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Johnson 1941 Rifle Receiver - Value?


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The only problem with a striped reciever is finding the parts to rebuild it back . Parts are scarce and tend to be pricey . If it is minty inside ( no worn out areas ) , has good finish and the radiator shroud attached , I'd pay a few hundred to just have it . Been toying with the idea of maybe building a semi-LMG replica down the road .

Chris

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Guys,

thanks for the information. I will post some photos later so you can see what it is like condition wise.

 

Many years ago (early 1980's) I was a firearms dealer here in the UK and I used to import Israeli Dhor machine guns and convert them to semi auto only for the UK market. They were poor sellers as no one knew the history behind them! There were two types, the Model 1 in .303" and the Model 2 in 7.92 mm. Most were in almost unused condition, they sold for around the equivalent of $200 each back then!

 

Cheers,

 

Vic

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  • 4 months later...
  • 11 months later...

Hello, I am new to your forum and would like to know if the M41 receiver was still avaiable. I need a receiver and bolt handle for my project as I have all the other parts for the Rifle. Thanks Ronnie.

Old thread, I know, but what a long, hard road that's going to be! I can't imagine basically building one of these from scratch. Only some 30,000 were originally produced. Unused original parts are impossible to find.

 

I found a really nice, minty M1941 and decided to lay in just a few basic spare parts for it, the ones originally contained in the butt trap wrapped in Kraft paper. It took a very long time just to find that firing pin and extractor, and loading gate spring!

 

These are great rifles if they're working right. They're accurate, reliable, and have very little percieved recoil. The trouble is that really nice ones are few and far between, and really expensive. Most out there were worn out, then rebuilt and refinished.

 

An M1941 that's reliable and piles brass right next to the gun is in good shape. If it has a voilent recoil and destroys brass and flings it 35 feet, it has severe problems!

 

It's heresy, I know, but I prefer the M1941 to the Garand in some ways. It's a snap to clean, and you can top that rotary magazine off using Springfield clips or with single rounds. I wonder what the M1941 would have been like had it been formally adopted with millions produced, and had been subject to a continuous process of improvement like the Garand? We'll never know.

Edited by TSMGguy
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I remember in the early 1980's, Security Equipment off King St. in Honolulu usually had a few Johnson Rifles in stock, and I looked at them several times. At $600, they were very expensive then, and even more so today. Security Equipment also had lots of Nambus. I guess being the first place most Pacific War GI's stopped on their way home left more of these than you would think in a small market like Hawaii.

 

It would be great if this receiver ended up being completed into a rifle again.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

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  • 10 months later...
I know this is rather late in response to TSMGuy, but if the JSAR is throwing brass and recoil seems violent, the problem is the recoil spring. These might be a bugger to replace. . .replacement springs are available (there is a specific site for Johnson rifles and machine guns with helpful info). My experience has been that old cosmoline, grease, dirt, a smattering of rust, etc. almost "welds" the recoil spring tube screw in place, requiring HEAT to loosen it.
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Hmm, I don't like reading some of this. I've only shot my Johnson twice and to me the recoil was about a little more than an '03. Having never fired another Johnson I assumed this was about right, my logic being the direct blowback transferring more to the shooter than say the M1 that uses a gas system.

 

It so throws brass a good ten feet or so and sometimes had a fail to eject (extracts fine).

 

So, is there an issue with my rifle?

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Yes,

you may have issues. Recoil should be significantly less than either the Garand or the 03. The recoiling barrel soaks up a double digit portion of the recoil which is the whole point of that system which is why in theory it was a much better gun than the Garand. Course any testing should be on a side by side basis. "Remembering" how something recoils is impossible. Brass on mine falls within a few feet of the gun, slightly farther on the LMG's. Have your gun checked out. Buy a manual and a copy of Bruce's book.

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Thanks, emmagee. I wasn't sure if giving the Johnson website info and Joe Scott's name was permissible. Joe is probably THE Johnson mechanic now around, located in Texas, last I heard. I second your comments: felt recoil of a JSAR should be less than that of an '03 as well as that of a Garand (though I'm not sure I'd commit to a JSAR having less felt recoil than an M-1). Flinging brass is a sign of a weak or "set" recoil spring and certainly is annoying to others on the firing line! Sorry! The s/n of my JLMG was, in fact, 1201. Was sold in November 2010 by Julia Auctions for somewhat over $60,000. It came from the Alan Brown (I think) collection. The catalog description notes a crack in the buttstock that was not present when I sold it. Edited by gunhistorian
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  • 3 weeks later...

It would be best to go here , contact Joseph Scott , buy a new recoil spring and DVD from him , and tear her down and check her out.

http://johnsonautomatics.com/messageboard/index.php?showforum=2

Chris

Can't register there because they dont accept gmail email addresses? That sucks. Could some one PM me his email address?

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