touchhole
Fuse meets powder
A touchhole is the small hole in the breech of early firearms and cannons through which the charge was ignited.
A burning match or spark applied to the touchhole set off the gunpowder inside: The soldier touched his match to the touchhole and the musket fired.
The term belongs to the era before self-contained cartridges.
Cord-ignited gun mechanism
- flintlockFlint-sparked firearm mechanism
- arquebusEarly portable firearm
- musketMuzzle-loaded infantry firearm
- cannonLarge mounted gun
serpentine · slow match · ramrod · ball · patch · powder horn · pan · primer
Opening for airflow
- primingMaking ready beforehand
- panShallow cooking vessel
- frizzenFlintlock's spark-producing steel
- flintSpark-producing sedimentary rock
cock · hammer · lock · trigger · firing · charge · ignition · aperture
Combustible propellant mixture
- saltpeterPotassium nitrate compound
- sulfurYellow combustible element
- charcoalBurned wood residue
- propellantSubstance creating thrust
corning · granulation · fouling · smoke · flash · spark · combustion · ignite
matchlock
Cord-ignited gun mechanism
- flintlockFlint-sparked firearm mechanism
- arquebusEarly portable firearm
- musketMuzzle-loaded infantry firearm
cannon · serpentine · slow match · ramrod · ball · patch · powder horn · pan · primer · stock
vent
Opening for airflow
flint · cock · hammer · lock · trigger · firing · charge · ignition · aperture · orifice
gunpowder
Combustible propellant mixture
propellant · corning · granulation · fouling · smoke · flash · spark · combustion · ignite · burn
- historical warfaremusket, bayonet, cannon, flintlock, cavalry
- gun partsbarrel, barrels, trigger, triggers, bolt
- Muzzleloadermuzzleloader, flintlock, black powder, ramrod, powder horn
- artillerycannons, cannon, howitzers, howitzer, mortars
- antique firearmsmusket, matchlock, muzzleloader, harquebus, Brown Bess
- naval gunnerynaval gun, cannons, gunnery drills, guns, naval guns