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Wheel-Lock Pistol

Type Object Region Worldwide Time 1641–1650

A pistol ignited by a spring-driven flint rubbing against a steel to produce sparks, free from weather and open flame unlike the matchlock;…

Timeline

  1. 1641–1643Solingen · SolingenGunsmiths in the Rhineland and Solingen mass-produced wheel-lock pistols; the mechanism was precise but costly, purchased mainly by noble cavalry and guard officers.
  2. 1644–1648Westphalia · WestphaliaAround the Peace of Westphalia, cavalry of the warring kingdoms still widely carried a pair of wheel-lock pistols, firing a close-range volley before charging into melee.
  3. 1649–1650The Hague · South HollandDutch and French gunsmiths began replacing the wheel-lock with cheaper flintlock mechanisms, but as late as the end of the 1640s wheel-lock pistols remained widely circulated among continental officer ranks.

Sources