Montana armament: twelve 16-inch or fewer 18-inch guns

Should the Montana class carry twelve 16-inch guns or eight or nine 18-inch guns?

Use twelve mature 16-inch guns if they allow rapid construction; their rate of fire and the ability to field more ships outweigh waiting for 18-inch weapons.

The choice depends on which weapon is ready for production. Twelve 16-inch/50 guns provide heavy fire and allow multiple Montanas to enter service without waiting for a new 18-inch system. Building several ships could produce a numerical advantage that matters more than the increase in calibre. Yamato's 18.1-inch/45 gun was not dramatically longer than an American 16-inch/50, whose super-heavy shell already posed a severe armour threat at battle ranges.