If King George V had retained 16-inch guns

If Britain had not pursued a 14-inch treaty limit, would King George V have used 15-inch guns or stepped up to 16 inches?

It would most likely resemble an early 16-inch Lion design, unless the Royal Navy chose 15-inch guns specifically for fleet-wide logistical commonality.

Britain was not alone in supporting a 14-inch limit; the United States and Japan also had reasons to favor it. If the limit had remained 16 inches, the King George V design would probably have resembled the early Lion proposals. A 15-inch alternative would make sense chiefly as a common fleet armament, with a 15-inch/45 development offering an upgrade for existing ships because its barrel was lighter than the 15-inch/42. Several 15-inch/50 designs were also available. Nine 16-inch guns could fit the treaty displacement, as North Carolina demonstrated, and Britain already had a working triple-turret design. Adopting them would change the ship's dimensions, secondary battery arrangement, and potentially its speed. The relevant comparison is with the original Lion studies, before the later escalation designs.