David Marshall (Carbine) Williams
Encyclopedia
David Marshall Williams (November 13, 1900–January 8, 1975), also known as Carbine Williams was an American designer of the short-stroke piston
used in the M1 Carbine
as well as the floating chamber operating system for firearms.
. He was the eldest of seven children. As a young boy, he worked on his family's farm. He dropped out of school after eighth grade and began work in a blacksmith shop, served a short stint in the Navy, but was discharged because he lied about his age. After returning from the Navy, he spent a semester at Blackstone Military Academy
before being expelled.
In 1918, he married Margaret Cooke and they later had one child, David Marshall, Jr. Williams worked for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
, but on the side he had an illegal distillery near Godwin, North Carolina
. During a raid on this still on July 22, 1921, a deputy sheriff
named Alfred Jackson Pate was shot and killed, and Williams was charged with first degree murder. The trial ended in a hung jury
, but Williams decided to plead
guilty to a lesser charge
of second degree murder. He was given a 20 to 30 year sentence
.
in Halifax County, North Carolina
, Williams related that the superintendent, H.T. Peoples, noted his mechanical aptitude and allowed him access to the prison’s machine shop where he demonstrated a knack for fashioning replacement parts for the guards’ firearms from pieces of scrap and automobile parts. In prison, he would save paper and pencils and stay up late at night drawing plans for various firearms. His skills in the machine shop permitted him to stay ahead of his assignments and allowed him time for his own hobby. He began building lathes and other tools, and then parts for guns. His mother sent him technical data on guns and also provided him with contacts with patent attorney
s. While in prison, he developed ideas for self-loading firearms. Patents were subsequently filed for the floating chamber (published in 1937) and for a short-stroke piston (published in 1944). The family started a campaign to commute
his sentence and they were joined by the sheriff to whom he had surrendered and the widow of the man he was accused of killing. Governor Angus McLean
reduced the sentence and in 1929 Williams went on parole and in 1931 he was released from prison.
. He got his first contract to modify the .30 caliber
Browning
machinegun using the floating chamber system to fire .22 caliber rimfire ammunition to facilitate inexpensive training. The Williams floating chamber was also applied to the .45 1911 automatic pistol to function with .22 ammunition (the Colt Ace .22 pistol and Ace conversion kit for .45 pistols).
General Julian Hatcher
was impressed by Williams' work and recommended Williams to Winchester Repeating Arms in 1938 as showing the greatest native ability of anyone he knew of. Williams was employed by Winchester on 1 July 1939, where he applied his design of a short-stroke tappet gas piston system to resolve loading problems of a Browning prototype .30-06 M2 rifle. At the urging of Col. Rene Studler, a team at Winchester scaled down Williams' M2 rifle design to produce the Winchester prototype for the M1 carbine. The M1 carbine was manufactured in greater numbers than any other United States small arm of World War II
. Winchester entered a license agreement to use Williams' designs during development of the M2 rifle prototype; but disagreements between Williams and Winchester management continued until Williams left Winchester during the Korean War
. From the start, Williams had disliked being bound to a team, and preferred to work on his own (see Wikipedia article on the M1 Carbine
). Several improvements he made on his own original design for the carbine were later determined to be excellent, but he presented them too late to the Army, which was in a hurry to get the finished weapon into use by the combat troops. Later, Winchester discovered what might have been an earlier patent for a short-stroke piston; but Williams' floating chamber appeared to be an original invention, and Winchester decided against litigation. The floating chamber and the short-stroke piston remain to this day Williams' two very significant contributions to the improvement of firearms in particular.
loosely based on his life starring James Stewart
and Jean Hagen
as his wife Maggie; Williams served as a technical advisor. The movie brought Williams his widest fame; and he became known by the nickname, "Carbine" Williams after release of the movie. He spent his last years in Godwin after some time in Connecticut. He died at Dorothea Dix Hospital
in Raleigh, North Carolina
, on 8 January 1975.
as well as .22 Long
and .22 Long Rifle
ammunition). Later, in 1954, the Winchester Model 50 Automatic shotgun was launched. This, too, featured the Williams Chamber, making it the first recoil operated semi-automatic shotgun with a non-recoiling barrel. The U.S. patents for the highly successful Benelli Shotgun reference Williams' .
