Royal Navy choices between the 13.5-inch and 14-inch guns show why the nominally best weapon was not always the best fleet purchase. A gun supported by several barrel and ammunition makers protected the Navy from monopoly dependence and created competition for recurring practice and wartime orders. Practice firing made ammunition supply a continuing annual commitment rather than a one-time procurement choice. Continued private development of 9.2-inch guns therefore suggests that manufacturers expected a plausible future naval market even when no new cruiser class had yet been ordered.
Notable Point · 3:13-5:03
Gun selection was also an industrial policy
The Royal Navy preferred weapons that several firms could supply, making barrels and ammunition an industrial-resilience question as well as a performance choice.