Editing Flintlock (section)

====Multiple barrels====

Because of the time needed to reload (even experts needed 15 seconds to reload a smooth-bore, muzzle-loading musket<ref>Dennis E. Showalter, William J. Astore, ''Soldiers' lives through history: Volume 3: The early modern world'', p.65, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 {{ISBN|0-313-33312-2}}.</ref>), flintlocks were sometimes produced with two, three, four or more barrels for multiple shots. These designs tended to be costly to make and were often unreliable and dangerous. While weapons like double barreled shotguns were reasonably safe, weapons like the [[pepperbox|pepperbox revolver]] would sometimes fire all barrels simultaneously, or would sometimes just explode in the user's hand. It was often cheaper, safer, and more reliable to carry several single-shot weapons instead.