Table of Contents
Crew A Muzzle Loading Cannon
| Field | Military | |
| Went Obsolete | Late 19th century | |
| Made Obsolete By | Breech-loading howitzers, jacketed cannon ammunition | |
| Knowledge Assumed | Cannon crew procedures, simple ballistics | |
| When useful | This skill has no immediate modern uses (except for reenactors, as for example, American Revolutionary War and American Civil War both employ gun crews) |
Loading and firing a muzzle-loaded cannon was once a valuable yet dangerous skill. Cannons could explode if improperly loaded or not maintained, and the black powder propellant had to be handled with care. Crews had to work quickly on the battlefield, reloading and re-aiming the cannon whilst under fire.
With the invention of the howitzer shell and more reliable propellant explosives, the skill set of the artillery crewman changed as well, and skills needed to quickly load and fire a cannon were no longer needed.
