wheel lock

noun

an old type of gunlock in which sparks are produced by the friction of a small steel wheel against a piece of iron pyrites.
a gun having such a gunlock.

Origin of wheel lock

First recorded in 1660–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for wheel lock

Historical Examples of wheel lock

The wheel-lock was superseded by the trigger and the hammer, still with flint.
Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood
J. Conway Walter
There are numerous variations in the wheel-lock of all dates and of many nationalities.
Armour in England
J. Starkie Gardner
First the match-lock, wheel-lock, flint-lock, percussion lock.
The Modern Pistol and How to Shoot It
Walter Winans
Wheel-lock of blued steel, with gold and silver inlay, and wheel-guard of tracery in thin gold.
Armour in England
J. Starkie Gardner
A result of the introduction of the wheel-lock was the invention of pistols, which never carry match-locks.
Armour in England
J. Starkie Gardner

British Dictionary definitions for wheel lock

wheel lock

noun

a gunlock formerly in use in which the firing mechanism was activated by sparks produced by friction between a small steel wheel and a flint
a gun having such a lock

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012