Replica pistol, four barrels

Flintlock pistols, one of the most widely used firearms by pirates in the eighteenth century, had flints that, when fired, produced a spark that ignited the gunpowder. All of these weapons had to be manually loaded after each shot. The ammunition, which was fed through the muzzle of the barrel, consisted of gunpowder, a projectile, and a paper machete that served as a cap to compress the two previous materials inside the barrel.

In combat, these weapons were generally used for a single shot, as the method of reloading was very slow and there was usually no time to reload. Therefore, after firing, the fighters were forced to draw their sabers or swords, or use the pistol as a club if they could not reload in time.