Why a newer 14-inch gun could outperform older weapons

Was a 14-inch gun technically better than 15-inch or 16-inch guns?

It could outperform some older weapons, but equivalent larger guns built at the same time would have been better.

The comparison distinguishes a weapon's calibre from the generation of technology used to build it. A completed 14-inch gun could be technically better than some older, larger weapons. That advantage does not establish that it would outperform equivalent 15-inch or 16-inch designs built at the same time.