a quaker gun is a deception tactic that was commonly used in warfare during the 18th and 19th centuries. although resembling an actual cannon, the quaker gun was simply a wooden log, usually painted black, used to deceive an enemy. misleading the enemy as to the strength of an emplacement was an effective delaying tactic. the name derives from the religious society of friends or "quakers", who have traditionally held a religious opposition to war and violence in the peace testimony.