I offer the below site as many defense websites some of which I use describe it as the best website for data in particular on the LEOPARD but, overall considered very thorough in it's research. It makes my next point for me under the "firepower" section of each tank they list in progression of development. You can't just talk about the gun size without the discussion being married to the ammunition the gun is using. Simply put the difference between the Rheinmetall 120mm L44 and 120mm L55 is about 200-300m/s this equates
very simply to penetration on the target. But as tank ammo has progressed beside the advantage of urban combat use, is the reason the L44 is still competitive to the L55. The progression of the gun and end of the Cold War is why Germany and Sweden dropped their 140mm LEOPARD gun programs. The ammo just has not caught up in technology for the bigger caliber guns as it has for the 120mm types. This is not to say development is stagnant in this area it's just not a priority is all. We still maintain a 140mm gun option for the ABRAMS (Guess who makes that gun?) but it's on the "back burner" at best. If you read carefully about the ARMATA it fields the same gun as the T-90MS as I submitted about three years ago, this was the operational test bed for the ARMATA. The concern about the ARMATA is that it will suppositely carry a
new as yet unidentified tank round. This is the issue concerning the West. But I again would suggest that you pick a tank you like and follow it's development and focus on the
"firepower" section at each stage of your tanks progression.
http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/main.html
This I hope will offer some perspective to this discussion and he uses
very reliable sources for his research.
Regards,
Pat
