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Estimating naval shell weight

A shell-weight answer explains why big-gun ammunition cannot be reduced to a single formula without knowing what the shell is meant to do.

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Question

What is the formula for calculating the weight of a naval shell?

Short answer

Shell weight depends on purpose, shell type, material density, steel thickness, and explosive content, so rough shortcuts are only rough checks.

Notes

Shell weight depends on the projectile's purpose and construction, so a single formula can mislead. The 18-inch and 20-inch examples distinguish armor-piercing from high-explosive shell weights. Rough shortcuts can provide checks, but they cannot substitute for the material density, steel thickness, explosive filling, and tactical purpose of a particular shell.