Flintlock - Cultural Impact

Cultural Impact

The flintlock mechanism was in main use for both military and civilian use for over 200 years. Not until the Reverend Alexander John Forsyth, a Scottish minister, invented the rudimentary percussion cap system in 1807 did the flintlock system begin to decline in popularity. The percussion-cap system replaced the flintlock's flint and flashpan with a waterproof copper cap that created a spark when struck. The percussion ignition system was more weatherproof and more reliable than the flintlock. The transition from flintlock to percussion cap was a slow one, even at that, since the percussion system was not widely used until around 1830. The Model 1840 U.S. musket was the last flintlock firearm produced for the U.S. military, although obsolete flintlocks were seeing action in the earliest days of the American Civil War, for example, during the first year of the war, the Army of Tennessee had over 2,000 flintlock muskets in service.

As a result of the flintlock's long active life, it has left lasting marks on the language and on drill and parade. Terms such as: "lock, stock and barrel", "going off half-cocked" and "flash in the pan" remain current in the English language. In addition, the weapon positions and drill commands that were originally devised to standardize carrying, loading and firing a flintlock weapon remain the standard for drill and display (see manual of arms).