Wheellock Pistol

The wheellock mechanism is a mechanism of firearm operation in use in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The wheellock worked using a spring-loaded wheel, which was wound up and, upon pulling the trigger, the spring released, spinning the wheel, while at the same time a spring loaded arm with a small piece of iron pyrite, called the dog, struck the spinning wheel, creating a spark, which ignited the gunpowder in the pan, and subsequently the main charge in a manner similar to a modern cigarette lighter. The wheellock mechanism's main advantage over the matchlock was that was self-igniting, not requiring a slow-burning match, and was smaller, allowing for greater concealability. The wheellock was used mainly in pistols, as it was more expensive than the matchlock, and had to be wound up before it could be fired, slowing the reloading process. The wheellock was later replaced by snaphance and flintlock firearms in the 1600s.