A contemporary eighteen-inch gun would usually inherit the same technical advances as a sixteen-inch gun, so caliber comparisons cannot assume a one-sided technology gap. A 16.5-inch weapon is presented as a practical sweet spot and connected to the British G3 program, while barrel length, propellant, and wear can matter as much as diameter alone.
Notable Point · 2:07:11-2:09:03
The case for a 16.5-inch battleship gun
Roughly 16.5 inches is presented as a strong balance among shell power, barrel length, propellant, and wear.