| 23 November |
Pirate Weapons |
Today we will discuss the weapons pirates used. I will go ahead and list the various weapons that pirates used. Pirates used an assortment of different weapons, some very strange. These weapons included the sword called the cutlass, the pistol, an Ax and various knives, gullies, daggers and a dirk or two. But wait, there’s more! There was also the Marlinspike, the Blunderbuss, the Musket and the Grenade (Fireball)! These weapons were useful, if not strange. Many of these had various uses, but we will focus on the combat side of them in the next paragraph.
First, the cutlass. This sword was preferred by all pirates. It was short-bladed, single-edged and slightly curved. Perfect for hacking at your opponent up close. The pistol was the favored small arm of the time. Pistols came in a variety, but most were clumsy, hard to aim and required priming with powder and shot. And this was what you had to do while your were fighting! Needless to say, you’d be dead. That’s why pirates carried many pistols. They carried five or six at a time, all stored for quick draw action. The ax was carried by most pirates, used for cutting rope or busting down doors. It was good for maintenance around the ship, or splitting a skull when you were in a battle. The gully was a sizable knife, used around the ship or in combat. Some folded like today’s pocketknife. There was also the “boucan” a large, sharp knife that looked like a short cutlass.
Daggers & the Naval Dirk played a good for stabbing. The daggers were slim, long knives preferred by pirates. The Naval Dirk was a tool and an instrument of war, popular in maritime. The Marlinspike was like an ice pick with a handle and a rounded blade. It was really a tool used for tasks on the ship. If the crew was inclined to mutiny and could not get their hands on a weapon, they would probably use this. Next up is the Blunderbuss, much like a modern day shotgun. Halfway between a musket and a pistol, it was good for close up ship fights. This gun delivered a scattering of small bore shot over a wide area. This gun was fearsome, not to mention deadly. Much like the Blunderbuss is like a modern day shotgun, the Musket is like a modern day rifle. This gun took time to load, but was extremely accurate in the right hands. Buccaneers favored this gun, mainly because they were good shots. The Fireball is like today’s grenade. These grenades were put into use in the mid-seventeenth century. This canisters filled with stones or small shot, they were often hazardous to use. Though hazardous, these grenades could be devastating in if thrown with accuracy.
Well there you have it, some of the most common weapons in the pirate age. From the cutlass to the Marlinspike. Or the musket to the pistol, but they were all deadly in the right hands. Different pirates favored different weapons, and that made them unique. It’s not the weapon that makes the soldier, it’s the soldier that makes?the weapon.
- The Author
The facts about pirates came from the book “Pirates” by John Matthews, whom I am giving credit to. Also, the saying at the?end is my invention. If the saying?already existed,?I did not know of it and no?offense?is intended.
