What weapons were commonly used by pirates?

Top Ten Pirate Weapons

• GRAPPLING HOOK. The Grappling Hook was a special cannon round that fired a large hook attached to a heavy line.
• CUTLASS.
• STINKPOT.
• MUSKET.
• CANNON.
• BOARDING AXE.
• BLUNDERBUS.
• GRENADO.

Did pirates ever use bow and arrows?

Arrows, Barbs, Hooks, and Other Sharp Objects Vikings, who were also pirates, commonly used bows and arrows during battle. They were very skilled at using bows and arrows. Supposedly, they could catch an arrow in midair and throw it back at their enemy.

Did pirates use rifles?

Firearms such as rifles and pistols were popular among pirates, but of limited use as loading them took time. Matchlock and Flintlock rifles were used during sea battles, but not as often in close quarters. The firearms of the era were not accurate at any distance but packed a wallop at close range.

What weapons did pirates use in the 1700s?

Pirates in the so-called Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1740) used all manner of weapons to attack ships and relieve them of their precious cargoes. Heavy cannons, muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and grenades were just some of the weapons pirates employed to wreak havoc on the High Seas.

What swords did pirates actually use?

Most famous sword on the seas was Cutlass, which is together remembered in pirate lore as the necessary gear for every pirate. Other popular swords used on pirate ships were rapier (much narrower blade than with Cutlass), Calvary sabers (single edged) and Broadswords (longer and double bladed).

Did pirates use bombs?

Wielding cutlasses, daggers and axes, and firing muskets and pistols, the pirates were usually victorious. Axes were used for smashing holes in the decks and for chopping through ropes. The pirates could then fire their guns or throw bombs at defending crew below deck through these axed holes.

What type of daggers did pirates use?

Thin duelling-type swords were not in use until the 17th century and then only by the nobility. Rather, pirates used a heavy cutlass or sabre which had a sharpened point and a sharp single edge of the blade.

Did pirates use blunderbuss?

Blunderbusses were also commonly carried by officers on naval warships, privateers and by pirates for use in close-quarters boarding actions. The Portuguese marines used it widely in the 17th century.

What did the crossbow replace?

The crossbow superseded hand bows in many European armies during the 12th century, except in England, where the longbow was more popular. Along with polearm weapons made from farming equipment, the crossbow was also a weapon of choice for insurgent peasants such as the Taborites.

How did pirates use the bow and arrow?

When in range, the bow and arrow could be used by the pirates to pick off personal from the decks and rigging of the victims ship before boarding. The bow was eventually replaced by the developement of firearms. The effective range of the bow as compared to firearms at that time varied.

Why did pirates not carry heavy weapons?

Since most pirate victims were lightly armed or unarmed merchant ships, it was not necessary to carry alot of this type of heavy firepower. The use of larger and slower ships, could also make them vunerable to attack from naval warships.

What weapons were used in the Golden Age of piracy?

For European pirates in the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’, these were normally the one handed type popular in Europe at the time called a small sword. This straight bladed short sword was designed mainly as a thrusting weapon, and was normally used for dueling. This sword weighed about two pounds, and was thirty to forty inches long.

What size cannons were used on pirate ships?

Ship cannon were made in various sizes from small 2 pounders, to large 24 pounder ship wreckers. Shore fortifications often boasted even heavier cannons. The big 32 pounders were commonly used for this. A typical gun size on a pirate sloop or small schooner would be 4 to 8 pounders.