Wheellocks and Flintlocks

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by malloyd

I assume the main thing likely to break in a wheel lock is the chain that connects the spring to the cam on the wheel shaft, probably followed by wear on the trigger sear arm - that's the highest precision part of the mechanism, since it's balancing between not applying enough force to lock the wheel, and engaging so firmly you can't move by pulling the trigger. Essentially the wheel lock is more fragile because it has those two extra delicate parts - the main spring is pretty much the same as on the flintlock.

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3 more delicate parts. The iron pyrate on the "wheel" is much softer and m0ore fragile than either the flint or the frizzen on a flintlock. It needs replacement twice as often as the flint even when t6higns work right.