How Royal Navy frigates compared with American super-heavies

How did Royal Navy frigates compare with the large American frigates in the War of 1812?

Equivalent British ships were competitive, but an ordinary 18-pounder frigate faced a severe size and firepower disadvantage against an American 24-pounder super-heavy.

HMS Macedonian was a standard 18-pounder frigate of roughly 1,100 tons, while USS United States was a 24-pounder super-heavy of about 1,600 tons with a larger crew. The American ship enjoyed a substantial long-range broadside advantage and an even greater edge once carronades entered the short-range calculation. The shared word frigate disguises this mismatch. When the Royal Navy deployed equivalent heavy ships and experienced crews, American captains faced a materially different contest.