16th-17th century
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Rapier
A long, slender thrusting sword favored by gentlemen and officers of the 16th and 17th centuries, including English privateer captains of the Elizabethan era. Its length gave a reach advantage in one-on-one duels but made it less practical in the tight quarters of ship boarding, where shorter blades were often preferred. It gradually gave way…
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Matchlock Pistol
An early firearm ignited by a smoldering match cord lowered into the priming pan, used by 16th- and early 17th-century sailors and corsairs before the flintlock became dominant. Its dependence on a lit match made it awkward and hazardous aboard a powder-laden ship. It was gradually superseded by wheellock and later flintlock mechanisms.
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Wheellock Pistol
An early firearm using a spring-driven, spinning steel wheel to strike sparks from pyrite, allowing it to be carried loaded and ready without a lit match. Its complexity and cost limited it mostly to wealthier officers and privateersmen in the 16th and early 17th centuries. It represented an important step toward the simpler, cheaper flintlock…
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Culverin
A long-barreled cannon firing a relatively light shot at high velocity and long range, prized for accuracy over raw destructive power. English privateer captains such as Francis Drake used culverins to engage Spanish treasure ships at range during the 16th-century wars with Spain. Its long barrel made it heavier and less maneuverable than shorter guns…
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Demi-Culverin
A mid-sized long gun, lighter than a full culverin but sharing its accurate, long-range characteristics, commonly carried aboard armed merchantmen, privateers, and naval vessels of the 16th and 17th centuries. It offered a practical balance between weight and firepower for smaller raiding vessels. Its ammunition and gun size became a standard reference point in period…
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Saker
A medium-sized long gun smaller than a demi-culverin, widely carried on privateering and merchant vessels for its manageable weight and reasonable range. Its size made it practical for smaller, faster ships that prioritized speed and maneuverability over the raw broadside weight of a larger warship. It was a common gun class throughout the 16th and…
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Minion
A small ship’s cannon, lighter than a saker, suited to smaller vessels including many pirate and privateer ships that could not carry the weight of larger ordnance. Its lighter weight allowed more guns to be carried on a small hull. It was typically loaded with round shot for battering an opponent’s hull at moderate range.
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Demi-Cannon
A heavy naval gun firing a large round shot, capable of serious damage to an enemy hull but demanding a substantial, well-built ship to carry its weight. Larger pirate flagships and privateer men-of-war occasionally carried demi-cannon among their heaviest guns. Its size and weight limited it mostly to bigger vessels rather than small, fast raiders.
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Pedrero
A short, wide-bored gun originally designed to fire stone shot, later adapted to fire shot, scrap, and canister at close range. Its wide bore and short barrel made it useful against an enemy’s crew rather than the hull itself. It was common aboard privateer and pirate vessels of the 16th and 17th centuries as an…
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Petard
A small, bell-shaped explosive charge fixed to a door, gate, or hull section to blow it open, used by privateer and naval landing parties conducting shore raids or forced boardings. Its use required the bomber to place and light the charge at close range to the target, a dangerous task. The device gave rise to…