Well here is the Royal Horse firing a salute. Looks like a 13 pounder to me. Well here is the Royal Horse firing a salute. Looks like a 13 pounder to me.Sometimes, more common these days is something like this.
Taken December 2008 at Fort Hood.
or this
Actually the 21 gun salute originated with guns more like these.
The practice of firing gun salutes has existed for centuries. Early warriors demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. In early times, it was customary for a ship entering a friendly port to discharge its cannon to demonstrate that they were unloaded.