MovieChat Forums > Carbine Williams Discussion > No way he made a gun that way

No way he made a gun that way

posted 11 years ago by sstarl1324
4 replies | jump to latest

The way he made his short stroke, lightweight carbine in the movie was highly implausible. He would have needed machine tools to make the receiver, barrel and most of the other parts. (Accuracy as shown would have been impossible without a rifled barrel.) Where did he get the springs? He must have been working in a well-equipped machine shop. He was mentioned in an article I read, but they didn't address this issue. But hey it was a movie, based on fact, but still for entertainment.

Remember Rabbit Ears with tin foil?

[–] mcuman 11 years ago

Apparently, Williams was gifted enough to be able to build the tools he needed to create the gun. This, according to WIKI, included a lathe, and one is safe to assume, a mill, the two key tools for the task.

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

In the movie, Williams (Stewart) states that he didn't use a lathe. But that might not be historically accurate.

[–] jfegley1 10 years ago

He didn't make it overnight. It took many years

[–] dawnrunsamok 10 years ago

According to my father, prison machine/wood shops in those decades were surprisingly well equipped; even to the extent of having a forge. Fantastically well-equipped, by our current barbaric standards. He commented that the thinking of many reformist institutions at the time was that prisoners would act like men if treated as men. Of course, those shops were for 'good behavior' only, and were closely guarded. Unlike as portrayed here.
I don't know that particulars of the true Williams tale, but a good gunsmith has always been an extremely valuable skill, even in a prison I suppose...

"Renoir. I once knew a woman who modeled for Renoir. She smelled of paint..." M. Simon, The Train