A viewer challenges the idea of an earlier 18-inch-gun design by pointing to the short barrel carried by HMS Furious. The reply is that the broad muzzle form suggests the weapon may have been cut down to fit a hull that could not accept a longer mounting. The Royal Navy's successful 42-calibre 15-inch gun provides the comparison, and only a modest increase in length might make the 18-inch weapon more suitable for anti-ship fire. The exchange shows how barrel length, beam, and mounting space constrain conclusions drawn from a surviving gun specification.
Notable Point · 56:56-58:24
What the short 18-inch gun on Furious may imply
The 40-calibre 18-inch gun fitted to Furious may have been shortened from a weapon intended for a roomier mounting rather than designed short from the outset.