"firearms question, late renaissance??" Topic

Hello,

I have a question about Wheel locks. I was watching a show on the
history channel (I don't remember the name)about firearms development,
they showed the wheel lock and described it's operation in detail which
I already new a little of. A question came up from one of my
friends. "Why would they leave the crank (spanner) separate". I had a
few guesses but realized that I do know for sure why a permanently
attached spanner or folding handle/flange of some kind was not normal.

Does anyone out here know the answer to this?

The wheel spins. A permently attached spanner might smack the user something fierce. that's my guess for what it's worth.

Because the spindle rotates when the lock is released so the handle would also spin round. Not only would this reduce the speed of the spin, and so the efficiency of the mechanism, but it would probably break the firer's fingers to boot.

As stated above – if you valued your fingers and wanted to keep control of your weapon – you wanted a rapidly spinning crank NOT to hit you!

Dunce cap for the day … I did not even think of that .. were they too hard to spool up with a little "fold down" kind of handle or flange? Like perhaps the fold out handle on an industial type tape measure? I know the spanners were quite beefy and fairly log, my guess was that there was too much tension for a short handle.

"were they too hard to spool up with a little "fold down" kind of handle or flange"

Handcrafted metalworking favours simplicity.

Rapid reloading wasn't really a consideration. Instead you carried multiple pistols. Was still a big step before flintlocks as you didn't have a lit match to contend with and could thus conceal a wheelock in your coat, or use them while guarding artillery with all the open powder kegs around etc.

From the wheellocks I've handled, you need a pretty beefy spanner to turn them against the spring – not something you could do in a "fold-up" version.
As everyone else has said, you've got to take it off to stop it whacking your fingers when the whole lot rotates.

There WAS a late, pre-flintlock variation of the wheel lock, know today as the 'sector lock' that was effectively a wheel lock with built in spanner. The 'striking' part was about a 1/4 or less of a circle with a spur extension that acted as a cocking lever and was lifted 'up' to cock the lock. It also sometimes had a 'V'-spring on the outside of the lock plate and a 'flint' holder that looked a lot like the one on a 'Snaphaunce' lock. It seems to have only been produced in the various states bordering on the Baltic Sea until displaced by the snaphaunce and flintlock.

Also there were a few deluxe self-spanning wheel lock pistols where the 'flint' holder axle went thru' the lock plate and had its own drum and chain connected to the wheel drum in opposition to the main spring & chain. To span(cock) it you pushed the holder forwards which pulled the connection chain and wound the main spring up, then returned the holder to the ready position.

Hi

And don't forge the old " opposite and equal reaction" part. handle rotates and the weapon wants to rotate in the opposite direction. A degree or so and you have missed the enemy formation by 60 feet!

R