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Lesson 29:
LOCK, STOCK, AND BARREL / LOADING AND FIRING A MUSKET
The standard military musket of the early 19th century was a muzzle loading, flintlock musket. The weapon, usually in either .69 or .75 caliber, was very simple and somewhat crude by today’s standards. It consisted of three main parts: the lock, the spring mechanism that ignited the gunpowder; the stock, the wooden body of the weapon to which all steel parts were attached; and the barrel, the pipe-like tube into which the gunpowder and musket ball were loaded and fired. Thus, the whole musket consisted
of lock, stock, and barrel.
ACTIVITY 1.
Have students label the parts of the musket, using these terms: ! Lock: The firing mechanism including the flint and hammer ! Stock: The wooden body of the musket to which all parts are attached. ! Barrel: The tube into which the powder and ball are loaded and from which they are fired. ! Barrel bands: Straps holding the barrel in place. ! Ramrod: Thin rammer used to drive the powder and ball home ! Muzzle: The end of the barrel into which powder and ball are loaded and come out! ! Butt Plate: Steel plate at the end of the stock. ! Trigger: Used to fire the musket (History standards)