Brian Alpert

There is an unwritten story of Johnson Rifles and machine guns post WWII. They were well made American arms not identified with the US government. It has been suggested that some of those big surplus dealers were CIA fronts or at least supported by them. During the 50's, the CIA supported many insurgencies, so long as they were not communist. Castro had JSARs, the Bay of Pigs Insurrectos were armed with scoped JSARS. They showed up in Red China, Vietnam and the Korean conflict.

Fake with probable Northern California pedigree. Markings are like the one pictured but with correct rear sight and BAR type bipod. I have one from the same "maker" with a Mexican crest.

Over the years, a number of fake JSAR “prototypes” have appeared at various auction venues: JSAR Sniper rifle, Type R Carbine, JLMG look-a-likes in various configurations, a JSAR with ventilated bbl. The sniper, Type R carbine and 8mm LMG look-a-like with box magazine have been attributed to Surf City Firearms in Southern California. The Mexican look-a-like with the rifle rear sight has a Northern California appearance. The JSAR with ventilated bbl is anybody’s guess.

One of the more interesting areas of the JSAR saga are the Crested rifles. The most common are the “W” crested so called Queen’s Guard Carbines. The W standing for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. These fakes….they were never factory produced… originated from a Northern California gun shop. They were very nicely finished, with matching #s on the receiver, bbl, bolt and locking cam. The bbl was carbine length and the buttstock similar in contour to standard JSARs. It is questionable how many were produced. I have one as does Joseph Scott. I am sure there maybe a few more out there. The crests were obviously produced with pantograph as comparison of 2 side by side revealed them to be of different sizes. In the late 90’s they were a hot topic with some insisting on originality of these carbines and others even opining that if they weren’t really factory made, they should have been! I also have a Mexican crested LMG Look a like and pictures of a Mexican crested carbine. Recently a Cuban crested JSAR appeared on Gunbroker. The crest appeared to be hand engraved. Of interest would be how many other "Crested" JSARs are out there. Lets hear from you if you have one. For some reason the pictures did not post

JSAR #6483 was sold as a 30/06 although it was originally 7MM Chilean. There were apparently 2 people who got all the JSARs at that particular auction and one of them was Rick Crosier. $6600 (bid + buyers premium) was top dollar in 2013 but he ended up doubling his money.

A very nice JSAR just went for $13K+ on Gunbroker. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/864335220 The rifle in 30/06 is actually, by serial # a Chilean contract.....which generally do not bring that kind of money. Rick Crosier certainly lives up to his reputation as a high end martial arms dealer.

We do! Unfortunately, the auction house takes the seller's description. Case in point. Several years ago some "rare Johnson prototypes" from our friend in Southern California were offered byRock Island auction, supposedly one of the more reputable gun auction houses. They were informed that these were fakes but stated it was their policy to go with the seller's description. These fake "rare prototypes" will be the subject of a future post I am putting together

Actually, the only "error" in the description was that it was 1941 manufacture, the rest was standard "boiler plate" JSAR history.

He was aware. I told him. His response was "thanks, good luck bidding"

There was no mention of it being Chilean which are apparently not highly sought after. If the buyer ever gets the serial # data, he is in for a shock. I have a virtually mint Chilean, certainly as nice as that one, almost all #s correct, with original Dutch pattern sling and bayonet with Chilean scabbard. I displayed it at a couple of big shows @$6500 and there was no interest although other JSARs did well.

A very nice JSAR just went for $13K+ on Gunbroker. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/864335220 The rifle in 30/06 is actually, by serial # a Chilean contract.....which generally do not bring that kind of money. Rick Crosier certainly lives up to his reputation as a high end martial arms dealer.

One of the more interesting areas of the JSAR saga are the Crested rifles. The most common are the “W” crested so called Queen’s Guard Carbines. The W standing for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. These fakes….they were never factory produced… originated from a Northern California gun shop. They were very nicely finished, with matching #s on the receiver, bbl, bolt and locking cam. The bbl was carbine length and the buttstock similar in contour to standard JSARs. It is questionable how many were produced. I have one as does Joseph Scott. I am sure there maybe a few more out there. The crests were obviously produced with pantograph as comparison of 2 side by side revealed them to be of different sizes. In the late 90’s they were a hot topic with some insisting on originality of these carbines and others even opining that if they weren’t really factory made, they should have been! I also have a Mexican crested LMG Look a like and pictures of a Mexican crested carbine. Recently a Cuban crested JSAR appeared on Gunbroker. The crest appeared to be hand engraved. Of interest would be how many other "Crested" JSARs are out there. Lets hear from you if you have one.

Lot #1487 includes some nice memorabilia from a paramarine but nowhere states that this was an actual paramarine rifle.

Place the gauge in the chamber and manually close the bolt by sliding the Op Handle forward and rotating it down. It will fully close on a "Go" gauge but not or with difficulty on a "No Go or Field". The OP HANDLE musty rotate down to fully close. Purists take off the extractor to perform headspace tests.

Everything on the table had a price tag on it. That was not my collection. It is what is for sale. If you are interested, email me <brian.alpert@louisville.edu> and I will send you a Powerpoint of what I have.

Joseph Scott and I at NGD Louisville this weekend. We had the JSAR market cornered. Good show.

My 2 also have the 5 pointed star

According to the log, the last JSARs delivered to Chile were serial #s 6876 and 6907 on 2/4/42. #6922, 6933, 6822 and 6793 were delivered 2/3/42. Unless the bayonet scabbards were delivered later or made later, perhaps in Chile, the 942 meaning Sept 42 does not make sense. I hope everyone with Chilean scabbards checks and posts

Here are my 2 Chileans. Also "C 942 AMT". The numbers and letters appear to be individually struck. I would doubt that these 4 scabbards represented units or squads. Perhaps some sort of acceptance stamp. One would expect a manufacturer's stamp to be a single uniform stamping die rather than being individually struck.

That bbl went for $1050!

According to Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns pg. 162, factory records specify 2805 1941 LMGs were produced although as many as 200 more "samples" may have been assembled. Only 125 were actually delivered to the US government before the contract for 1600 was cancelled in Nov 1942. These 125 were received by the 1st Special Service Force. US Marine Raider and Parachute units had an unknown number. It is thought that the Japanese captured most of the Netherlands contract 600 JLMGs when the Netherlands East Indies surrendered. Armex International offered 41JLMGs to Class 3 dealers and law enforcement for $650 in 1981. Reportedly most of these ended up being cut up and sold as parts sets, some of which were assembled on modified JSAR receivers as legal semi-auto "LMGs"

It's a Frankenstein! Someone mounted a LMG magazine support assembly on a modified (ground off the rotary magazine pin retainers) JSAR receiver and buttstock/trigger group. I have never seen this configuration but I have heard of attempts or plans for this. The usual LMG-semi conversion uses a JSAR receiver modified to accept the LMG components (less the full auto stuff). The mag support assembly is the difficult to find part. It goes for $2K and up alone!

Nice looking 8mm Dror parts set including the impossible to find complete magazine well. Internals for the lower, bolt, bolt rear and carrying handle are readily available elsewhere. These make a nice semi look-a -like. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=forgotten+weapons+youtube+dror&view=detail&mid=66A5E083323A

I could not tell from the pictures but the 2nd giveaway on it being made from a Garand bbl is the lower band retaining clip pin groove which is present on a Garand bbl

Looks like it was made (as many of the Winfield Sporters were) from a Garand bbl. There giveaway is the remnant of the top hand guard clip groove in the 2nd photo. Price is right.