Type Submachine gun Designer George Hyde Produced prototypes only | Place of origin United States Designed 1944 Cartridge .30 Carbine | |
The M1944 Hyde Carbine was an attempt by George Hyde to manufacture a light rifle for the US Armed Forces. The overall weapon was based on the Thompson Submachine Gun which Hyde himself designed many of his weapons on.
Contents
An original .30 Carbine calibre carbine based on the M1921/27 variants, it worked well but due to the war effort was found expensive for mass production and its weight defied the concept of a Light Rifle.
The M1944 Hyde Carbine came with a quick barrel change device similar to the MG42 and pressed steel components to ease production/reduce weight. The M1944 Hyde Carbine was more reliable and accurate than the M1 Carbine that was adopted and also came with the capability of select fire, which made it close to the likes of the StG-44.
Overview
While an obvious copy of the MG42 (which then had only been produced for two years), it was dubious why a quick-change barrel was necessary on a submachine gun. The bolt has the rat-tail, similar to a Solothurn MP-34, where the spring is contained within the buttstock. This is an interesting example of "making a gun out of sheetmetal" rather than "making a sheet metal gun". Photos of the Hyde gun appear in the first edition of The World’s Assault Rifles by Daniel Musgrave and Thomas B. Nelson, published in 1967.
No known examples of the M1944 Hyde Carbine remain in existence.
Ammunition types
The ammunition used by the military with the carbine include: