Flintlock and early firearms

Early developments of the firearms

- Early cannons

- The firing pole or hand gonne

- Evaluation of an hand gonne

- The arquebus

- The match lock for arquebus

- Match lock of the last design with integral pan

- Match lock mechanism explained

The wheel-lock

- Early wheel device by Leonard de Vinci

- Leonard de Vinci wheel-lock explained

- Principle of functioning of a classical wheel-lock

- Trigger mechanism with sear safety

- Wheel-lock mechanism when released

- Wheel rotated against the mainspring

- Wheel-lock ready for firing

- Production of the wheel-lock firearms

- Dual match and wheel-lock system

- Technical evolution of the wheel-lock mechanism

- All-steel wheel-lock pistol

- Legend of the parts

- The most advanced models

The snaphance lock

- Snaphance lock particulars

- Functioning of the snaphance lock

- Horizontal rotation of the sear

- The buffer piece

- Manual pan cover

- Different designs of snaphance locks

- Index of the parts

- Sear made of two articulated parts

- Other types of snaphance designs

The Miquelet lock

- The Spanish Miquelet lock

- The Italian Miquelet lock

- General characteristics of the Miquelet lock

- Removable dovetailed steel plate

- Algerian (North Africa) Miquelet lock

- Different positions of the steel spring

- Index of the parts

Functioning of the Miquelet lock

- Miquelet lock of the Spanish type

- Miquelet lock of the Italian type

- Miquelet lock of the third type

- Internal functioning of the Miquelet lock

- The sear mechanism explained

- Safety and full cock position

The French flintlock

- Fowling piece by Marin le Bourgeoys

- Marin le Bourgeoys internal lock

- Air gun conceived by Marin le Bourgeoys

- French flintlock mechanism at the end of the 17th century

- Early tumbler bridles of the second half of the 17th century

- The French flintlock of the early 17th century

- Lock plate shape of the early 17th century

- Internal mechanism of an early 17th century lock

- Spring of the steel located on the internal face of the lock

- The French flintlock of the second half of the 17th century

- Typical examples of the second half of the 17th century

- LAZARO LAZARINO COMINAZZO

The flintlock pistols of the second half of the 17th century

- Typical features

- The general shape of the butt

- The length and structure of the barrel

- The trigger and side-plate worked artistically

- The shape of the cock and its tightening screw

- The shape of the front foot's toe of the steel

- Extract from a pattern-book by C. Jacquinet

Evaluation of a pistol before purchase

French flintlocks of the first half of the 18th century

- Match lock of the last generation

- Flintlock mechanism without tumbler bridle

- French regulation lock of the model 1717

- French regulation lock of the model 1728

- Model 1728 lock parts list

- French regulation lock of the model 1746

- French regulation lock of the model 1754

French flintlocks of the second half of the 18th century

- French regulation lock of the models 1763 - 66

- The "espalet" cock

- French regulation lock of the models 1770 - 1773

- Phases of construction of the 1770 lock plate

- French regulation lock of the model 1774

- French regulation lock of the model 1777

- French regulation lock of the model Year IX

- French regulation lock of the model 1816

- French regulation lock of the model 1822

- Kings of France during the flintlock era

Analysis of a complex lock

- Comparative chart of the French flintlocks

- Mandatory inspection of the lock before purchase

The flintlock tinder box

- Early wheel-lock lighter or tinder box

- Typical flintlock tinder box of late 17th or early 18th

- Flintlock tinder box based on a boxlock mechanism

- Tinder box based on an Italian flintlock pistol

- Principle of functioning

- How to prepare tinder fungus

- Analysis of a typical flintlock tinder box

- Functioning of the flintlock tinder box

The black powder testers

- Early powder testers using match ignition

- Early powder testers technical features