#wheel lock

WHEEL-LOCK TSCHINKE

Teschen, 17th Century

length 114 cm.

Conditions: excellent

Long, squared, rifled, 8 mm cal barrel of small caliber, fitted with front sight and rear sight, decorated with gilded floral scrolls; slightly bell-mouthed nozzle. Typical angled lock with angled wheel, equipped with chain and engraved spring, flat lockplate engraved with floral scrolls and remains of orthogonal gilding; slotted pan cover. Pear-wood full stock of typical shape, fully inlaid with bone and mother-of-pearl depicting real and fantastical animals, scrolls, floral motifs, dots, and stripes. Butt with patchbox; smooth iron trigger guard of anatomical shape; bone-tipped wooden ramrod.

So I was listening to the watch-along video and Taliesin mentioned that he showed his sketches to an actual gunsmith. The gunsmith was like “this is awful and wouldn’t work most of the time.”

He also mentioned it was a wheel lock design.

I figure most people don’t know what a wheel lock is, so I decided to explain.

Mind you, I’m not a gun person, I just think weird guns are hilarious. 

The funny thing about wheel locks is that they’re actually WAY MORE COMPLEX than muskets. Taliesin could have started with a blunderbuss or a musket. He decided to say “fuck it, I want the fancy version that was only fashionable for a brief period of time.” And he is absolutely valid.

A wheel lock works in a clockwork motion. You see that part called the “wheel” up above? That plate moves against a bit of pyrite (aka fools gold) to cause a spark. The spark lands in the pan and then falls into the sear to ignite the gunpowder that starts the bullet. I think?

Firing a wheel lock musket.

cuirassiers be like

Pellet and Bolt Crossbow Combined with a Wheel-Lock Gun

Designer: Decoration based on designs by Jacob Floris (1524–1581) , published in Antwerp in 1564.

Date: ca. 1570–1600

Culture: Central European; possibly Southern German or Austrian

Medium: Steel, wood (cherry), staghorn, hemp, felt