Flintlock is a special design for igniting gunpowder in firearms (sparks in it are obtained by flinting on a chair). This type of castle was invented in the early 14th century in the countries of the Middle East. The weapon in which this device was used was called flintlock.
Design Spread
Despite the numerous advantages of the device compared to others, it completely replaced the wick and other types of locks only in the middle of the 17th century. The distribution of the flint device also depended on the characteristics of the region, the presence of deposits of silicon, iron ore and other materials on its territory. After 200 years, flintlock replaced capsule systems.
Wheel lock
The gunsmiths tried to eliminate all the disadvantages of the wick structure by developing a flintlock. Shotguns were equipped with a wide variety of mechanisms.
In the early 18th century, German craftsmen invented the combined flintlock wheel lock. The main part of the device was a steel wheel with a fine notch, which was connected to the spring. A sharpened flint, which was fixed in a clamp, was pressed to the wheel. When loading a weapon, the mainspring was wound with a key. When the trigger was pulled, the wheel spun, the sheaf of sparks ignited the powder on the shelf, which ignited the main charge. The wheel lock was more reliable compared to other designs. It was used in the manufacture of expensive pistols and hunting weapons. But its rapid spread was hindered by the complexity of the device.
Flintlock Shock Lock
The flint period is a whole era in the history of weapons. His appearance allowed the creation of mass production of rifles and other weapons. Among European countries, flintlock was first used in Spain in the early 16th century. There he came from the Moors, who borrowed this design from the Arabs. These locks differed in compactness of massive details.
Similar devices at the same time were developed by gunsmiths from different countries. They spread very quickly throughout the continent. In different countries, their designs were different, but each of them had its own advantages.
Appearance in Europe
In Europe, the appearance of a flintlock was met with great caution. Louis XIV banned the use of the structure in the French army under threat of death. His infantrymen used a wick lock, and cavalrymen used wheeled weapons. To get around the ban, some gunsmiths created new combined types of castles. But such devices were used for a short time.
The introduction of a number of improvements to the design made flintlock weapons relatively reliable. The main merit in this belongs to gunsmiths from Germany. German design has gained recognition in many countries. Flintlock pistols were especially popular.
The principle of the castle
The principle of operation of a flintlock is as follows: gunpowder is ignited by sparks arising from a single flint hit on a flint. The shock type of construction increased the load on the parts of the mechanism, as well as the requirements for the materials used.
When developing the device, it was necessary to solve several problems:
- choose the optimal shape of the flint;
- reduce the percentage of misfires;
- during the descent, the flint was to meet with the flint at a certain point and carve the desired number of sparks in one direction;
- the trigger was not supposed to hit the shelf with gunpowder.
This allowed us to get rid of the wick and simplify the design of the lock in comparison with the wheeled one. Kinematics of a shock lock is much more complicated than in other types of construction. The shock method for producing a spark required a stronger mainspring.
In 1610, a gunsmith from France Maren Le Bourgeois, having studied the properties of various samples, created a battery lock, which spread around the world for the next three centuries, as the main mechanism of firearms. A flintlock did not need to be started - it was much simpler and cheaper than a wheel lock. Flint in it wore out much later. Weapon loading speed increased. This provided the opportunity to equip troops. Prior to this, a flintlock was used only for hunting weapons.
- The disadvantages of flintlock weapons include:
- a large number of misfires;
- gunpowder on the shelf was often damp;
- at the same time, soldiers fell asleep on his eyes and often made mistakes with proportions;
- a lot of time passed from the moment the trigger was pulled down to the shot.
Flint weapons were introduced into the armament of the Russian army by Peter I in 1700. It has been used for 150 years.
Shot preparation
To prepare a flint device for a shot, a soldier had to (having previously shot gunpowder and a bullet into the barrel):
- put the trigger on the fuse;
- open the lid of the shelf;
- clean the seed hole;
- pour a small amount of gunpowder on the shelf;
- close the lid;
- to put a trigger on a combat platoon.
There is an opinion that the design of the flintlock did not undergo major changes until it finally became an obsolete device. Although advanced flintlocks even at the beginning of the 20th century could be found among hunters from around the world.
At the end of the 18th century, flintlock was actively improved. For example, a small wheel was installed between the spring and the flint. When fired, the flint retreated smoother; The spring was equipped with an earring, the seed shelf was made deep and streamlined, with the edges pressed tightly to the lid - moisture did not fall on it, and the powder remained dry. These improvements were applied to hunting weapons.