In the reign of Charles I. there were also revolvers, with eight chambers to hold the charges; and in the time of Cromwell and Charles II. we find self-loading and self-priming guns. Double-barrelled pistols.Pistols were made both double-barrelled and revolving.
Arrows fired out of muskets, 1591.
In Sir Richard Hawkins’ account of his voyage in the South Sea, 1591, mention is made of his shooting arrows from muskets with great success at shipping: “for the upper works of their ships being musket proof, they passed through both sides with facilitie, and wrought extraordinary disasters, which caused admiration to see themselves wounded with small shot when they thought themselves secure.” These wooden arrows were called sprites or sprightes. Lord Verulam says, “it is certain that we had in use at one time for sea fight short arrows which they call sprights, without any other head save wood sharpened, which were discharged out of muskets, and would pierce through the sides of ships, when a bullet would not pierce.”
Sprites required wads.
Sir Richard Hawkins informs us, that in a discourse which he held with the Spanish General, Michael Angell, the latter demanded, “for what purpose served the little short arrowes which we had in our shippe, and those in great quantity. I satisfied him that they were for our muskets. Hereof they prooved to profit themselves after; but for that they wanted the tampkins, which are first to be driven home, before the arrow be put in, and as they understood not the secret, they rejected them as uncertaine, and therefore not to be used; but of all the shot used now adayes, for the annoying of an ennemie in fight by sea, few are of greater moment for many respects, which I hold not convenient to treat of in public.”
Thus it appears that bullets of metal, have been fired out of bows and slings, stone balls out of guns, and arrows from muskets.
The following are the names of different descriptions of small arms, viz:—
| Hand-cannon | Musketoon | Hand-mortar |
| Hand-gun | Hague | Blunderbuss |
| Arquebus | Demi-hague | Musket |
| Caliver | Esclopette | Pistol |
| Petronel | Currier | Dag |
| Scorpion | Fusil | Tack |
| Dragon | ||