Flintlock Mechanism

The flintlock mechanism was a firing mechanism used on muskets and rifles in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. It is commonly referred to as a "flintlock" (without the word mechanism), though that term is also commonly used for the weapons themselves as a whole, and not just the lock mechanism.

The flintlock was developed in France in the early 17th century. It quickly replaced earlier technologies, such as the matchlock and wheellock. It continued to be in common use for over two centuries, until it was finally replaced by the percussion lock.