Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
What is a Wheellock?
A wheellock is a gunlock that uses a metal wheel under spring tension to generate sparks that ignite gunpowder.
Most wheellocks are readied for firing by rotating the wheel using a special wrench called a spanner. When the wheel is turned, it is placed under spring tension. On rare versions, the locks are "self-spanning" and wind by moving the dog, which is the arm that holds a piece of pyrite (fool’s gold) or more rarely a piece of flint.
The priming pan is situated by the wheel, and the dog rests on the pan cover when ready to fire. When the trigger is pulled, the wheel spins very rapidly, and the pan cover quickly opens, allowing the pyrite or flint to grind against the wheel creating sparks. This action is often compared to a modern Zippo lighter. The sparks ignite the gunpowder in the pan. The explosion of that powder then ignites the main powder charge through a hole in the barrel by the pan (the vent or touch hole). While there are multiple components in motion during the ignition sequence, the actual process is nearly instantaneous unless viewed in slow motion.
Though Leonardo DaVinci is often credited with its invention, the exact origins of the wheellock mechanism is not known, but they are generally believed to have been invented in the early 16th century in Nuremberg.
Wheellocks were the first self-igniting gunlocks. Earlier firearms like the primitive hand-cannon had to be manually ignited, and matchlocks relied on a pre-lit slowmatch to ignite the powder, but with a wheellock, a firearm could be loaded and kept ready for immediate use. Wheellock ignition was more reliable than matchlocks since there was no concern about the match getting extinguished. They could be kept constantly at the ready and quickly brought to action when needed which made them particularly useful for hunters.
Wheel Lock ignition time or “lock time” was very fast. In fact, high quality wheellocks can be faster than even many high end flintlocks of later periods which led to wheellocks still being produced and used, particularly in Germanic areas, even after the flintlock became widely adopted.
The cost of manufacturing these complicated gunlocks often meant that they were owned by the elite who could afford expensive arms for hunting and warfare while the common soldiers continued to use the much simpler matchlocks. Some were used by specialized units in European militaries, particularly by cavalry and royal bodyguards. Because they could be kept loaded and at the ready, wheellocks were also selected by assassins, and this led to their outlaw by regular individuals in some countries.
The fact that wheellocks were more expensive than other ignition systems before and after them meant that they were not as widely used compared to other firearm locks, especially outside of Europe. They were never widely used in North America, but a small number may have been used in the colonies.
Because they were primarily the arms of the elite, many wheellock firearms are very fine arms and are the work of multiple talented and specialized craftsmen. Their artistry and rarity has also made them a staple in the arms collections of many art museums around the world. They remained in use for over 200 years, and some black powder and historical reenactment enthusiasts still shoot them today.
And as always have a chilled day from the Vikin
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