Pirate Weapons

Pirates used many weapons to defeat the crews of ships they boarded. For hand-to-hand combat, pirates used the cutthroat cutlass. Its short, broad blade was easier to use on a ship than a sword. Daggers were also small and easily concealed in clothing.

Pirates also used three kinds of guns. First was the musketoon. It was fired from the shoulder, but its short barrel (front part) meant it often missed its target. Its short length meant it was good for using on crowded ship decks, but targets had to be nearby to get hit.

The Flintlock pistol was the pirates’ favourite gun. Reloading the gun took up too much time, so after one shot, pirates often used it as a club instead.

The Marksman’s Musket was the third kind of gun pirates used. Muskets had long barrels, so a marksman (excellent shooter) could hit the helmsman of a ship from far away.

Pirates also had cannons aboard their ships. These were guns that fired large iron balls and took two to five minutes to load. Cannons rarely sank ships, but did create a deadly shower of wooden splinters from hitting the ship’s hull. Chain-shot (two balls chained together) were used to take down a ship’s masts and sails.

Find out more