The contract for the M1 Carbine cited 14 patents as part of its design. Four of these were held by Williams as an assignor of Western Cartridge Company (Winchester). Two were related to the Model G30 (“Takedown Firearm” published December 7, 1943, and “Gas Operated Self-Loading Firearm” published April 18, 1944). The third was Winchester's patent for the M1 carbine itself (“Automatic Firearm Construction” published January 12, 1943) with Williams as the assignee. The fourth was the carbine's short-stroke gas piston (“Piston Means for Gas-Operated Firearms” published February 8, 1944). Winchester felt the earlier Williams patent for his floating chamber gas piston (“Automatic Firearm” ) was sufficiently different from the design used in the M1 carbine, and that they would have won an inevitable court battle with Williams. But they saw no point in it, as Winchester retained the patent rights with Williams as the company's assignee and the time taken by a court battle would be counterproductive to the overall goal of manufacturing the carbine for timely use by American forces already at war.