Flintlock - Method of Operation

Method of Operation

• A cock tightly holding a sharp piece of flint is rotated to half-cock, where the sear falls into a safety notch on the tumbler, preventing an accidental discharge.
• The operator loads the gun, usually from the muzzle end, with black powder followed by lead shot, a round lead ball, usually wrapped in a piece of paper or a cloth patch, all rammed down with a ramrod that is usually stored on the underside of the barrel.
• The flash pan is primed with a small amount of very finely ground gunpowder, and the flashpan lid or frizzen is closed.

The gun is now in a "primed and loaded" state, and this is how it would typically be carried while hunting or if going into battle.

To fire:

• The cock is further rotated from half-cock to full-cock, releasing the safety lock on the cock.
• The gun is leveled and the trigger is pulled, releasing the cock holding the flint.
• The flint strikes the frizzen, a piece of steel on the priming pan lid, opening it and exposing the priming powder.
• The contact between flint and frizzen produces a shower of sparks (burning pieces of the metal) that is directed into the gunpowder in the flashpan.
• The powder ignites, and the flash passes through a small hole in the barrel (called a vent or touchhole) that leads to the combustion chamber where it ignites the main powder charge, and the gun discharges.

The Royal Infantry and Continental Army used paper cartridges to load their weapons. The powder charge and ball were instantly available to the soldier inside this small paper envelope. To load a flintlock weapon using a paper cartridge, a soldier would

• move the cock to the half-cock position;
• tear the cartridge open with his teeth;
• fill the flashpan half-full with powder, directing it toward the vent;
• close the frizzen to keep the priming charge in the pan;
• pour the rest of the powder down the muzzle and stuff the cartridge in after it;
• take out the ramrod and ram the ball and cartridge all the way to the breech;
• replace the ramrod;
• shoulder the weapon.

The weapon can then be cocked and fired.