Station IV
Gun Powder & Weaponry
We can already hear the excitement from visitors exclaiming, “This is what we came for!” as they witness the sights of cannons on a ship, the smell of gunpowder, and the sound of musket fire. Our museum has a wide array of exhibits to showcase these experiences when we are fully operational with our crew assembled.
Due to the pox outbreak, we are currently experiencing a shortage of both crew and arms. Consequently, our black powder displays are not on par with what they used to be. However, we are planning to showcase some old videos that feature our previous displays at the museum. Additionally, we are actively seeking to obtain a cannon or swivel gun, even though they are quite expensive.
Gun Powder (Black Powder)
Gunpowder may have been invented by the Chinese, but it helped change the face of nations. Now it is used in celebration and teaching history while making quite a decorative impression. However, during the 1770s in the colonies, it was difficult to get. After the Boston Tea Party King George III declared us in open rebellion which set off the Intolerable Acts and from that spawned the Gunpowder Affair in which gunpowder was removed from a Virginia storehouse to Royal Naval Ships to be controlled in an attempt to keep the peace based on Royal Governors over the colonies. Ultimately it led to our independence but not after an embargo of imports of things like Gunpowder and weapons, which opened up the road to privateering.
Gunpowder was stored aboard vessels in barrels or kegs. They had either wooden or brass bands to prevent sparks from happening should they connect together as bands were traditionally made from iron and could make a spark when banged around aboard ship if not secured properly.
Fun fact. Young boys were hired on as a part of the crew called “Powder Monkeys” and they were responsible for bringing powder cartridges to the gun crews. Often they would stay on and learn the trade of being a part of a gun crew, as well as learning general sailing knowledge.
Flintlock Weaponry (“Firelocks”)
Flintlock weapons are known as such because they are equipped with a flint which is the primary source of ignition of the gunpowder. How they work is simple.
The hammer has jaws that clamp down on the flint. The flint strikes against a piece of steel called a ‘Striker’ or ‘Frizzsen’, producing a spark that rains down into the pan as it pushes open, exposing gunpowder. The powder ignites and sends the ignition through a small hole in the barrel next to the pan called a touch hole thus igniting the powder inside the barrel pushing against the patch and ball creating pressure. That pressure creates the explosive force pushing the ball out of the barrel at around 800 feet per second.
Lock from a 1771 EIC (East India Co.) Brown Bess
During their time, privateers obtained weapons of various types. Since they were civilians and not part of the military, there was no standardization in the weapons they used. However, it was typical for them to try and equip their crews with small arms of a similar caliber to make it easier to share ammunition.
The museum’s collection of weapons showcases the diverse range of flintlock types used throughout the years.
1. 1775 British sea service pattern Officer’s Pistol (Captain’s)
2. Jager rifle
3. Double Fouler
4. Brown Bess (Personally Owned Weapon)
If it is allowed and our staff is available, we can provide a demonstration of how these weapons function. The video to the left is from a demonstration we conducted at the Morgan Log House in May 2019. Some of the weapons from the picture above were used during the demonstration.
During all our demonstrations, we strictly adhere to safety regulations. We ensure that the crowd is kept at a minimum distance of 10 feet and no spectators are allowed to touch or handle the weapons at any of our appearances.
We do adhere to strict safety regulations during all of our demonstrations and the crowds are all kept at a minimum of 10 feet away and no spectators are allowed to touch or handle the weapons at any of our appearances.