewed from the rest of the gun. Obviously this is more practical on pistolsbecause of the shorter barrel length. This type is known as a Queen Anne pistol because it wasduring her reign that it became popular (although it was actually introduced in the reign of King

William III). Another type has a removable screw plug set into the side or top or bottom of the barrel.A large number of sporting rifles were made with this system, as it allowed easier loading comparedwith muzzle loading with a tight fitting bullet and patch. One of the more successful was the systembuilt by Isaac de la Chaumette starting in 1704. The barrel and could be opened by 3 revolutions ofthe triggerguard, to which it was attached. The plug stayed attached to the barrel and the ball andpowder were loaded from the top. This system was improved in the 1770s by Colonel PatrickFerguson and 100 experimental rifles used in the American Revolutionary War. The only two flintlockbreechloaders to be produced in quantity were the Hall and the Crespi. The first was invented byJohn Hall and patented c. 1817.[13]It was issued to the US Army as the Model 1819 Hall BreechLoading Rifle[14]The Hall rifles and carbines were loaded using a combustible paper cartridgeinserted into the upward tilting breechblock. Hall rifles leaked gas from the often poorly fitted action.

The same problem affected the muskets produced by Giuseppe Crespi and adopted by the AustrianArmy in 1771. Nonetheless, the Crespi System was experimented with by the British during theNapoleonic Wars, and percussion Halls guns saw service in the American Civil War.

Flintlock weapons were commonly used until the mid 19th century, when they were replaced bypercussion lock systems. Even though they have long been considered obsolete, flintlock weaponscontinue to be produced today by manufacturers such as Pedersoli, Euroarms, and Armi Sport. Notonly are these weapons used by modern re-enactors, but they are also used for hunting, as manyU.S. states have dedicated hunting seasons for black powder weapons, which includes both flintlockand percussion lock weapons.

The flint for flintlock 17th century

Method of operation A cock tightly holding a sharp piece offlint is rotated to half-cock, where the searfalls into a safety

notch on the tumbler, preventing an accidental discharge.

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The operator loads the gun, usually from the muzzle end, with black powderfollowed by leadshot, a round lead ball, usually wrapped in a piece of paper or a cloth patch, all rammed downwith a ramrod that is usually stored on the underside of the barrel.

The flash pan is primed with a small amount of very finely ground gunpowder, and the flashpan lidor frizzen is closed.

The gun is now in a "primed and loaded" state, and this is how it would typically be carried whilehunting or if going into battle.

To fire: The cock is further rotated from half-cock to full-cock, releasing the safety lock on the cock. The gun is leveled and the trigger is pulled, releasing the cock holding the flint. The flint strikes the frizzen, a piece of steel on the priming pan lid, opening it and exposing the

priming powder. The contact between flint and frizzen produces a shower of sparks (burning pieces of the metal)

that is directed into the gunpowder in the flashpan. The powder ignites, and the flash passes through a small hole in the barrel (called a vent or

touchhole) that leads to the combustion chamber where it ignites the main powder charge, andthe gun discharges.

The Royal Infantry and Continental Army used paper cartridges to load their weapons.[15]The powdercharge and ball were instantly available to the soldier inside this small paper envelope.

To load a flintlock weapon using a paper cartridge, a soldier would move the cock to the half-cock position; tear the cartridge open with his teeth; fill the flashpan half-full with powder, directing it toward the vent; close the frizzen to keep the priming charge in the pan; pour the rest of the powder down the muzzle and stuff the cartridge in after it; take out the ramrod and ram the ball and cartridge all the way to the breech; replace the ramrod; shoulder the weapon.

Now he is ready to place the weapon on full cock and fire on command.

Cultural impactThe flintlock mechanism was in main use for both military and civilian use for over 200 years. Not untilthe Reverend Alexander John Forsyth, a Scottish minister, invented the rudimentary percussion capsystem in 1807 did the flintlock system begin to decline in popularity. The percussion-cap systemreplaced the flintlock's flint and flashpan with a waterproof copper cap that created a spark whenstruck. The percussion ignition system was more weatherproof and more reliable than the flintlock.The transition from flintlock to percussion cap was a slow one, even at that, since the percussionsystem was not widely used until around 1830. The Model 1840 U.S. musket was the last flintlockfirearm produced for the U.S. military,[16]although obsolete flintlocks were seeing action in the earliestdays of the American Civil War, for example, during the first year of the war, the Army of Tennesseehad over 2,000 flintlock muskets in service.

As a result of the flintlock's long active life, it has left lasting marks on the language and on drill andparade. Terms such as: "lock, stock and barrel", "going off half-cocked" and "flash in the pan" remain

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current in the English language. In addition, the weapon positions and drill commands that wereoriginally devised to standardize carrying, loading and firing a flintlock weapon remain the standardfor drill and display (see manual of arms).

