Deadly Firearms of the Pirate Golden Age (Video)

During the Golden Age of piracy, firearms played a crucial role in pirate warfare, offering versatility in ship and land combat. While swords like the cutlass and cannons are often associated with pirates, handheld firearms were their preferred choice. Muskets, in particular, became the most favored weapon. Compared to cannons, which were costly and required significant manpower, muskets were cheaper, easier to use, and adaptable. Pirates valued firearms for their range and ability to inflict damage both on enemy crews and rigging. Muskets could be used effectively in various scenarios, including boarding combat, ship engagements, and hunting.

Flintlock firearms had largely replaced matchlocks by the 1630s, offering faster ignition and better performance. Pirates often modified muskets to fit their needs, such as loading them with multiple projectiles to maximize damage at close range. These smoothbore firearms lacked rifling, which reduced accuracy over long distances, but for the close quarters combat typical of piracy, they were more than sufficient. Buccaneers favored long-barreled muskets, known as buccaneer guns, for their increased range and power.

Pistols were also popular, though primarily as auxiliary weapons. Flintlock pistols had limited range and were often used in conjunction with melee attacks, such as clubbing an opponent with the butt of the gun. Despite their propensity for misfiring, these firearms became iconic tools of pirate warfare, contributing to the pirates’ ability to engage in dynamic, flexible combat across various settings.

Top image: Pirate’s pistols         Source: Micah/Adobe Stock

By Robbie Mitchell