Did rifling differ among naval guns in ways that made shells spin faster?
Short answerYes, designers kept experimenting with rifling for better performance, but the workable solution depended on contemporary metallurgy.
NotesNaval-gun rifling had no single timeless solution. Designers experimented with twist and other rifling details to obtain better projectile behaviour. A more aggressive arrangement could impose greater demands on the gun and its ammunition. The useful design therefore changed with the metallurgy and manufacturing techniques available at the time.