So, you've seen period films (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?) with those lovely old guns you're pretty sure are called flintlocks, but what really is a flintlock muzzleloader, and how does it work? Let's start with some of the history behind these antiquated firearms. The argument can be made that firearms were first made practical with the advent of the flintlock … [Read more...]
Have you ever wondered what made the modern gun possible? It was not the gun; it was the ignition. Modern firearms, as we know them, started with the percussion cap. In a previous article I described how flintlock firearms worked. The flint and steel method made gun ownership and military standard issue weapons a reality and shaped world we have inherited, but now I am … [Read more...]
