Three - volley salute - wikipedia Three - volley salute Not to be confused with 21 - gun salute. Sailors of the United States Navy, armed with M14s, form a rifle party and fire a volley salute on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during a burial at sea ceremony. `` Three Volley Salute '' A US Army rifle party firing three volleys Problems playing this file ? See media help. The three - volley salute is a ceremonial act performed at military funerals and sometimes also police funerals. The custom originates from the European dynastic wars, where the fighting ceased so the dead and wounded could be removed. Then, three shots were fired into the air to signal that the battle could resume. It should not be confused with the 21 - gun salute ( or 19 - gun or 17 - gun, etc. ) which is fired by a battery of artillery pieces. Contents 1 United States 2 United Kingdom and Commonwealth 3 Irish Republicans 4 See also 5 References United States In the United States it is part of the drill and ceremony of the Honor Guard. It consists of a rifle party firing blank cartridges into the air three times. A rifle party usually has an odd number of members, from 3 to 7. The firearm used is typically a rifle, but at some police funerals, shotguns or handguns are used. The party usually stands so that the muzzles are pointed over the casket. However, if mourners are present near the grave, the party stands some distance away ( often recommended at least 50 feet ) so as to not deafen the attendees and to minimize the disturbance. If the service is being performed indoors, the firing party stands outside the building, often near the front entrance. On the command of the NCO - in - charge, the party raises their weapons and fires three times in unison. Modern United States military parties use M1, M14 or M16 rifles. The use of blank cartridges means these weapon 's semi-automatic gas action will not function, requiring manual cycling of the next round between shots. Some parties equip the rifle with a blank - firing adapter, which eliminates this step from the drill after the first shot, though this is seen by some as less traditional. Similarly, the M1 and M14 are generally preferred over the current issue M16 because the appearance of these older rifles is more traditional and the charging handles are more easily operated in a dignified, ceremonial manner. United Kingdom and Commonwealth A similar ceremony is used by the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Irish Republicans Irish Republicans also fire a three volley salute at the funerals of IRA and INLA Volunteers. See also 21 - gun salute Ten bell salute Burial at sea Change of command Color guard Half - mast Honor guard Military funeral Military rites Missing man formation Riderless horse State funeral Tomb of the Unknown Soldier References Jump up ^ Gun Salutes - US Dept. of Veterans Affairs ^ Jump up to : Marine Corps Drill Manual - Chapter 19 and 21 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three-volley_salute&oldid=861884626 '' Categories : Military life Acknowledgements of death Military traditions State ritual and ceremonies Salutes Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano עברית 日本 語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 30 September 2018, at 18 : 54 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how many shots do they fire at a military funeral
Answer: three shots