As a character, I'd rather face gunmen than archers and here is why:

1) 30-60 seconds between each pistol shot versus 3-6 seconds between each arrow.
2) Pistols were only lethal within 10 feet and damaging within 100 feet with an increasing miss chance of half for every 10 feet (100%,50%,25%,15%,7%,3%,1%,). English long-bowmen can hit a 10X10' area at 100 Yards.
3) You have to keep the powder dry, the wick/match dry and lit, the pan dry and full, all while on the seas, in poor weather. Versus a crossbow you can keep knocked for 10 minutes before firing without damaging the bow or waxed string, in any weather.

Please, I'll take the human musketeers over elven archers every day of the week.