Redoutable's proposed armament changed even as the council was ready to accept the design in November 1872. Six 274 mm battery guns were to give way to four new steel 305 mm guns, while four 240 mm upper-deck guns would be replaced by two 274 mm guns. Axial fire fell from six guns to four, in exchange for greater armour penetration. A shorter battery and simpler upper-deck mountings saved weight for thicker protection, including an increase in maximum belt thickness from 220 mm to 300 mm. The new 305 mm gun was never developed, forcing another armament revision. A design could therefore depend on a weapon that industry had yet to deliver.
Notable Point · 48:48-50:17
Redoutable trades gun numbers for heavier weapons and armour
Fewer, heavier guns promised better penetration and freed weight for armour, but the proposed 305 mm weapon never became available.