Though not as popular in Hollywood as the pistol or cutlass, the Rifle n' Musket were an important part o' a Pirate's arsenal! WeArrrselves stock firing versions o' bothferyar own pleasure. Though we would be remiss to not tell ye about the differences!
A musket was an upgrade o' the Renaissance Era Arquebus, a shoulder fired weapon that was so heavy ye could only fire it effectively by usin' a stand o' it's own. The musket was a lighter weapon that began to appear in militaries as early as the 16th Century. It could also be fixed with a bayonet to convert it into a spear o' sorts. Though inaccurate they were an ideal infantry weapon, n' the range n' power they offered made them valuable aboard ships as well!
A rifle was a weapon that featured helical grooves etched into the barrel to spin a bullet as it was fired. Inturn this would make the shot more accurate. They were also lighter, but they fired a smaller caliber bullet than a musket (.50 Caliber as opposed to .69-.75) They were ideal among Hunters n' Sharp Shooters, but were expensive n' difficult to load so it never eclipsed the musket entirely.
Moving quickly a rifleman could fire 1 Shot per Minute as opposed to the Musketeer who could fire 3 Shots per minute. Fer a hunter or guerrilla fighter who needed to make every shot count, a rifle was an ideal weapon. Butfer a thrifty pirate or a government trying to bankroll an army the musket was more accessible, it could also be fired into crowds or used with other musketeers to deadly effect.
Aboard ships the Musketoon was popular. It was a shortened Carbine version of a musket that worked well for cavalry n' anyone fightin' in confined spaces!
Check out Arrr French Muskets! People may forget that the English n' Spanish weren't the only powers on the waters! The French were able to ship Muskets like these all around the world, n we make firing replicas just like them. http://bit.ly/2nzKv5u
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