The wheellock firearm, designed by Europeans in the 1500s, was a definite improvement over the matchlock. Rather than lighting a wick to ignite the gunpowder, the user would flick a spring-loaded wheel against a piece of pyrite. The spark would then ignite the gunpowder. It all sounds great in theory, but the complex mechanism was prone to malfunction. Not so great when you're staring down a wild animal!