Williams' inventions went beyond firearms development. He invented a non-sagging clothesline, an electric can opener (based on his floating chamber idea), and a mousetrap. He held over 50 patents for his ideas.
Gas-operated reloading
Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is harnessed...
used in the M1 Carbine
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
as well as the floating chamber operating system for firearms.
Early life
David Marshall Williams was born in Cumberland County, North CarolinaCumberland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 302,963 people, 107,358 households, and 77,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 464 people per square mile . There were 118,425 housing units at an average density of 181 per square mile...
. He was the eldest of seven children. As a young boy, he worked on his family's farm. He dropped out of school after eighth grade and began work in a blacksmith shop, served a short stint in the Navy, but was discharged because he lied about his age. After returning from the Navy, he spent a semester at Blackstone Military Academy
Blackstone Military Academy
Blackstone Military Academy, a military school located in the town of Blackstone in Nottoway County, Virginia, was founded in 1912 and located off South Main Street in Blackstone itself. The exact coordinates of its former location are: Latitude: 37.0709835, Longitude: -78.0047258...
before being expelled.
In 1918, he married Margaret Cooke and they later had one child, David Marshall, Jr. Williams worked for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
, but on the side he had an illegal distillery near Godwin, North Carolina
Godwin, North Carolina
Godwin is a town in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Godwin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
. During a raid on this still on July 22, 1921, a deputy sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
named Alfred Jackson Pate was shot and killed, and Williams was charged with first degree murder. The trial ended in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
, but Williams decided to plead
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
guilty to a lesser charge
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
of second degree murder. He was given a 20 to 30 year sentence
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
.
Prison years
While serving time at the Caledonia State Prison FarmCaledonia State Prison Farm
Caledonia State Prison Farm was a maximum security prison in North Carolina from 1876 present and it has been in operation for 130 years. The prison is mostly for men serving a life sentence or are on. The prisoners work either in a workshop or in a chain gang. The prison is made up of a prison...
in Halifax County, North Carolina
Halifax County, North Carolina
-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:-Demographics:[[Image:HalifaxCountyCotton.wmg.jpg|left|thumb|A cotton field blooms in Halifax County....
, Williams related that the superintendent, H.T. Peoples, noted his mechanical aptitude and allowed him access to the prison’s machine shop where he demonstrated a knack for fashioning replacement parts for the guards’ firearms from pieces of scrap and automobile parts. In prison, he would save paper and pencils and stay up late at night drawing plans for various firearms. His skills in the machine shop permitted him to stay ahead of his assignments and allowed him time for his own hobby. He began building lathes and other tools, and then parts for guns. His mother sent him technical data on guns and also provided him with contacts with patent attorney
Patent attorney
A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition...
s. While in prison, he developed ideas for self-loading firearms. Patents were subsequently filed for the floating chamber (published in 1937) and for a short-stroke piston (published in 1944). The family started a campaign to commute
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
his sentence and they were joined by the sheriff to whom he had surrendered and the widow of the man he was accused of killing. Governor Angus McLean
Angus Wilton McLean
Angus Wilton McLean was a lawyer and banker who was the 56th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1925 to 1929...
reduced the sentence and in 1929 Williams went on parole and in 1931 he was released from prison.
Firearms development
Back in Cumberland County, he set to work perfecting his inventions. After two years, he went to Washington, DC to show his work to the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
. He got his first contract to modify the .30 caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
Browning
Browning Arms Company
Browning Arms Company is a maker of firearms, bows and fishing gear. Founded in Utah in 1927, it offers a wide variety of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and rimfire firearms and sport bows, as well as fishing rods and reels....
machinegun using the floating chamber system to fire .22 caliber rimfire ammunition to facilitate inexpensive training. The Williams floating chamber was also applied to the .45 1911 automatic pistol to function with .22 ammunition (the Colt Ace .22 pistol and Ace conversion kit for .45 pistols).
