Okay!
Explain how this works for me folks!
Background: I was watching the 1999 movie version of "Wild Wild West", the one with Dr. Arliss Loveless and his nifty steam tank and 80' Tarantula. Which had twin nitro cannons/guns.
Of course Gordon and West don't think the giant robot can get out of his city, until he blows some buttes apart with his cannon.
Now, the cannon could be powered by nitro, or could shoot nitro ammunition. Or both???
From the Hollywood animation, it almost looks like a plasma gun, similar to the ones used by the big bugs in Starship Troopers (the FIRST one).
It doesn't seem very long ranged too, when Loveless starts blowing up a town and a train. Maybe a few hundred yards? Quarter mile max?
How would y'all say it works?