ABSTRACT
Ignition of the propellant was a major problem from the introduction of gunpowder in the early fourteenth century until the development of a percussion primer by a Scottish clergyman, the Reverend Alexander John Forsyth, in 1805.11
The first means of igniting the propellant was by placing a glowing twig or a hot wire into a touch hole at the rear of the barrel where it came into contact with the propellant. This direct method of ignition had many disadvantages: the firer needed to be near a fire, ignition was at the mercy of the wind and the rain, and it was difficult to aim properly.
