Details of her armament are sketchy, but her sister "Tennessee II", carried four Brooke rifles, two Brooke rifles, and a bolted-on spar torpedo fitted to her bow. "Tennessee II"s armor was three layers of iron plate, and instead of being bolted to her deck, the pilot house formed a seamless extension of her sloped side-armor. "Tennessee II"s top speed was about , according to some sources, and her crew numbered about 133 sailors. However, it is unclear how closely "Texas" would have resembled her sister had she been completed, if at all, considering the material shortages "Texas" had to contend with during its construction, particularly for its casemate.