Touch Hole?

[Ames]

Silly question. The kind of question that got into my head years ago but I was afraid to ask. Here goes. Why is it called a touch hole?
Think about it. You don't really touch it between shots. The flint wont touch it, or shouldn't touch it. The powder shouldn't touch it in the pan. That would make the primer burn slower, like a fuse, to get the shot off.
Wouldn't it have been more aptly named as a "torch" hole?

 

[Phil Coffins]

Earlier fire arms had a hole drilled on top of the tube and were fired by touching a hot wire or burning match to the prime. The term carried over to side lock guns.

 

[Le Loup]

Early arms & cannons had a touch hole, this was filled with touch powder. A smouldering matchcord or hot iron was touched to the touch powder to fire the gun.
Touch Powder, Touch Hole, and Touch Box.
Keith.

https://books.google.com.au/books?i...q=cannon "touch powder" documentation&f=false

In 1581, we find the charges for "A Shoot: —

Cahu, flaxe, tuche boxe & scorier x\j;"(*) and "In

a Schedule of such rates of money as armor may be

provided for at the Cyttie of Chester, for such soul-

diors as shall repaire thither out of the Coimty of

Lancaster. Tlie Caliver furnished with Flaske &

Touch box. Laces and Moulds, xiij" vj"**" (")

https://archive.org/stream/britisharmyitso00scotgoog/britisharmyitso00scotgoog_djvu.txt

.. A box for 'touch-powder'

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/History/Maritime/Sources/2015sftyler.pdf

 

[OLD CROW]

down town City of NANAIMO has an old HUDSONS BAY ''bastion'' sort of a small block house. if one listens carefully, we can hear the ''noon cannon'' being fired on ''clear days''. heard the ''officer'' in period red coat dress refer to the long pole with smoldering ''wick'' refer to it as the TOUCH HOLE ROD.....tourists are chosen at random to fire the cannon.

 

[Ames]

Earlier fire arms had a hole drilled on top of the tube and were fired by touching a hot wire or burning match to the prime. The term carried over to side lock guns.

Thanks! Now it makes sense. That's why I ask.