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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.

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Details

  • Title: Spanner for a Wheel Lock Gun
  • Date Created: 1600s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 16.5 x 2.5 cm (6 1/2 x 1 in.)
  • Type: Arms and Armor
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2008.171
  • Medium: steel
  • Fun Fact: This spanner operated a wheel-lock mechanism that enabled a gun to fire.
  • Department: Medieval Art
  • Culture: Germany, 17th century
  • Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Marvin Shie
  • Collection: MED - Arms & Armor
  • Accession Number: 2008.171

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