~  The Black Powder  ~

We have a small group of crew and friends that we call The PYRATETECHNIC’S.

The above and below pictures are of some of the weapons we use for our demonstration.

Each of the crew members and the guests of other ships proudly display and give a small history on each weapon.

We explain loading and black powder safety.

We end our Demo with a full firing line of all weapons that are there.

About our cannon:

     Our cannon is a loose replica of the USS Constitution. It fires a 1lb cannon ball.

The carriage was made by our First mate (Charles Greylocke).

We use anywhere from 400grans to 600grans of black powder depending on how much of a boom we want.

About our Flintlock’s:

 Below is a brief description of each weapon.

British Trading Pistol – The Ketland 

     The Ketland family produced flintlocks in Birmingham England for several generations.

This is your typical "trade pistol" of the late 18th and early 19th century. 

I was a good close quarter pistol. It was also a favorite among the nobility to the use as dueling pistols.

The English Sea Service Pistol

     In the age of fighting sail, all navies were famous for the patchwork of weapons used on board their ships. 

The Royal Navy was no different.  However by the second half of the 18th century

a model of sea service pistol began to dominate amongst the tars of Britain's navy.  

This is also known as the horse pistol. Before they appeared on ship they were a very common pistol used in battle on land.

Most of the pistols have a large clip attached. This was used for attaching to the saddle when in battle.

The Doglocke 

     This unique pistol is an excellent representation of the evolution of flintlocks. 

In the collecting world this flintlock is called two names: (1) a simplified snaphaunce or (2) an early dog lock. 

Both descriptions are in fact correct.  To the learned collector, the elements of the snaphaunce are evident in the sear lug,

protruding though the lockplate behind the cock, and the use of a "buffer" to stop the descent of the cock when fired. 

The elements for the dog lock are obvious, namely the "dog" or lever holding the cock at the half, and the introduction of a frizzen (replacing the "battery" of the snaphaunce).  Therefore this is truly a transitional piece in weapon's technology.

The British Dragoon – The Elliot 

 One of the conclusions from battle experiences during the Seven Years War was the necessity of a pattern of pistol specifically for the Light Dragoon Regiments of the British Army.  Introduced in the 1760s, the Light Dragoon pistol graced of holsters of the brave troopers of the 16th and 17th Light Dragoons along with American mounted units loyal to the crown.  The latter included the King's American Dragoons, Tarleton's famous British Legion, along with the Hussars and Light Dragoons of the Queen's Rangers

The Blunderbuss 

     In the early 1700s the blunderbuss (or blunderbess) started to become popular as a weapon for close quarters because its ability to deliver a blast of shot or buck and ball.  Numerous armies and navies produced various versions of this item all the way into the 1840s.

However its zenith seems to have been in the mid-1700s when it was used both by soldiers, sailors, and civilians as a means of defense in close quarters. 

 Its original origin is of Dutch back ground. Known as the Donnerbuss, Donner meaning thunder, buss meaning barrel or known as the "Thunder Barrel".

The Brown Bess Rifle 

     The last version of the First Model Brown Bess came in 1756. 

Improvements in this version included a new straight lock design, a brass nose cap to the end of the stock, and new pipes for the rammer. In addition the steel ramrod became standard issue.  The 2nd model Short Land Musket which began to

replace this musket in 1769, was virtually a shorter version of its 1756 cousin.

The Queen Anne  

     The Queen Anne Pistol is also known as the "turn-off" pistol due to the fact that the barrel unscrews from the chamber. 

While any gun from the period of 1702-1714 could technically be called a "Queen Anne",

it is the turn-off pistol that has become synonymous with that name.

The ability to have the barrel unscrew allowed for a tighter fitting bullet that would develop more power and greater accuracy in use. Most period pictures of Black Beard show him with lots of pistols that seem to be of the Queen Anne style

New Weapons Addition:

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The Firing Line NHRF 2010