A flintlock musket being fired

Reproduction flintlock musket detail

ignition sequence

Exploded View of a FlintlockThe drawing below shows an exploded view of a Danish-Norwegian military flintlock. Note that hetranslation of this article is not quite finished.

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Parts:

1. Cock screw2. Cock spur3. Neck of the cock4. Body of the cock5. Tumbler screw

6. Upper jaw7. Piece of leather8. Flint9. Lower jaw10. Face of frizzen (steel)11. Pan cover12. Tail of frizzen13. Pan cover screw14. Pressure arm15. Frizzen spring16. Frizzen spring screw

17. Pan18. Lockplate19. Threaded hole for foremost lockplate screw20. Threaded hole for frizzen screw21. Bolster22. Pan screw23. Threaded hole for rearmost lockplate screw24. Anslagsflater25. Studdelskrue26. Studdel

27. Stangfjrskrue28. Stangfjr29. Stang

30. Stangskrue31. Nuss32. Nusskrapp33. Tumbler hook of mainspring34. Slagfjrskrue35. Lower limb of mainspring36. Slagfjrre37. Upper limb of mainspring38. Cup of tumbler39. Stangarm40. Gjengehull for slagfjrskrue

41. Gjengehull for fengpanneskrue42. Gjengehull for stangfjrskrue43. Gjengehull for stangskrue44. Forsterkningsknast for gjengehull45. Firkanttapp for hane46. Nusstapp47. Halvspennro48. Helspennro49. Springkile

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Exploded View of a Flintlock Musket

The smoothbore military flintlock musket was the standard infantry firearm for hundreds of yearsbefore the percussion muskets and breech-loading rifles took over from the mid-1850s. TheNorwegian Army received muskets from Denmark during the union years, but after the union with

Denmark fell apart and another union was established with Sweden in 1814, the Norwegians startedtheir own firearms production at Kongsberg. A typical Norwegian-Danish musket looked like this:

Parts:

1. Butt2. Wrist3. Comb4. Heel5. Butt plate with screws6. Toe7. Trigger guard8. Flint lock9. Barrel breech10. Ramrod11. Front sling swivel with screw12. Thimble13. Thimble pins14. Entry thimble15. Muzzle

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16. Front sight17. Bayonet lug18. Ear for the sling swivel screw19. Double ear pin ear for securing the thimbles20. Single ear- pin ear - for securing the barrel to the stock21. Flash hole22. Rear sight notch23. Tang

24. Breech plug25. Barrel26. Rear sling swivel with screw27. Ramrod stopper28. Trigger29. Trigger guard screws30. Trigger assembly31. Bayonet socket32. Elbow33. Bayonet lug slot34. Shoulder

35. Triangular blade36. Front side plate screw37. Rear side plate screw38. Side plate39. Muzzle cap40. Tang screw41. Brake spring for the ramrod42. Back of the thimble43. Butt nose44. Barrel pin45. Butt nose

46. Fore-stock47. Cheek piece48. Breech plug

See also Matchlock Wheellock Caplock Snaplock Snaphance Miquelet Blunderbuss Queen Anne pistol Boyer Rifle Hand cannon

Notes

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1. ^"What about the rifle?", Popular Science, September 19412. ^"American Rifle: A Treatise, a Text Book, and a Book of Practical Information in the Use of

the Rifle" By Townsend Whelen, Publisher: Paladin Press (July 2006)3. ^Dennis E. Showalter, William J. Astore, Soldiers' lives through history: Volume 3: The early

modern world, p.65, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 ISBN 0-313-33312-2.4. ^ Mortimer multishot pistol5. ^ Flintlock revolvers6. ^ Mortimer multi-shot

7. ^ Another similar Mortimer pistol8. ^ Jennings repeater9. ^ Puckle gun10.^ Elisha Collier revolver11.^"Elements of military art and history" By Edouard La Barre Duparcq, Nicolas douard

Delabarre-Duparcq, 186312.^"Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" By Jeff Kinard, Published by ABC-CLIO, 200413.^Flayderman, 199814.^Flayderman, 199815.^Day of Concord and Lexington (French, 1925) p. 25 note 1. See also pp. 27-36.16.^Flayderman, 1998

Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms and Their Values 7th Edition, by Norm Flayderman 1998Krause Publications ISBN 0-87349-313-3, 9780873493130

External links Exploded View of a Flintlock How Flintlock Guns Work Flintlocks in Wet Weather Flintlock FAQ 3D animation about how flintlock pistol works on YouTube.

Bibliogaphy French flintlock & early firearms explainedby Gerard Henrotin (HLebooks - 2012)Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flintlock&oldid=473582612"