Snaplock

A snaplock ignites the (usually muzzle-loading) weapon's propellant by means of sparks produced when a spring-powered cock strikes a flint down on to a piece of hardened steel.

The earliest source which could be speaking of a snaplock is an account from 1515 where a young man in Konstanz, Germany accidentally shot a girl with a pistol, thinking it could not go off due to the lack of a lit match.

Dr. Arne Hoff argues that because "striking" is a very inaccurate description of what happens with a wheellock, it is probable that he was referring to a snaplock, thus making 1517 the likely first appearance of the weapon.

[2] Compared to a matchlock, the snaplock could fire twice as many shots per minute due to requiring fewer steps to reload.

Not requiring a match to be lit also made it easier to handle and more usable in a wider set of environments, such as in damp places.