Flintlock Pistol

From 1845, the mounted forces of the Civil Guard were issued with flintlock pistols (model 1828), which were used alongside other models with flintlock mechanisms and a smooth bore. It was a 17-gauge pistol, meaning that if you divided one pound of lead into spheres of the same diameter as the barrel of the gun, you would get 17 bullets. The flintlock mechanism in these pistols was the same as those used in long-range weapons, which were also muzzle-loading. It fired when the piece of flint, clamped onto the end of the short hammer, hit against a piece of steel called a frizzen, generating sparks that would fall into the flashpan and ignite the gunpowder. In 1858, this type of pistol was ordered to be replaced by caplock mechanisms, which were introduced gradually.