Bendix Hyde carbine
| Bendix Hyde Carbine | |
|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1941 |
| Manufacturer |
Bendix Aviation Corporation Inland |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | .30 Carbine |
| Caliber | 7.62mm |
| Action | Gas Operated |
| Feed system | 20 round box magazines |
| Sights | Iron |
The Bendix Hyde Carbine is a light rifle concept made by George Hyde, while he was the chief gun designer for the Inland Division of General Motors during World War II. The weapon design is similar to that of the Thompson submachine gun, except that it is gas operated.
Variants
The Bendix Aviation Corporation submitted the rifle, designed by George Hyde to the United States. It was a gas-operated design, and the only entry to use a pistol grip. It was 33.6 inches long with a 15.75 inch barrel and weighed 5.3 pounds, including sling and 5-round magazine. The gun went through the trial well, with excellent performance in dusty conditions, excellent accuracy, light recoil, and simple disassembly and maintenance. The committee recommended that it be modified with a stronger recoil spring and mechanism to allow the bolt handle to be used to force the bolt closed (the original design could only pull the bolt open). It was also recommended that the stock be changed.
A modified version of the Hyde carbine was submitted to the second set of trials on September 11, 1941. Five prototypes were manufactured by Inland (which would later produce M1 Carbines) in conjunction with Bendix. This second version had a total of 60 components, and no longer had a provision for full automatic fire and lacked the pistol grip found on the first model. It also now had a bolt handle directly connected to the bolt. This new version was heavier, at 5.8 pounds with a sling and 5-round magazine. It was overall considered inferior to the first Hyde carbine. Functioning was not as good, field stripping was more difficult, and the barrel was inferior to the original gun.