Cannons have been used throughout history as instruments of battle.
In fact, a lot of of the sieges that became widely good quality in the past integrated the utilization of cannons.
Perhaps the idea of the cannon came from a similar projectile device called the siege engine.
Before gun powder was invented, armies had to make do with bulky wooden contraptions that took several men to load.
These ancient devices were designed to weaken and break through the fortifications of city walls during a siege.
Some of these ancient tools were only effective at a certain distance, while others can be used to attack from afar.
However, more recent analyses point out that the cannon may have been patterned after an ancient Chinese version of the flame thrower.
Cannons in Early Warfare Even with gunpowder, the first metal cannon styles are not much different from siege engines in terms of the number of people required to pack, discharge, clear and reload it.
Cannons are designed in accordance with the intended utilization.
Some cannons have a wider range, while others are more portable and have to be moved nearer for them to be helpful in dealing harm.
The pattern in cannon technology, however, was geared in the direction of transportability and maneuverability.
Huge styles were abandoned as lighter, more versatile models are made.
Despite the fact that cannons can only fire one shot at a time, the presence of these equipment in the battlefield was intimidating.
When the power of cannons in the battleground became notorious, armies learned to fear assaults that involved these machines.
For this reason, it was not surprising that some intelligent infantry leaders considered applying decoy cannons to mislead the defending soldiers.
With the use of timber logs painted black to appear like real cannons, the decoy cannons made the attacking force seem stronger.
Over time, the weak points of cannons have been addressed by innovators and technicians who found means to improve the caliber, range and rate of fire of these cannons.
Soon enough, these equipment found their way in naval ships, effectively converting the way naval combat is done.
Inventors have found approaches to steady the projectile, in so doing boosting the precision of the cannon.
Cannons for Non-Combat Purposes Present day uses of cannons prove that an analogous blueprint is applicable for the manufacture of many devices for more than a few functions that are not related with battles.
The principle of constructing a cannon is simple enough for mechanics to create more than a few equipment that work like cannons but used for non-battle functions.
Some cannons are evidently intended for managing the incidence of landslide in a region.
Some are used for amusement reasons like fireworks and creating fireworks tricks in movies.
Excitement seekers have found ways to manufacture water cannons for playing in the water.
Perhaps one of the most excellent benefits of a cannon-like contraption is bird pest control in the agricultural field.
A shot is fired from a propane-powered cannon towards an agricultural zone where bird pests thrive, scaring them off.
Most bird cannons are set to automatic-fire on schedule, over a region of 10 acres or larger, making this type of cannon more effective than the conventional scarecrow.