TWO FLINTLOCK MUSKETS FROM CLUNY CASTLE

      The flintlock was developed in France around 1612. The flintlock's manufacture slowly spread throughout Europe, and by the second half of the century it became more popular than earlier methods such as the wheel lock and snaphaunce. The main difference between the flintlock and snaphaunce is that in the flintlock the striking surface and flashpan cover are all one piece, where in the snaphaunce they are separate mechanisms. This made the mechanism even simpler, less expensive, and more reliable than its predecessor.

      This simplicity allowed for more creative gun designs, such as guns with multiple barrels and miniature pistols which could be concealed easily inside a garment. By 1664 experiments with rotating-block repeated fire guns were under way (like a revolver which holds a number of shots in a rotating cylinder) but such weapons were dangerous to operate and would have to wait for another century and a half to be made a standard weapon.

      In the early 1700s the Brown Bess flintlock made its appearance. It probably got its name from the acid-brown treatment of its barrel. By this time, the flintlock was accurate up to about 80 yards but nobody could aim at a man and kill him at 200 yards. A shooter of average experience could load and fire two to three rounds per minute.

From a discussion of firearms by Lord Alfonso del Corazon Negro (vikman@silcom.com).