Why the 8-inch cruiser gun could be overrated

What does it mean to call the US Navy's 8-inch cruiser gun overrated?

Its reputation exceeded its practical value because treaty rules made it prominent, while 6-inch and 9.2-inch weapons offered stronger tradeoffs on either side.

The 8-inch weapon occupied a treaty-defined niche rather than an obvious ballistic sweet spot. Its prominence and reputation partly followed from being the largest gun permitted on the standard treaty cruiser. Fast-firing 6-inch weapons suit engagements where volume matters, while 9.2-inch guns occupy a genuinely heavier cruiser band. Regulation can make one caliber seem naturally optimal even when designers might prefer the choices immediately above or below it.