General Julian Hatcher
Julian Hatcher
Julian Sommerville Hatcher , was a noted firearms expert and author of the early twentieth century. He is credited with several technical books and articles relating to military firearms, ballistics, and autoloading weapons...
was impressed by Williams' work and recommended Williams to Winchester Repeating Arms in 1938 as showing the greatest native ability of anyone he knew of. Williams was employed by Winchester on 1 July 1939, where he applied his design of a short-stroke tappet gas piston system to resolve loading problems of a Browning prototype .30-06 M2 rifle. At the urging of Col. Rene Studler, a team at Winchester scaled down Williams' M2 rifle design to produce the Winchester prototype for the M1 carbine. The M1 carbine was manufactured in greater numbers than any other United States small arm of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Winchester entered a license agreement to use Williams' designs during development of the M2 rifle prototype; but disagreements between Williams and Winchester management continued until Williams left Winchester during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. From the start, Williams had disliked being bound to a team, and preferred to work on his own (see Wikipedia article on the M1 Carbine
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
). Several improvements he made on his own original design for the carbine were later determined to be excellent, but he presented them too late to the Army, which was in a hurry to get the finished weapon into use by the combat troops. Later, Winchester discovered what might have been an earlier patent for a short-stroke piston; but Williams' floating chamber appeared to be an original invention, and Winchester decided against litigation. The floating chamber and the short-stroke piston remain to this day Williams' two very significant contributions to the improvement of firearms in particular.
Movie fame
In 1952, MGM released the film Carbine WilliamsCarbine Williams
Carbine Williams is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for the M1 Carbine while in a North Carolina prison...
loosely based on his life starring James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and Jean Hagen
Jean Hagen
-Early life:Hagen was born as Jean Shirley Verhagen in Chicago, Illinois, to Christian Verhagen , a Dutch immigrant, and his Chicago-born wife, Marie. The family moved to Elkhart, Indiana when she was 12 and she subsequently graduated from Elkhart High School...
as his wife Maggie; Williams served as a technical advisor. The movie brought Williams his widest fame; and he became known by the nickname, "Carbine" Williams after release of the movie. He spent his last years in Godwin after some time in Connecticut. He died at Dorothea Dix Hospital
Dorothea Dix Hospital
The Dorthea Dix Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located on Dix Hill in Raleigh, North Carolina and named after mental health advocate Dorothea Dix.In 1848, Dorothea Dix visited North Carolina and called for reform in the care of mentally ill patients...
in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, on 8 January 1975.
Legacy
Williams' floating chamber, used in the military .22 training versions of the Browning machinegun and Colt automatic pistol, was used in the Remington 550-A, a popular .22 semi-automatic sporting rifle (the floating chamber allowed the Model 550 to function semi-automatically with .22 Short.22 Short
.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith and Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge....
as well as .22 Long
.22 Long
.22 Long is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. The .22 Long is the second oldest of the surviving rimfire cartridges, dating back to 1871, when it was loaded with a 29 grain bullet and 5 grains of black powder, 25% more than the .22 Short it was based on...
and .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
ammunition). Later, in 1954, the Winchester Model 50 Automatic shotgun was launched. This, too, featured the Williams Chamber, making it the first recoil operated semi-automatic shotgun with a non-recoiling barrel. The U.S. patents for the highly successful Benelli Shotgun reference Williams' .
Williams' inventions went beyond firearms development. He invented a non-sagging clothesline, an electric can opener (based on his floating chamber idea), and a mousetrap. He held over 50 patents for his ideas.
Further reading
- Ross E. Beard, Jr. The Story of David Marshall Williams. Lexington, SC: Sandlapper Store, 1977.
- Lucian Cary, "Big Trouble and A Big Idea," True, March 1951.
- H. G. Jones, "David Marshall (Carbine) Williams." Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, Vol. 6; p. 205-206. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina Press, 1996.
- John Kobler, "The Story of 'Carbine' Williams," Colliers, 3 March 1951.
- H.T. Peoples, "The Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met," Reader's Digest, March 1951.
- Bruce N. Canfield, "'Carbine' Williams: Myth & Reality." The American Rifleman, February 2009.
