- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
Snaphaunce
Home > Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development > Evolution of Firearms > Ignition Systems > Snaphaunce
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Snaphaunce action
Click for larger imageA few years after the introduction of the wheel lock, a simplified design combined flint firing from the wheel lock with the simplicity of the spring-actuated matchlock. Nearly every industrialized nation in Western Europe claimed its invention. The snaphaunce shared the side-mounted powder pan of later match locks and wheel locks. It used the basic spring cock and replaced the match holder with a flint holder. To provide a sparking surface for the flint, designers fitted a steel striking plate (anvil) that pivoted over the side pan. When the cock fell against the anvil’s curved inner surface, it pushed the hinged anvil up and created a shower of sparks downward into the pan. For little more than the expense of fabricating a spring matchlock, nations could arm their troops with a simple, flint-fired musket or pistol.
