Tube Lock
In the early 19th century Manton invented the tube (or pill) lock, an improvement over Alexander Forsyth's scent-bottle lock. Rather than storing a reserve of fulminate in a container they were now single-use pellets.
The hammer of the gun was sharpened; when it fell it crushed the tube, causing the fulminates to detonate. This was more reliable than Forsyth's design and was adopted by the Austrian army and many sportsmen during the Regency period. However it was overshadowed by the invention of the percussion cap which was adopted by the armies of Britain, France, Russia and America to replace the flintlock.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Manton
Famous quotes containing the words tube and/or lock:
“Even crushed against his brother in the Tube the average Englishman pretends desperately that he is alone.”
—Germaine Greer (b. 1939)
“Benjamin: Are you always this much afraid of being alone?
Mrs. Robinson: Yes.
Benjamin: Well, why can’t you just lock the doors and go to bed?
Mrs. Robinson: I’m very neurotic.”
—Calder Willingham (1923–1995)