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The flintlock mechanism is a type of lock used on muskets and rifles in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. It is commonly referred to as a "flintlock" (without the word ''mechanism''), though that term is also commonly used for the weapons themselves as a whole, and not just the lock mechanism. The flintlock was developed in France in the early 17th century. It quickly replaced earlier technologies, such as the matchlock and wheellock. It continued to be in common use for over two centuries, until it was finally replaced by the percussion lock.〔Flatnes, Oyvind. ''From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms''. Crowood Press, 2013, pp. 31–36. ISBN 978-1847975935〕 ==History== The flintlock was developed in France in the early 17th century. Though its exact origins are not known, credit for the development of the flintlock is usually given to Marin le Bourgeoys,〔 an artist, gunsmith, luthier (maker of stringed musical instruments) and inventor from Normandy, France. Marin le Bourgeoys's basic design became the standard for flintlocks and quickly replaced older firing mechanisms throughout Europe. Flintlock weapons based on this design were used for over two centuries, until the mid-19th century.〔"Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" By Jeff Kinard, Published by ABC-CLIO, 2004〕 The key element added apparently by Marin le Bourgeoys was the vertically acting sear. The sear is "catch" or "latch" which holds the mechanism in a position ready to fire; the trigger acts upon, or is part of, the sear, releasing it and allowing a strong spring to act on the mechanism to fire the gun. Previously the sear, located within the lock, had acted through a hole in the lockplate to engage the cock on the outside of the plate. The vertically acting sear acted on a piece called the tumbler, on the inside of the lock which was mounted on the same rotating shaft as the cock. This design proved to be the most efficient in terms of cost and reliability. The flintlock was replaced by the Caplock mechanism. This was first devised in 1807 but took several decades to see widespread use. Caplocks had the advantages of reliability, better weather resistance and being easier to load. Many flintlock weapons were converted to caplock. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「flintlock mechanism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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