A touch hole is a small hole through which the propellant charge of a cannon or muzzleloading gun is ignited. In small arms, the flash from a charge of priming held in the flash pan is enough to ignite the charge within. In artillery, priming powder, a fuse, squib, or friction igniter is inserted into the touch hole to ensure ignition of the charge.
The powder in the touch hole was lit either with a slow match, a linstock or a type of Flintlock mechanism that was known as a gunlock.
Read more about Touch Hole: Spiking The Guns
Famous quotes containing the words touch and/or hole:
“when we touch
we enter touch entirely. No one’s alone.
Men kill for this, or for as much.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)