definition
The matchlock is a type of gunlock (a device for igniting the charge of a firearm) in which powder is ignited by a match[1]. It was the first mechanism that facilitated the firing of a firearm.
INVENTION
The matchlock was invented[2] in the Ottoman Empire around 1425 as there is evidence of them using the arquebus (a portable long gun) around that time. Here is a photograph[3] of a matchlock firearm and an animation depicting the working of a basic matchlock:
[ux_image_box img=”1461″ link=”https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/32138″ target=”_blank”]
Late 18th-19th century matchlock firearm from the Mughal Empire
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[ux_video url=”http://knowhatyouknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-invention-of-the-matchlock-website.mp4″ height=”91%”]