Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin
However, 1710 is also a period when you have lots of reliable flintlocks and ahve had for 80 years or more. If you went 100 years earlier you'd ahve aperiod where Louis XIII had one flintlock pistol (though he did have about 4 dozen wheellocks).
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Reliable is a relative term.
Mean shots between failures, a flintlock is about 100.
Most modern firearms are in the 1000 to 10000 shots range.
Wheellock firearms are also around 100 shots.
Matchlock are in the 20 to 50 shots between failures range, simply because the match cord is unreliable; modern commercial match cord is much more consistent than period, but it is still unreliable.
All the above presumes suitable periodic maintenance (oiling and cleaning).
Further, all of them are unreliably charged until the addition of premeasured charges You bite the bullet off the pack, pour the powder, use the paper wrapper as a wad, then the bullet, and ram it. Much more consistent powder charge.