Wheellock
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Wheellock, Wheel-Lock or Wheel lock, is a mechanism for firing a firearm. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. The mechanism is so-called because it uses a rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. Developed around 1500, it was used along-side the matchlock and was later superseded by the snaphance (1560s) and the flintlock (c. 1600).
The design of the wheellock is comparable to that of a modern-day cigarette lighter. A sparking material, usually a small piece of iron pyrite, was held tightly in a clamp that was pressed against a spring-loaded metal wheel. When the trigger was pulled, the wheel was released and would spin rapidly, scraping against the pyrite. This removed white-hot particles from the pyrites that fell into the flash pan, igniting its powder and then the main charge. Each firing of the gun required the main spring to be tensioned using a special lever. This was called 'spanning the lock'. The sparking material would usually give about a dozen shots before it needed replacing. The wheellock took around a minute to load, prepare and fire.
The invention of the wheellock is sometimes credited to the German Johann Kiefuss of Nuremburg in 1517. However, this is impossible as Kiefuss lived about 100 years later, and there are many references to wheellocks existing before 1517. There is a vocal group of scholars that believe Leonardo da Vinci was the inventor. Drawings made by da Vinci of a wheellock mechanism date (depending on the authority) from either the mid-1490's or the first decade of the 1500s. However, a drawing from a book of German inventions (dated 1505) and a reference to the purchase of a wheellock in Austria in 1507 may indicate the inventor was an unknown German mechanic instead. We know for certain that in 1517,and 1518, the first gun control laws banning the wheellock were proclaimed by the Emperor Maximilian I, first in Austria and then throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Several Italian states followed suit in the 1520's and 1530's - another argument used by the pro-German camp.
Among the advantages of the wheellock was a better resistance to rain or damp conditions than the matchlock, and the absence of a tell-tale glow, or smell from the burning match. Sparks could be generated in any weather, and the priming pan was fitted with a cover that was not opened until the instant the gun was fired. The high production cost and complexity of the mechanism hindered the wheellocks widespread adoption. A highly skilled gunsmith was required to build the mechanism and the variety of parts and complex design of made it liable to malfunction if not carefully maintained. This was difficult without the right tools, or sending it back to the maker (as was often done). Early models also had trouble with reliable springs, though this problem was quickly solved.
The wheellock was used along with the matchlock until both were replaced by the faster, simpler, and less costly flintlock of the 1600s. However, the ability of the wheellock to fire reliably in wet conditions meant that well-made guns of this design would continue to see use until the 18th century.
The term Wheellock also refers to American inventor Thomas P. Wheellock. Thomas Wheellock and Ethan Allen produced a single-action revolver in the United States during the mid-1800s. The 'Allen and Wheellock' revolver was reloaded by removing the whole cylinder after unloosening a screw. This resulted in long reload time but reduced production cost due to the simplicity of the design. It was generally bought as a pocket pistol for occasional use.de:Radschloss pl:Zamek kołowy