Although the popular image of a pirate ship is of a large man-of-war, in reality pirates operated from almost any form of ship of any size, dictated by how many crew there were and what ships could be obtained. However some form of gunnery was a requirement, not least because almost all merchant ships were also armed, which meant that most seamen had some experience with handling guns.

Although many different types of guns might be used, the gun in this set is the classic naval gun on a suitably naval carriage. The fact that the trucks (wheels) of the carriage are of equal size suggests the gun dates from the later years of the 18th century, but otherwise it looks quite typical of the guns of the period. The wheels are separate and need to be glued to the carriage, but the barrel itself is a lovely metal piece with the muzzle drilled out. It is entirely symmetrical top and bottom, so has no touch-hole, but is a very pleasing piece. It is a brass colour (our photo makes it look more bronze than it really is), so presumably it represents a bronze cannon. However by the height of the age of piracy such weapons were expensive and therefore rare, and cast iron would have been much more likely, so some might like to paint it in black.

The three figures that form the crew and all beautifully done. We find a man holding a sponge/ramrod (and apparently directing operations), another holding a shot and a third applying a match. Guns like this normally had a crew of four to six, so more figures would have been welcome, but all the ones we do find are accurately clothed in typical sailor costume for the time. They are also expertly sculpted with all the realistic clothing and human features anyone could ask.

While the number of figures manning this gun is short (ironically their individual heights are too tall), they are excellent pieces, as is the gun itself, so overall a very nice product.