I Have This Old Gun: Wheellock Carbine

by
posted on December 11, 2024

Until the end of the 17th century, one of the main ignition systems used in long guns was the matchlock. However, there were several shortcomings with the simple matchlock mechanism, causing gunmakers to seek out more effective mechanisms. One evolution was the wheellock, and while it was fast and effective, it wasn't perfect. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" I Have This Old Gun segment above to see the wheellock in action.

"The wheellock is one of the most interesting ignition systems ever created," NRA Media Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "You needed a couple of things. Not only do you need firearms technology, you also had to know how to build a clock, all in the lock of a gun."

Even with the rise of the flintlock action in the 1600s, the wheellock still held some advantages. Notably, the unique arrangement of having a spinning, serrated wheel in the action that worked against iron pyrite to create sparks was a major improvement for one key reason.

Man winding the wheel mechanism on an early wheellock sporting carbine.

"This has one major advantage over the flintlock," American Rifleman Field Editor Garry James said. "The sparks are actually in the pan, right in the pan, when you pull the trigger. Whereas the sparks have to fall down into the pan when you use a flintlock. Consequently, a well-tuned wheellock is much, much faster than a flintlock."

One of the key issues with the wheellock is how labor-intensive it is to build the mechanism. The serrated wheel uses a clock spring, and the cock holding the iron pyrite has to put sufficient pressure onto the wheel in order to create the sparks without wearing down the mechanism. Most importantly, the wheellock used a sliding pan cover to protect powder from the weather until the gun was fired, and this sliding pan had to move out of the way automatically once the trigger was pulled.

"Everything has to work in conjunction when you pull the trigger," American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. "The wheel has to start spinning, the sliding pan cover has to move, and the gun has to fire, and when you want to get all of those things working in concert, that takes some really extensive, time-consuming labor to produce something that can work that reliably with that many moving mechanisms and parts."

Man aiming a loaded and primed wheellock sporting carbine.

Despite the quick-firing nature of the wheellock, the complicated nature of the mechanism also created problems. Aside from the expense required to build the gun in the first place, keeping such a design working involved a great deal of knowledge, skill and care.

"They're a little finicky. You know, if you overwind the spring and cook it, that's a problem," Keefe said. "If you underwind the spring, you might not get enough sparks. So there's a little bit of finesse in keeping a wheellock running. And I don't think the average soldier in the 1600s probably had the wherewithal or mechanical ability to constantly mess with what is really a precision instrument."

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Century Arms AP51 & AP53 guns left-side arrangement of three pistols shown with optics
Century Arms AP51 & AP53 guns left-side arrangement of three pistols shown with optics

New For 2025: Century Arms AP51 & AP53

Century Arms has expanded its AP5 line of roller-delayed blowback firearms with the new AP51 and AP53 handguns based on the Heckler & Koch G3 and HK33, respectively.

Preview: InfernoWare Shield

InfernoWare Shield is a spray-applied coating designed to protect firearm and other components from heat and contact damage.

Charles Hiltunen Elected As 76th NRA Director

Charles Hiltunen has been elected by the members to a one-year term ending in 2026.

Comparing Factory .38 Spl. Wadcutter Loads With A Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus

A common choice for classic competition, the factory wadcutter load can prove to be a top target load while also mitigating the effects of strong recoil due to its reduced velocity.

Preview: XS Sights Standard Dot Revolver Front Sight Smith & Wesson

XS Sights has a solution for owners of Smith & Wesson J-frames, such as the 640 and 340 PD, that have front sights attached with a single pin and fixed rear sights.

New Guns & Gear At The 2025 NRA Show

The 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, held at the Georgia World Congress Center, April 24-27, was teeming with new guns and gear. Here's a taste of what you can see on the show floor.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.