Why the larger autoloading gun still matters

Could many autoloading 14-inch guns outweigh a battery of larger autoloading guns?

Usually not: larger autoloading guns retain range and engagement-zone advantages, while fire control limits how many guns one ship can use effectively.

A larger autoloading calibre normally retains superior reach against a greater number of smaller guns. A ship cannot keep multiplying long-range weapons because the fire-control solutions become harder to manage; roughly sixteen heavy guns are presented as a practical upper bound for this example. At matching speeds, the larger-calibre ship can exploit its wider ideal engagement zone during a chase. The useful comparison is the distance at which each side can hit effectively, rather than theoretical maximum range alone.