The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Spanner for a Wheel Lock Gun

Spanner for a Wheel Lock Gun

1600s
Overall: 16.5 x 2.5 cm (6 1/2 x 1 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

This spanner operated a wheel-lock mechanism that enabled a gun to fire.

Description

Early firearms required many different tools to operate. These tools did not have to remain purely practical but could be decorated and embellished. A spanner was integral to a wheel lock gun. The wheel lock works by spinning a spring-loaded steel wheel against a piece of pyrite to generate intense sparks, which ignite gunpowder in a pan, which flashes through a small touchhole to ignite the main charge in the firearm's barrel. The spanner was needed to turn the wheel and spring, readying the gun to be fired.
  • {{cite web|title=Spanner for a Wheel Lock Gun|url=false|author=|year=1600s|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2008.171