The lock of a firearm is the mechanism used to initiate firing. It is an historical term, in that it generally refers to such mechanisms used in muzzle-loading and early breech-loading firearms.

What is the meaning of fire lock?

1 : a gun's lock employing a slow match to ignite the powder charge also : a gun having such a lock. 2a : flintlock.

Is a firelock a gun?

Firelock. A firelock is a firearm in which the priming is ignited by sparks. ... It may also refer to a gun's lock which uses slow match to ignite the powder charge. The matchlock was a lever mechanism that simplified the ergonomics of firing.