The first flintlock pistols (pistols) appeared in the 15th century. By design, it was a shortened trunk placed on a deck of wood. The fuse was used as a fuse (later it was replaced by a flintlock). The considered weapon of that time was different among itself in design and purpose. Short models were used for point-blank shooting, and elongated cavalry counterparts hit the target at a distance of 30-40 meters.
General information
In Europe, for the first time, the Spaniards began to exploit the flintlock massively, who borrowed a similar system from the Moors or Arabs. According to other versions, Germany, Holland or Sweden are considered the birthplace of creating such a design. Each model had its pros and cons.
Such a lock works by a simple principle. Seeding gunpowder ignites under sparks that occur after a metal chair hits the flint. The popularity of such weapons was due to the fact that the need to use a smoldering wick disappeared, while the device system became simpler than that of wheeled counterparts.
Interesting Facts
Like many new products, at first flintlock guns and pistols were mistrusted. The French king Louis the 14th at one time even forbade the use of this type of castle in the army on pain of death, so the infantrymen continued to control the wick, and the cavalry preferred the wheeled type of striker.
Some gunsmiths managed to create combined variants with wick and silicon, but such models did not take root. Over time, constant improvements and modernization did their job, the weapons began to differ in reliability and high performance for that time. Most of all, German designers succeeded in this matter. In Russia, such muskets in the army began to be used in 1700 under Peter the Great. In service, they lasted over 150 years.
Wheel lock
A similar mechanism is a set of a metal wheel and a coil spring fixed with a special key. When the trigger is activated, constipation releases the spring, which rotates the grooved wheel, carving a bunch of sparks from the flint, which is quite sufficient to ignite the powder. A similar system is used in modern lighters.
Shock type lock
A flintlock pistol with a wheel mechanism was distinguished by the complexity of the design and high cost. Therefore, gunsmiths were forced to look for a simpler and cheaper option. Flint began to be placed between the teeth of the drummer, mounted on one side of the musket. After cocking the trigger, the combat spring was compressed, the bolt was locked. When the trigger was pulled, the flint moved, hitting a steel plate, a carved spark ignited the starting powder, which ignited the main charge in the barrel. To protect against moisture, a special cover was used, which also serves as a shock plate.
Capsule system
The capsule was a real breakthrough after the flintlock pistol. In 1820, the fulminate explosive mixture was invented, which was placed in a small cap. With a sharp blow, the substance caught fire, forming a fiery flash. A similar system made it possible to get rid of open fire for igniting gunpowder. A spherical bullet was sent to the breech through the barrel.
The cap was on a small tube (nipple or fitting) screwed into the ignition socket near the charging compartment. To increase the impact force on the capsule, a lock identical in design to the silicon version was used. The drummer himself was located at the charging chamber, cocked and locked. When you press the trigger, he hit the capsule with force, feeding the flame into the compartment with the main charge. A similar design has long been used in guns and revolvers.
Russian flintlock gun
In this category, consider a 1809 musket. It was developed during the transition of the Russian army to a seven-line caliber. The prototype was a pistol of 1798. According to historical documentation, weapons of this type were intended for hussar and dragoon regiments. The mass production of gunsmiths managed to establish only in the middle of 1810.
Since antique flintlock pistols had a low rate of fire, they were worn in pairs. Each rider kept muskets in special bags (olstrahs) on the sides of the saddle. They covered themselves with cloth cloaks. Ammunition was worn in a frog. The original sample of the weapon in question did not have a ramrod nest in the box; the element was stored in the same place as the charges. Some cavalrymen drilled their own entrance for convenience. As ammunition used round rifle bullets of lead, stacked on a powder charge weighing 6.3 grams.
Device
The flintlock pistol, the photo of which is shown below, consists of a barrel part, a shock lock, a box and a brass fixture. Brief characteristics:
- Year of release - 1809.
- Total length - 43.5 cm.
- Weight - 1.5 kg.
- The material for making the box is a solid wood (walnut or birch).
- Forend - long to the muzzle.
- No rod input.
The weapon handle is equipped with a brass butt plate and a pair of side "antennae". The length of the handle is about 160 millimeters with a maximum thickness of 50 mm in the lower part. The reinforced recoil pad made it possible to use the musket as a cold strike weapon after a volley.
Barrel parameters:
- The configuration is conical.
- Length - 26.3 cm.
- Caliber - 7 lines (17.7 mm).
- Round section at the muzzle.
- Thickness in the breech - 31 mm.
- The thread pitch of the inner part is about 4.5 turns per 10 mm.
Features
The flintlock pistol of the Russian army of 1809 model has a barrel that is attached to the bed from the muzzle end using a special ring, which also protects the end part of the forearm from chips. In the breech compartment, the element is fixed with a screw connecting the shank of the breech bolt with the trigger larva. The brass bracket is located in the front compartment and is held on a transverse pin that fits into the socket of the longitudinal protrusion in the bed.
The rear trigger part of the bracket is held by a screw screwed into the larva with the monogram of Emperor Alexander the First under the crown. The length of the trigger is 22 millimeters, the width is 8 mm, it is placed on the axis of the cross pin. The weapon is equipped with a flint lock with dimensions 142/86/27 mm, which is mounted using a pair of screws
The larva of the castle has a L-shaped configuration, holds the fastener caps, presses the structure tightly to the bed, and the powder shelf to the trunk in the area of the seed socket. The second element is also made of brass; it serves to protect the mechanism from high temperature and combustion products after firing. The cover with a curved smooth flint has dimensions 40/23 mm.
The trigger is equipped with a combat and safety type of platoon, the maximum distance for moving a part in the first case is 35 mm, in the second - 15 mm. The effort to activate the trigger is significant (about 8 kg). A rounded front sight made of brass with dimensions of 23/4/2 mm acts as an sight.
Modernity
Ancient muskets in the original version can now be seen only in museums or with real collectors. Nevertheless, specialized retail outlets and Internet sites offer copies that are as similar as possible to their long-standing descendants. The weapons in question and gamers do not bypass their attention. For example, in the popular Forest game, a flintlock pistol is considered one of the most formidable melee items. It’s true that finding it and its charges even in the interactive “shooter” is quite difficult.