I think it can be summed up as such: this isn't CS:GO. End of discussion. If you want a game with better gunplay, go find a different game with better gunplay. The pirate's life is all about dueling your arch-rivals face-to-face, steel-to-steel.
So yes, guns being compliments to the sword is entirely intended. You can still double-gun, but you're not using a Glock or an AK, you're using flintlock firearms. They were inaccurate, and had to be reloaded after every shot.
