Questions
 

I got my pistol training from Barbossa, but when I checked my inventory the gun was not there, so I bought a new one but it won't let me use it. What do I do?

Also, I need to know where to buy a new sword. Can anyone help? Thanks.

You can't equip swords or pistols yet, so don't fill your F1 or F2 slots or you'll be SOL.

There's nothing you can do. Welcome to beta.

What do you mean? I can use my sword, and have seen people use their pistol, so what happened to mine?

You never had one, your sword and gun are pre-positioned.

I had the one that I got from Barbossa, it has now disappeared.

Interesting. I've never made a character that's actually gotten a weapon, I tried buying it on one but that doesn't work.

Suffice to say, leave your F2 empty or you'll lose it.

hes right sine the pistol that we got for free is just for shooting skeltons u cant use it on anything else it is just a basic free thing if u load anything in F2 u loose the freebe

I did Barbosa's training and afterward my pistol was not in my weapons menu and nothing showed under f2 but I was able to shoot with it.
I went to the blacksmith and purchased the starter pistol and was then able to equip it in f2 and also gain points when using it. I have used it successfully on crabs, skeletons, and alligators.
You can purchase a new cutlass from the blacksmith, one of the first townspeople on Port Royal if you enter the town furtherst from the half-ship. You won't be able to use it until your cutlass is a level five, but you can purchase it before hand and have it ready when you level up.
This has been my experience.

eventually, all pirates get bugged so the weapon screen comes up empty and at that point you are forever stuck with whatever weapons you had assigned to F1-F4.

so when starting a new character, you should do your best to obtain and equip whatever weapons you want to have the very first thing.