![]() ![]() Their cost and delicacy limited their use for example around 1662, only 1 in 6 firearms used by the British royal army was a snaphaunce, the rest being matchlocks. The first proto-flintlock was the snaplock, which was probably invented shortly before 1517 and was inarguably in use by 1547. However, firearms using some form of flint ignition mechanism had already been in use for over half a century. History An English gentleman circa 1750 with his flintlock muzzle-loading sporting rifle, in a painting by Thomas Gainsborough.įurther information: History of gunpowder and Timeline of the gunpowder ageįrench court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys made a firearm incorporating a flintlock mechanism for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610. Although long superseded by modern firearms, flintlock weapons enjoy continuing popularity with black-powder shooting enthusiasts. The true flintlock continued to be in common use for over two centuries, replaced by percussion cap and, later, the cartridge-based systems in the early-to-mid 19th century. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism itself, also known as the true flintlock, that was introduced in the early 17th century, and gradually replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the matchlock, the wheellock, and the earlier flintlock mechanisms such as snaplock and snaphaunce. Flintlock of an 18th-century hunting rifle, with flint missing.įlintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking ignition mechanism, the first of which appeared in Western Europe in the early 16th century. For other uses, see Flintlock (disambiguation). ![]()
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