Kevin Hicks, from the historical interpretation company, The History Squad, demonstrates how to fire one of these early muskets.The matchlock was the first mechanical device for firing a gun. It did away with the cumbersome process of holding a burning wick to the powder in the flash pan or touch hole of the gun. By the 16th century, the matchlock was the dominant "lock" or firing mechanism in Europe. It was replaced by the flintlock in the early 18th century, which offered a more reliable ignition.