Post by THE SEA on Apr 18, 2011 16:25:50 GMT -8
An overview of weapons and technology of the period
Hand weapons
Cutlass- In the 17th and 18th centuries the cutlass was favoured by all fighting men at sea. It's short, broad blade was the ideal weapon for hand to hand fighting on board ship - a longer sword would easily get tangled in the rigging. According to legend, buccaneers invented the cutlass. The long knives used by the original buccaneers to butcher meat for the boucan evolved into the famous short sword used by all seamen.
Similar to the cutlass was the hanger, the landsman's equivalent to the cutlass. The hanger was devoloped from hunting swords and was the standard weapon of the infantryman (along with the musket).
These swords weigh around 3 pounds and are about 2' to 3' in length.
Calvary sword- Two forms of military sword commonly used by officers and some infantry. They were not often used by sailors or pirates as their length and weight made them awkward to wield in a crowded melee on a ship's deck.
A blow from one of these was quite deadly (Blackbeard was decapitated by a blow from a broadsword!)
These swords weigh 3-5 pounds, and are around 3-3½' in length.
small sword- This is the sidearm and mark of the gentleman. If you go out into "society" without one, you will suffer scorn. However, they are not the most effective weapons in a real fight as they are too light to cause much damage, and are designed mainly for thristing. However, this makes them ideal for duelling, which is their most common use. The may well break if used to parry a heavier blade.
These swords weigh 1-2 pounds, and are around 2½-3½' in length.
Dagger/Bayonet- The dagger was small enough for a pirate to conceal under clothes in a surprise attack, and was lethal on the lower deck where there was no space to wing a sword. During the War of the Spanish Succesion the plug bayonet (effectively a dagger that was jammed into end of a musket barrel) was replaced in most armies by the socket bayonet (which allowed the musket to be fired and reloaded whilst attached to the musket). This meant that there were many surplas plug bayonets, many of which were converted into very effective daggers.
Daggers typically weigh between 1 and 2 pounds and vary in length from 12" - 18".
Rapier- The rapier was generally an old fashioned weapon by the early 18th century, having been generally replaced half a century earlier by the hanger and smallsword. Despite this, some Spaniards still chose this weapon, at least as a dress weapon. It is certainly not a good weapon for shipboard fighting as it tends to get tangled in the rigging. Like the smallsword they are designed primarily for thrusting and are easily broken by a heavier blade.
Rapiers weigh 1-3 pounds, and are 3-5' in length.
Boarding axe- A popular weapon amongst pirates, helpful in boarding large vessels and climbing their high wooden sides. Once on deck, the axe brought down the sails - a single blow could cut through ropes as thick as a man's arm. Common on ships for fighting fires and boarders alike, it is issued to crewmen as often as a cutlass.
A boarding axe weighs between 3 and 5 pounds and varies in length from 2-3'.
Firearms
Flintlock Musket- Flintlock Musket
Although full sized land muskets were used at sea (especially by ex-privateers and warships) they were not as common as musketoons and blunderbusses, though they were the standard weapon of infantrymen. The flintlock had replaced the matchlock as it was more reliable in wet weather and faster to reload. Although standard military muskets were smoot-bore, some gentlemen used rifled muskets for hunting. These are far more expensive than smooth bore muskets, and take much longer to reload, but the are more accurate at longer ranges. However, a marksman needs very calm seas for careful aiming onboard a ship.
Thet weigh around 14-20 pounds and vary in length from 4-5'.
Matchlock Musket- If fancy new stuff does not impress you, this is your weapon. It perform poorly in wet weather and is slower to load and ready than a flintlock. Fairly old-fashioned by the early 18th century, matchlocks have the advantage that they are cheap and easy to repair, although they are heavier and more cumbersome.
Matchlocks weigh between 18 and 25 pounds and vary in length from 4½-6' in length.
Blunderbuss- This brutal, shotgun-like weapon is most effective against boarders. The blunderbuss is a short range weapon, firing a cluster of pistol balls, nails, scrap iron ot just about anything else in a wide, short range burst.
A blunderbuss weighs between 10 and 16 pounds and varies in length from 22-32".
Pistol- Light, portable, the pistol was the pirate's favourite weapon for boarding. Reloading was so slow that pirates often didn't bother, preferring to use the gun's hard butt as a club. Successful pirates often carried several pistols.
