Howard Clarke, representing the Clarke Arms Corporation, submitted this carbine to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in April of 1944 for consideration, despite the M1 Carbine having been in general service for some time. It was a primer-actuated design, and very simple (and thus cheap) to manufacture. It had 70 parts, an 18″ barrel, and weighed 5.17 pounds (without sling or magazine). It was found to have acceptable accuracy and performed well in dust and rain tests, but suffered many malfunctions during endurance testing. The testing board at Aberdeen concluded that the operating mechanism showed promise, but the weapon was not suitable for military use until its flaws were corrected.
The patent number for this is 2,401,616. Very interesting design.
Thanks for having this website.
where do find all of this great stuff ? I am very interested in weapons like this that are meant to replace or supplement a service weapon already in use. I just like the idea of the weapons that are quicker and easier to produce, like the M3 & M3A1 SMGs were to the M1 & M1A1 SMGs.