Eighteenth-century firearms operated with a flintlock firing mechanism, shown here. A small amount of powder was placed in the pan. A sharpened flint was held in the jaws of the cock. When the trigger was pulled, the cock flew forward and the flint hit the frizzen, a hardened piece of steel, creating sparks, which ignited the gunpowder. Some of the fire from the resulting explosion went through a small touchhole and into the barrel to the main powder charge and ammunition.
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