Getting back to USS Constitution and the ships that she defeated. Whether or not they were frigates, sloops, corvettes, or whatever, is somewhat academic. My understanding of the situation has always been something along the following lines......At the time , the British navy were somewhat tight-fisted with regard to the provision of sufficient gunpowder to enable regular live-firing gun-drills for the gun crews, with the inevitable decline in efficiency.The US crews were not thus hampered, and were probably much more "handy" with their gunnery. The types of cannon in use by the British had not altered or progressed that much for many years,apart from the adoption of the Carronade, which could be devastating at SHORT range.The Americans, however, were enjoying a period of great inventiveness and innovation generally, and had made some advances in both land and marine ordnance technology. I seem to recall reading about Dahlgren and Parrot (? ) guns, which were capable of very high muzzle velocities, which may have been in use at that (USS Constitution ) period ??? I"m sure that someone out there knows !! But, if that was the case, then I would imagine that US Naval gunnery would have been vastly superior to that of the British or anyone else.----No wonder "Old Ironsides " thrashed the French privateers !!
Any gunners out there with more ordnance facts & figures ??