The class carried a Coles-type turret with two Armstrong nine-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns. The restricted space around those guns explains a broader design pressure: muzzle loading works when a crew has an open deck for moving equipment. Inside an enclosed turret, the guns, crew, ammunition handling, and loading movement compete for limited room. A ship can look large to a museum visitor while its fighting space remains cramped. Breechloading became more attractive because crews could service a gun without the space and handling demands of working at its muzzle.
Notable Point · 10:19-12:10
Why turrets encouraged breechloading
Schorpioen's cramped turret shows why muzzle-loading arrangements that worked on deck became awkward inside an enclosed fighting position.