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.