Distance breech ring to turret ring?
I've had another thought: what is the distance from the back of the 17-pdr breech block to the turret ring on a Sherman Firefly, compared to the length of the longest 17-pdr round?
Maybe that was the restricting feature - the extra 8 or so inches further back required to move a 17-pdr round into alignment with the chamber of a vertical breech, compared to a horizontal breech.
Thoughts?
Mike
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