A 31-inch gun becomes an ammunition-handling problem

What would a battleship built around one fixed 31-inch gun require?

A rough estimate puts the shell near three tons, requiring a powerful autoloading system because manpower could not move it.

A fanciful 31-inch gun tests the limits of its supporting ship. A rough estimate puts each projectile near three tons, already beyond practical manual handling. That mass demands an autoloader and a substantial internal transport system before rate of fire can even be considered. Shell rooms, hoists, loading machinery, safety provisions, and hull structure all have to grow with the weapon.