wats a preflintlock?

[Russ T Frizzen]

My references indicate the true flintlock as being invented by Marin Le Bourgeoys around 1610.

 

[Okwaho]

Russ, see Torsten Lenk, "The Flintlock,Its Origin and Development" {1939,translated 1965}This is the Bible on the flintlock.Lenk was the Director of the Swedish Royal Armory and had the opportunity to see many of the greatest guns of Europe prior to WW II.There is the question of which of the Le Bourgeoys, Marin or Jean was the inventor and where. Lenk has posited Ca.1630 in Lisieux and others such as Gusler and Lavin have agreed. I use 1630 as a conservative date although the flintlock could have been invented earlier.Apparently the earliest dated gun is one dated 1630 in Windsor Castle.
Tom Patton

 

[Okwaho]

In response to Teleoceras,the chronology of the flintlock and English lock is as I outlined in my brief prior post.
1. Ca.1630 the French invent the true flintlock with a vertical sear and a half cock notch on the tumbler and as was the custom with continental guns did not use a dog catch.
2.The English prior to Ca.1650 began to convert snaphaunces to flint retaining the horizontal sear and since there is the problem of accidental discharge some of these locks have half cock notches and others have a dog catch
3.The English Ca.1650 respond to the French true flintlock with the English lock which is stylistically like the Fench flintlock as to the external parts but with the retention of the horizontal sear and often either a half cock notch or a dog catch to serve as a safety feature.The English lock lasts until Ca. 1680.
4. Ca.1680 the English lock appears in its fully developed form with a vertical sear and half and full cock notches on the tumbler.The dog catch not being needed begins to be phased out although it is used on some English flintlocks as late as the mid 18th century. I saw a Ca.1740's English fowler in a major New England museum two years ago with a dog catch.

As to dog locks, the term dog lock has come to be applied to ANY lock with a dog catch and the very early New England and English guns described as dog locks are in reality snaphaunces converted to flint with the addition of a dog catch.
1.Torsten Lenk,"The Flintlock its Origin and Development" {1939,translated 1965}
2.Beverly Ann Straub,"A Re-examination of the English Lock", The American Society Of Arms Collectors"1990
Tom Patton

 

[Teleoceras]

Okwaho:

In response to Teleoceras,the chronology of the flintlock and English lock is as I outlined in my brief prior post.
1. Ca.1630 the French invent the true flintlock with a vertical sear and a half cock notch on the tumbler and as was the custom with continental guns did not use a dog catch.
2.The English prior to Ca.1650 began to convert snaphaunces to flint retaining the horizontal sear and since there is the problem of accidental discharge some of these locks have half cock notches and others have a dog catch
3.The English Ca.1650 respond to the French true flintlock with the English lock which is stylistically like the Fench flintlock as to the external parts but with the retention of the horizontal sear and often either a half cock notch or a dog catch to serve as a safety feature.The English lock lasts until Ca. 1680.
4. Ca.1680 the English lock appears in its fully developed form with a vertical sear and half and full cock notches on the tumbler.The dog catch not being needed begins to be phased out although it is used on some English flintlocks as late as the mid 18th century. I saw a Ca.1740's English fowler in a major New England museum two years ago with a dog catch.

Ok, here is the gist. You are lumping English made Flintlocks with a true English Lock. The English Lock is catagorized as a lock with the horizontal sear and a one piece L-shaped flashpan cover\frizzen. Back then the locks had different names from our current classification.

Spanish Lock = Miquelet Lock
Jacobean Lock = English Lock
French Lock = (true) Flintlock

The term English Lock is for a specific mechanical construction of the specific lock type. Not a lock made in England.

Russ is correct in that the LeBourgeoys had invented the true Flintlock in the 1610's. Many of the early sources originally called this lock the French Lock.

Some excellent references are:

Complete Book of Firearms by Masini and Rotasso p.43
The Age of Firearms by Robert Held Chapter Six
Arms and Armor in Colonial America by Harold L. Peterson p.26
Powder and Ball Small Arms by Martin Pegler p.49

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Firearms in Colonial America by M. L. Brown is another useful resource.