Gun and Mount Research Question

[Guinness]

The rules say:

For guns larger than 8.27"/210mm, it takes two years to research, at a cost of $0.50 per half-year.
For guns no larger than 8.27"/210mm, the research time is the same, but the cost is halved to $0.25 per half-year.

When any gun is first researched, the player can pick ONE free mount for that specific gun. Guns of 8.27"/210mm or smaller also receive both a free deck mount and a casemate mount. Turret and multi-gun deck mounts for these weapons require six months per gun barrel, at a cost of $0.1 per half-year.

For any type of mount with a gun larger than 8.27"/210mm, six months of development is required per barrel, at a cost of $0.25 per half-year.

So, am I correct in understanding that the "free" mount could be a triple or even a quad? It seems like this encourages one to take the largest number of barrels you expect you might use, as that would otherwise be the most expensive and time consuming mount to research.

[The Rock Doctor]

That's been my approach, yes.  Not a lot of sense in developing a free single turret if I'm designing ships around twins or triples.

[snip]

That has been my intent as well.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Yep.
It's odd, but that's how I've been doing it.
The Parthians usually pay for a 2nd mount as well, as a "role play" that they are trying competing designs.