Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (2024)

GRAPPLING HOOK

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (1)

TheGrappling Hookwas a specialcannonround that fired a large hook attached to a heavy line. When the hook made contact with crippledflagships, it took hold – allowing thepiratevessel to reel in the wounded craft to be boarded.

CUTLASS

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (2)

Adapted from the long knives used by the early buccaneers to butcher their meat, it had a blade length of about two feet, and was slightly curved with a single edge. With its relatively short blade the cutlass proved to be a very effective fighting tool in the confined area of a ship.

STINKPOT

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (3)

These were small round containers that were filled with chemicals that when set on fire created a cloud of foul smelling odours. The pots were hurled onto the decks of victims’ ships to cause panic and confusion.

MUSKET

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (4)

Pirates used muskets to pick off opponents from long range prior to boarding. They were one of the earliest type of small arms developed for sniping purposes.

CANNON

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (5)

These guns were often loaded with gravel, nails and musket balls rather than heavier shot, in order to damage rigging and sail rather than sink a ship.

BOARDING AXE

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (6)

Boarding axes were used by the pirates to scale the sides of a ship and to cut through the rigging. They were useful for hacking open doors and hatch. They doubled up as deadly fighting tools.

BLUNDERBUS

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (7)

A short, wide bore shotgun flared at the muzzle it could be devastating at short range scattering lead balls in a wide arc at the enemy.

GRENADO

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (8)

An early form of hand grenade this was a small hollow ball about two ounces in weight. It contained iron, glass or wood and gunpowder. Pirates lit its fuse before throwing the grenade at their intended victims. They could inflict great bodily damage but were also unreliable and potentially hazardous to the user.

KNIPPLE SHOT

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (9)

These were small pairs of small iron balls joined with chain or a small bar that would rotate through the air causing severe damage to any sail, rigging or human flesh that got in its way.

AK-47

Top Ten Pirate Weapons « Pirate Attack (10)

Probably the most commonly used weapon employed by pirates today, the AK-47 is a gas-fired assault rifle first developed in the former Soviet Union. With many variants and counterfeit versions they are relatively cheap to buy.

Top Ten Pirate Weapons «  Pirate Attack (2024)

FAQs

What is the weapon that is most commonly used by pirates? ›

Rather, pirates used a heavy cutlass or sabre which had a sharpened point and a sharp single edge of the blade. These swords were designed to quickly cut and slash an opponent rather than dither about with intricate swordplay.

What are pirate weapons called? ›

A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. It was a common naval weapon during the early Age of Sail. Cutlass.

How many weapons did pirates carry? ›

Most pirates carried more than one flintlock pistol into battle. Blackbeard carried up to six, and Black Bart carried four. Along with a sword, the flintlock pistol, though cumbersome in many ways, turned the tide in close-quarters battle. The blunderbuss proved to be a weapon of mass destruction up close.

How many weapons was the pirate carrying class 10? ›

The pirate was carrying two pistols in each hand and a cutlass in his teeth..

What did pirates steal the most? ›

Emeralds and pearls were the commonest gems from America, providing rich plunder. However, pirates did not only seize precious cargoes like these. They also wanted things they could use, such as food, barrels of wine and brandy, sails, anchors and other spare equipment for their ships.

What is a pirates knife called? ›

A sailor or pirate could use a cutlass to cut thick rope and wood, and its size made it safer in tight quarters than a longer sword might be. Although they weren't used much after the 18th century, the cutlass was still an official weapon of the U.S. Navy until 1949. The Latin root means "knife."

What do pirates use to shoot? ›

Firearms. 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.

What did pirates use to steal? ›

Name three things that real pirates used to steal. Answers may include: food, such as rice and fish; candles; soap; spices; cocoa; cotton; wood; and cannons.

What is a pirate sword called? ›

The cutlass is the famous sword of the high seas. The cutlass was quite a good working sword and was carried on land and sea but was most popular and remembered as a sailors sword or better still the sword of the pirates.

What is a pirate gun? ›

If you're talking about traditional pirates like those in Hollywood movies, they likely used flintlock muskets, a smooth bore muzzle loaded firearm that used black powder and often a . 50 cal round ball projectile. Before flintlock these muskets used matchlock firing mechanisms.

What is Jack Sparrow's gun? ›

Jack Sparrow, a pirate to be reckoned with

The 50-caliber English Flintlock was used to fire his last shot against the treacherous Captain Barbossa in The Curse of the Black Pearl.. The Flintlock Pistol, used in the same movie, is the firearm carried by Johnny Depp to shoot in different sequences.

What weapons are used at sea? ›

  • Advanced Strike Weapons.
  • Tomahawk Cruise Missile.
  • AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missile.
  • Joint Strike Missile.
  • Joint Standoff Weapon.
  • SM-6 Missile.
  • MK 54 Lightweight Torpedo.
  • Naval Strike Missile.

When were pirates most powerful? ›

Thousands of pirates were active between 1650 and 1720, and these years are sometimes known as the 'Golden Age' of piracy. Famous pirates from this period include Henry Morgan, William 'Captain' Kidd, 'Calico' Jack Rackham, Bartholomew Roberts and the fearsome Blackbeard (Edward Teach).

Did pirates use bows? ›

ORIGINAL QUESTION: Did pirates (1600s & 1700s) use weapons like crossbows or longbows? If not, why not? Yes, bows and cross bows were in common use.

What is the largest pirate loot? ›

The largest monetary treasure haul found was on the wreck code named Black Swan, discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2007 off of Gibraltar. The salvage team reportedly found 17 tons of coins valued at $500 million; an amount that is both staggering and said to be “unprecedented” in the treasure hunting world.

What do modern day pirates use as weapons? ›

Pirates use small arms and shoulder-fired missiles”, says Hagag, “Often, they lure the ships to reach them.

What is a pirate's sword called? ›

A cutlass is a type of saber, a slightly curved sword. Many sailors — and pirates — carried cutlasses on ships during the 17th century. The cutlass was considered a "naval sword" partly because it was extremely useful on board a ship.

What was the most heavily armed pirate ship? ›

Queen Anne's Revenge

Of all the pirates to have plundered the Caribbean and along the North American coast, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach may be the most noteworthy. At the helm of one of the most notorious pirate ships of all time, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Teach outfitted the former French slave ship with 40 guns.

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