A like-for-like Mark 8 Pom-Pom and L60 comparison

The comparison uses the Mark 8 Pom-Pom barrel and the L60 Model 1936. Barrel marks and mounting marks are separate designations, so an octuple mounting did not necessarily begin with Mark 8 barrels. Bofors barrel life is given as roughly 10,000 rounds, against 5,000 for low-velocity and 7,200 for high-velocity Pom-Pom barrels. Tribal-class destroyers carried 3,500 rounds per barrel, roughly twice the allowance on several battleship and cruiser classes, so exhausting that ammunition could consume about half a high-velocity Pom-Pom barrel's life. The quoted Pom-Pom rates are 96-98 rounds per minute with controlled firing gear and 115 with automatic firing gear, while the Bofors' practical rate at sea is 80-90. Effective hitting ranges are placed around 1,500-1,700 yards for both weapons. Maximum range is a different measure: the high-velocity Pom-Pom reaches about 5,000 yards, while some Bofors variants reach up to 12,250 yards and can disrupt formations farther away. The Bofors combines higher muzzle velocity with longer barrel life because its barrel incorporates later metallurgical development.