Forgotten weapons writes about the Johnson Automatic Rifle ...
However, it had one particular feature that made it attractive to the Marine Corps paratroopers – the barrel could be easily removed and replaced, using just a cartridge. This made it into a much shorter package than the Garand, and thus better suited to strapping to one’s leg for a jump.
There was actually a prototype where the action broke in half with a pressbutton, the buttstock and recoil assembly sliding off the upper receiver very like how an AR15 would break apart if you pull the hingepin.
The Johnson led to the AR anyway- the bolt is a copy, the 5.7 Spitfire and SALVO almost directly due to Melvin Johnson’s experimentation.
I love mine, even though it’s a Winfield. They’re so much better a rifle than the Garand it’s not funny.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v709/Vaarok/Johnsonwhole.jpg
0 
0Also, here’s the Johnson Feed Garand:
http://www.pbase.com/mrclark/image/73366831
0 0Jim,
Paratroopers had problems jumping with their issued rifles, they often were ripped off in flight. A design fault of the issued leg scabbards.
0 0i don’t have a type number for it, but somewhere in the bowels of he springfield armory museum i once saw a hybrid garand rifle with a johnson style magazine, if you can picture a “pregnant” garand…
0 0Would you really want to land with your barrel detached?
0 0Marines ended up with some interesting forgotten equipment, like the Johnson and the Reising SMG. I seem to call the Johnson LMG (a different rifle than the above but operating on the same action) was preferred by mountain troops due to its side-loading magazine — you could get much lower to the ground compared to a BAR and it was way lighter than one.
The Johnson rifles had a direct influence on Eugene Stoner’s designs, so they’re definitely significant!
0 0I saw one of these in a local gun store recently.
$7500.
I asked if they mistakenly added a zero (the rifle was pretty beat up). The counter guy chuckled and said, “You’re not the first guy to ask that today.”
I like mid 20th century C&R guns, especially semis (M1, FN49, Ljungman Ag42/Hakim, SVT40, G43, MAS49, etc) but heck I can buy one of each for $7500. If you’re trying to complete a U.S. WWII small arms collection, I guess you’re a buyer.
0 0In the 50′s Winfield got a hold of a surplus and sporterized them. If you see one with blued hardware, and a ramped front sight; that’s a sporter civilian model; they’re still pricey, but often about half what a complete military version costs these days. The Winfields also removed the bayonet lug and had sporter butt stocks with a cheek comb.
Another feature troops in the field liked was you could top off the rotary magazine by adding rounds individually; unlike the M1 Garand.
You can order a refurb / restore from these guys: http://www.miltecharms.com/rifles.htm#M1941 but look, price quotes on request ^_^
You can find some videos on YouTube & Box-o-Truth has an article.
0 0Didn’t the Us Marines only receive the Johnson Rifle because the Dutch East Indies Army couldn’t receive them due to the Japanese invasion?
0 0
Jim,
Paratroopers had problems jumping with their issued rifles, they often were ripped off in flight. A design fault of the issued leg scabbards.
Also, here’s the Johnson Feed Garand:
http://www.pbase.com/mrclark/image/73366831
There was actually a prototype where the action broke in half with a pressbutton, the buttstock and recoil assembly sliding off the upper receiver very like how an AR15 would break apart if you pull the hingepin.
The Johnson led to the AR anyway- the bolt is a copy, the 5.7 Spitfire and SALVO almost directly due to Melvin Johnson’s experimentation.
I love mine, even though it’s a Winfield. They’re so much better a rifle than the Garand it’s not funny.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v709/Vaarok/Johnsonwhole.jpg
i don’t have a type number for it, but somewhere in the bowels of he springfield armory museum i once saw a hybrid garand rifle with a johnson style magazine, if you can picture a “pregnant” garand…
Would you really want to land with your barrel detached?
In the 50′s Winfield got a hold of a surplus and sporterized them. If you see one with blued hardware, and a ramped front sight; that’s a sporter civilian model; they’re still pricey, but often about half what a complete military version costs these days. The Winfields also removed the bayonet lug and had sporter butt stocks with a cheek comb.
Another feature troops in the field liked was you could top off the rotary magazine by adding rounds individually; unlike the M1 Garand.
You can order a refurb / restore from these guys: http://www.miltecharms.com/rifles.htm#M1941 but look, price quotes on request ^_^
You can find some videos on YouTube & Box-o-Truth has an article.
I saw one of these in a local gun store recently.
$7500.
I asked if they mistakenly added a zero (the rifle was pretty beat up). The counter guy chuckled and said, “You’re not the first guy to ask that today.”
I like mid 20th century C&R guns, especially semis (M1, FN49, Ljungman Ag42/Hakim, SVT40, G43, MAS49, etc) but heck I can buy one of each for $7500. If you’re trying to complete a U.S. WWII small arms collection, I guess you’re a buyer.
Marines ended up with some interesting forgotten equipment, like the Johnson and the Reising SMG. I seem to call the Johnson LMG (a different rifle than the above but operating on the same action) was preferred by mountain troops due to its side-loading magazine — you could get much lower to the ground compared to a BAR and it was way lighter than one.
The Johnson rifles had a direct influence on Eugene Stoner’s designs, so they’re definitely significant!
Didn’t the Us Marines only receive the Johnson Rifle because the Dutch East Indies Army couldn’t receive them due to the Japanese invasion?