page_title: Wheellock
hierarchical_section_title: Wheellock
caption_attribution_description: A Wheellock Puffer, Augsburg around 1580. Octagonal then round smooth bore barrel in 12 mm caliber. The Augsburg pyr and orb mark between "AZ" are deeply stamped at the breech. The iron wheel lock with safety has light floral engraving. The flat lock plate has a diamond shaped mark under "HK". Walnut full stock is inlaid with stripes and plates of engraved bone. Pommel, trigger guard, ramrod, and a few inlays are replacements, and the wooden stock has some small restorations. Length 49 cm. For the barrel mark "AZ", see: Stoeckel II, page 1369, No. 1985 and E. Schalkhauser, Handfeuerwaffen des bayerischen Nationalmuseums München (Small Arms of the Bavarian National Museum, Munich) No. 86 &amp; 87.
context_page_description: A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock, is a friction-wheel mechanism to cause a spark for firing a firearm. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. Its name is from its rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. Developed in Europe around 1500, it was used alongside the matchlock and was later superseded by the snaplock, the snaphance and the flintlock.
context_section_description: A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock, is a friction-wheel mechanism to cause a spark for firing a firearm. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. Its name is from its rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. Developed in Europe around 1500, it was used alongside the matchlock and was later superseded by the snaplock (1540s), the snaphance (1560s) and the flintlock (c. 1600).
caption: A wheellock pistol or puffer, Augsburg, c. 1580
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