3. Flintlock muzzleloader
The flintlock muzzleloader dates back to the 17th century and features a flintlock mechanism that produces sparks when a piece of flint strikes its steel frizzen.
The firing mechanism consists of the following parts:
Flint
A flint is a hard, fine-grained form of quartz stone mounted in the hammer that creates a shower of sparks when it strikes the steel frizzen.
Hammer
A hammer is the part of the firing mechanism that holds the flint.
Frizzen
A frizzen is a piece of steel that is struck by the flint to create sparks. The frizzen also covers the priming charge in the flash pan.
Flash pan
A flash pan is a small groove cut in the firing mechanism to hold the priming charge.
Touch hole
A touch hole is located at the side of the barrel at the edge of the flash pan.