[Arizoni]

I know quite a few of you are firearm owners and have more than a little interest in them.  With that in mind, I think this might interest you:

As a member of a muzzleloading firearm forum, flintlocks aren't anything special to me.  I own more than 8 of them.

The lock that preceded the flintlock was the wheel-lock, a lock seldom seen in these modern times.  When it is seen, it is usually a part of a gun that was built over 300 years ago.

Wheel-locks were very complex and owned by the very rich.

Rather than using a piece of flint striking the frizzen to make the sparks that light the priming powder, the wheel-lock has a spring driven wheel that spins against a piece of iron pyrite to produce the sparks.  The sparks light a small amount of black powder which in turn lights the main powder charge thru a small hole in the side of the barrel.

A gentleman in Poland currently builds traditional wheel-locks.  All of the parts are hand made.  The attached video shows two of the locks he made, in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqIFo75qEyg

[High On Octane]

Wow that's neat.  But I was hoping to see them firing a rifle.  Still cool.  Thanks! 

[ChrisS]

Those locks are a very neat piece of work.

[barenekd]

Wheellocks used to be relatively common around here back in the '70s and '80s. There was always a purveyor/builder at the Renaissance Faire. And there was a shop in Orange that carried them. I haven't been to the Faire in a few years and the Orange shop has since closed. I kept thinking about buying one, but never a got a round tuit.
But the idea is still around, called cigarette lighters!
Bare