Musket with a Flintlock (18th Century)

In the second half of the 16th century they began using the heavy Spanish muskets; just as with harquebuses, they used a rest when firing them. The muskets, which resembled the harquebuses, were heavier than the first harquebuses (they weighed up to 15kg), but had a longer range. When being fired, they had to lean against a hook (stand), which the musketeer (soldier) always carried with him. The calibre was between 13 and 20mm and enabled precise shots at a distance of up to 150m. Muskets could be used to pierce a human being at a distance of over 200m, yet such hits were mostly due to luck. The first harquebuses had a much smaller range and power.

The flintlock mechanism operates thus: as the mechanism is released, the cock slides the flint along the frizzen, which opens and exposes the gunpowder in the pan. The gunpowder is ignited by sparks caused by the flint as it comes into contact with the iron.

Length of the entire item 163cm; Barrel diameter 22mm; Weight 7kg.