David Marshall Williams was a railroad man. The problem: he ran an illegal distillery on the side. During a raid on his still in 1921, a deputy sheriff was shot and killed. Williams's trial resulted in a hung jury, but he decided to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second degree murder. He was sentenced to 20 to 30 years behind bars.
The story really begins here. Williams had the uncanny ability to machine parts for guards' guns out of scrap metal and car parts. He drew diagrams of guns he would like to build and eventually was allow to build a few while in prison. His family and the widow of the deputy involved pushed for Williams to be released. In 1931, he went free.
Williams took some time to perfect his work and eventually landed a contract with the War Department to outfit many of the military's rifles with his floating chamber technology. Williams later caught on with Winchester where he designed his most famous gun, the M1 Carbine.
In 1952, Hollywood came calling when MGM decided to make a movie about Williams's life. The title character, played by Jimmy Stewart mind you, was Carbine Williams.
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