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The first U.S. night-vision scope (called Starlight) used in the Vietnam War for a rifle weighed a hefty six pounds.

The Civil War cannon crew went by numbers. Number 1 would clean the barrel after it had been fired. Number 2 takes the ammo to Number 5 who loads it into the cannon. Number 1 then rams it down the barrel. The gunner sights in the cannon and has Number 3 to move the cannon right or left as needed. Number 3 punches the powder bag through the fuse hole and Number 4 inserts the primer into the hole and on command, fires the cannon.

One of the artillery pieces used during the Civil War, the Parrot Gun, had a barrel that was generally 78 inches long.