> > > One thing's got me puzzled, though. Do cannon balls explode? It was always my impression that cannon balls were simply big balls of metal. Giant ball bearings, if you will.

> Exploding cannon balls have been around since the eighteenth century. The cannon balls had a hollowed out area which was filled with powder and then sealed with just the fuse sticking out. The timed fuse was lit before being loaded into the cannon. The idea was for the cannon ball to explode upon impact, but I'm sure there were more than a few errors made.
>
> Kel"BOOM"ly

There's also something called grapeshot, which is a cluster of smaller cannonballs used as an anti-personnel weapon. Either upon impact or in flight, the smaller balls would separate, inflicting damage in a larger area.

-Faux "I'm full of useless trivia like that" Pas