21-gun salutes vs. funeral volleys

[robby]

Regarding this column: What’s the origin of the 21-gun salute?

In the last paragraph, Ian seems to be confusing funeral volleys with 21-gun salutes.

This was addressed by micco in this thread with this link.

Anyone entitled to military honors is entitled to the volleys, subject to the availability of a firing detail. Somehow this has become confused with a 21-gun salute…

The three volleys fired at a funeral are just that, nothing more. They are not a 21-gun salute or any other gun salute…

Why then are so many people today confused and erroneously call the three volleys a 21-gun salute? Who knows? Possibly because someone saw a seven-member detail fire three rounds at a funeral. He may have multiplied the three rounds by seven and decided that this must be a 21-gun salute. And it caught on and spread-and spread. Never mind the fact that he should have been taught at boot camp that a rifle is not a gun. Also, firing details can consist of any number of riflemen, but in years gone by the standard was eight riflemen with a noncommissioned officer in charge. How do you conceivably get a 21-gun salute out of these?

You don’t.