weapon ideas for the future

What about a hand cannon?

Source for the crank-action weapon? Because the one I found (the Puckle Gun) was never adopted. The Gatling Gun also wasn't invented until the 1860s.

The "portable cannon" just sounds plain silly. While the game is already cartoonish, having a player be capable of lugging around a weapon that uses cannonballs as ammunition crosses the line of what's acceptable when staying true to Pirate weapons in my book.

One last critique, the proper term for starting gear is "stock".

Otherwise, my suggestions for weapons are a pair of obvious choices that have already been recommended: the Boarding Axe and Boarding Pike.

The axe would function as a single, heavy-hitting attack capable of dealing significant damage to a target at close range. One blow from the axe would also be able to break the Cutlass's block, while cutlass-on-cutlass takes three hits. And just as the sword has it's block as a utility function, the Boarding Axe would be capable of tearing planks off holes (possibly also let the user climb wooden surfaces, which would open up quite a bit for potential exploration and "hidden" areas).

The pike would be the option used for keeping sword and axe wielders away, while still being weak to firearms. It has a single thrusting attack - capable of piercing through the sword's block - with its utility being the ability to throw it. After throwing, you either need to retrieve it, or visit a weapons locker to re-equip it. It cannot be re-filled from ammo boxes.

Thirdly, a younger brother to the Gunpowder Barrel, the Powder Flask. Fitting in one hand, it can be lit with primary attack, and thrown if the user attacks while the fuse is lit. secondary use extinguishes the fuse. The blast would obviously be less damaging than the powder barrel, but it could still inflict serious damage to bunched-up enemies.

contrary to common belief, the hand cannon wasn't actually a portable cannon, its was the first firearm the also looked a lot like the flintlock.

I'm interested to see what direction Rare goes with weapons. Obviously they are not going to have weapon upgrades because they want all players, new and old, to be on the same playing field but they do seem to be willing to allow players to find things in the world that make them stronger during a single play session (i.e Cursed Cannonballs + Explosive Barrels).

This makes me wonder if they will implement a halo style system where powerful weapons can be found in the world. Not sure how that will work with the current system of equipping weapons but I could see something like the hand crank gattling gun that needs to be set up in a location and then interacted with like a cannon.

Some sort of grenade maybe the form of a coconut.