cannon

cannon

Long-range artillery piece, as distinguished from other big guns such as the howitzer or mortar. Early cannons, appearing in Europe in the 15th century, were smooth-bored and forged of iron, weighed 6,000–8,000 lbs (2,800–3,600 kg) and were loaded through the muzzle. They were mounted on wheeled carriages, which were thrown backward when the cannon was fired. Rifled bores and breechloading were adopted in the later 19th century, and new mechanisms such as the hydraulic buffer absorbed the recoil. Before 1850 ammunition was either cannister, grapeshot, or round, solid cannonballs and black powder, but rifled bores made possible the use of elongated projectiles, which had a longer range. The shrapnel shell was widely used in the 19th–20th century. Modern cannons, of high-grade steel, are towed on split-trail carriages or are mounted on tracked vehicles; a common calibre is 155 mm (6 in.). Many helicopters, airplanes, and naval vessels are equipped with multibarreled, Gatling-type rotary cannons firing 20-mm exploding shells.

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cannon

1. a heavy tube or drum, esp one that can rotate freely on the shaft by which it is supported

2. the metal loop at the top of a bell, from which it is suspended

3. See cannon bone

4. Billiards a shot in which the cue ball is caused to contact one object ball after another

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cannon [′kan·ən]

(ordnance)

A complete assembly which consists of a tube and a breech mechanism with a firing mechanism or base cap and which is a component of a gun, howitzer, or mortar; may include muzzle appendages; the term is generally limited to calibers greater than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters).