Colonial and American Revolution Forum

[Ike Godsey]

1717 is the first year of strict regulation and standardization of the muskets to be used for service. The 1717 lock is a direct offspring of the commonly encountered late 1600's locks with its flat lockplate and diamond-shaped iron flashpan, but with a few major modifications: The Gooseneck cock takes a flat outer profile as opposed to the rounded profile commonly encountered in civilian production, and for the first time, a tumbler bridle is added. The battery spring also received a bridle.

1728 The usefulness of the battery bridle being rather doubtful, it was suppressed and replaced by a flashpan bridle that reinforced the rigidity of assembly.

1746 In order to cut down on cost, the flashpan bridle is suppressed. It was permanently reintroduced in 1754.

1754 Reintroduced the flashpan bridle.

1763 This year marked the introduction of a feature that was permanently retained until the disappearance of the flintlock from service: a lower cock jaw reinforcing bridge called "espalet" in French. This feature drastically reduced the risks of cock neck breakage. An other useful feature was the addition of a hole through the upper cock jaw screw, in addition to the traditional slot, allowing the use of any rod or nail for tightening in the absence of a screwdriver. This feature was also permanently retained.

1770 In order to reduce sharp edges that wore off clothing, and to make manufacture easier, all sharp edges were rounded off: the cock takes a rounded profile, and so does the flashpan and the rear end of the lockplate.

1774 The battery's foot curvature gets suppressed in order to reduce the costs. This feature was permanently retained.

1777 First attempt to obtain part interchangeability. The flashguard of the flashpan is suppressed, the pan is tilted forward to facilitate priming on three rows and, in order to reduce corrosion problems, the flashpan is made out of brass. That last feature was permanently retained. Another neat feature was the introduction of a back-curvature in the upper part of the battery's face, called "retroussis de batterie" that allowed a better attack of a worn out flint as well as clearing of the cock's top jaw/top jaw screw when the flint was excessively short.