Hand weapons
Cutlass- In the 17th and 18th centuries the cutlass was favoured by all fighting men at sea. It's short, broad blade was the ideal weapon for hand to hand fighting on board ship - a longer sword would easily get tangled in the rigging. According to legend, buccaneers invented the cutlass. The long knives used by the original buccaneers to butcher meat for the boucan evolved into the famous short sword used by all seamen.
Similar to the cutlass was the hanger, the landsman's equivalent to the cutlass. The hanger was devoloped from hunting swords and was the standard weapon of the infantryman (along with the musket).
These swords weigh around 3 pounds and are about 2' to 3' in length.
Calvary sword- Two forms of military sword commonly used by officers and some infantry. They were not often used by sailors or pirates as their length and weight made them awkward to wield in a crowded melee on a ship's deck.
A blow from one of these was quite deadly (Blackbeard was decapitated by a blow from a broadsword!)
These swords weigh 3-5 pounds, and are around 3-3½' in length.
small sword- This is the sidearm and mark of the gentleman. If you go out into "society" without one, you will suffer scorn. However, they are not the most effective weapons in a real fight as they are too light to cause much damage, and are designed mainly for thristing. However, this makes them ideal for duelling, which is their most common use. The may well break if used to parry a heavier blade.
These swords weigh 1-2 pounds, and are around 2½-3½' in length.
Dagger/Bayonet- The dagger was small enough for a pirate to conceal under clothes in a surprise attack, and was lethal on the lower deck where there was no space to wing a sword. During the War of the Spanish Succesion the plug bayonet (effectively a dagger that was jammed into end of a musket barrel) was replaced in most armies by the socket bayonet (which allowed the musket to be fired and reloaded whilst attached to the musket). This meant that there were many surplas plug bayonets, many of which were converted into very effective daggers.
Daggers typically weigh between 1 and 2 pounds and vary in length from 12" - 18".
Rapier- The rapier was generally an old fashioned weapon by the early 18th century, having been generally replaced half a century earlier by the hanger and smallsword. Despite this, some Spaniards still chose this weapon, at least as a dress weapon. It is certainly not a good weapon for shipboard fighting as it tends to get tangled in the rigging. Like the smallsword they are designed primarily for thrusting and are easily broken by a heavier blade.
Rapiers weigh 1-3 pounds, and are 3-5' in length.
Boarding axe- A popular weapon amongst pirates, helpful in boarding large vessels and climbing their high wooden sides. Once on deck, the axe brought down the sails - a single blow could cut through ropes as thick as a man's arm. Common on ships for fighting fires and boarders alike, it is issued to crewmen as often as a cutlass.
A boarding axe weighs between 3 and 5 pounds and varies in length from 2-3'.
Firearms
Flintlock Musket- Flintlock Musket
Although full sized land muskets were used at sea (especially by ex-privateers and warships) they were not as common as musketoons and blunderbusses, though they were the standard weapon of infantrymen. The flintlock had replaced the matchlock as it was more reliable in wet weather and faster to reload. Although standard military muskets were smoot-bore, some gentlemen used rifled muskets for hunting. These are far more expensive than smooth bore muskets, and take much longer to reload, but the are more accurate at longer ranges. However, a marksman needs very calm seas for careful aiming onboard a ship.
Thet weigh around 14-20 pounds and vary in length from 4-5'.
Matchlock Musket- If fancy new stuff does not impress you, this is your weapon. It perform poorly in wet weather and is slower to load and ready than a flintlock. Fairly old-fashioned by the early 18th century, matchlocks have the advantage that they are cheap and easy to repair, although they are heavier and more cumbersome.
Matchlocks weigh between 18 and 25 pounds and vary in length from 4½-6' in length.
Blunderbuss- This brutal, shotgun-like weapon is most effective against boarders. The blunderbuss is a short range weapon, firing a cluster of pistol balls, nails, scrap iron ot just about anything else in a wide, short range burst.
A blunderbuss weighs between 10 and 16 pounds and varies in length from 22-32".
Pistol- Light, portable, the pistol was the pirate's favourite weapon for boarding. Reloading was so slow that pirates often didn't bother, preferring to use the gun's hard butt as a club. Successful pirates often carried several pistols.
