"Flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint striking ignition mechanism, the first of which showed up in Western Europe in the ...
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early 16th century. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism itself, also known as the true flintlock, that was introduced in the early 17th century, and gradually replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the matchlock, the wheellock, and the earlier flintlock mechanisms. " - (en.wikipedia.org 10.02.2022)
