[See LOCK sb.]
1. A gun-lock in which sparks were produced (either by friction or percussion) to ignite the priming.
The name was at first given to the WHEEL-LOCK; in the 17th cent. it became transferred to the FLINT-LOCK.
1547. Inventory, in Meyrick, Antient Armour, III. 15. One chamber pece blacke, the stock of redde woode, set with bone worke, with a fier locke, in a case of crymson vellet.
1625. G. M[arkham], Souldiers Accid., 53. Pistolls, Petronells, or Dragons, and all these are with fire-lockes, and those fire-lockes (for the most part) Snap-hances.
1639. R. Ward, Animadv. Warre, I. 293. The Firelocke is surest to give fire, and not so apt to be out of kilter; besides they will indure Spand 24 houres together without hurting them.
1655. Mrq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., No. 44. A perfect Pistol, capable to shoot through a Brest-plate commonly of Carabine-proof, with Prime, Powder and Firelock, undiscoverable in a strangers hand.
1677. Earl Orrery, Art of War, 31. In the Fire-lock the motion is so sudden, that what makes the Cock fall on the Hammer, strikes the Fire, and opens the Pan at once.
2. A musket furnished with such a lock.
1590. Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 47. Whereby they [the stones] should faile to strike iust vpon the wheeles being fire-lockes, or vpon the hammers or steeles, if they be Snap-hances.
1625. G. M[arkham], Souldiers Accid., 41. They [cuirassiers] shall haue a case of long Pistolls, fierlockes (if it may be) but Snaphaunces, where they are wanting.
1630. R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 382. Part … carried Fire-lockes of two foot, and the residue Pikes of nine foot long.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Mandelslo, Trav. E. Ind., 51. They have no fire Armes with wheeles, nor yet Fire-locks, but their Infantry are expert enough at the Musquet.
1703. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), V. 305. An agent from the king of Portugal is arrived here, to buy 30,000 firelocks.
1811. Gen. Doyle, in Napier, Penins. War (Rtldg.), II. App. 427. Six months have passed without a fire-lock being made!
1869. E. A. Parkes, A Manual of Practical Hygiene (ed. 3), 324. At various times in late wars the English army have extemporised tents of this description, by suspending blankets over their firelocks.
3. A soldier armed with such a weapon.
1645. R. Symonds, Diary Civ. War (Camden), 181/2. Colonel John Russell, with the Prince’s regiment of blew cotes, and also the Prince’s fferelockes, assaulted.
1704. Collect. Voy. (Church.), III. 728/2. When attacking the Enemy with their Hand-granado’s, they forced them from the Ditch, where they posted 12 Firelocks.
1801. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., I. 285. The other corps, exclusive of the artillery, will amount to about 2000 firelocks.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 342. The detachment was much weakened by the fatigues it had undergone, and the losses it had suffered, as well as by the guards left in most of the captured forts, so that it scarcely mustered nine hundred and fifty firelocks, besides two hundred and seventy pioneers, and a small detail of European artillery.
4. attrib., as firelock musket, firelock piece.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Compl. Gr. Knt., Weedes (1587), 183.
| My chaunce was late to haue a peerlesse firelock peece, | |
| That to my wittes was nay the like in Turkie nor in Greece. |
1631. Schedule of Prices, in Meyrick, Ant. Arm., III. 101. For a pair of firelock pistols, furnished with a key, mould, scowrer, worm, flask, and cases of leather, of length and boar according to the allowance of the counsel of war.
a. 1672. Wood, Life (1848), 24. Capt. Bunce returned safe to Borstall with 9 prisoners, 10 horses, six fire-lock musquets, and 4 case of pistols.
