Brian Alpert

Am I missing something here? https://www.gunbroker.com/item/795612647 This isn't even a particularly nice sporter.

Here is data on JSAR #4738 Received from Cranston Arms 1/22/;42 Stock #2 Bbl #8289E Hammer Block #0064 Hammer #7752 Bolt #6060 Locking cam 5782 Firing Pin #9931 Extractor #2319 Magazine #7339 Transferred to NPC 1/30/42 In 25+ years of doing JSARs, I have never seen any loose pins/rivets

As my rule of thumb, a Winfield sporter is worth about 1/2 the price of an original JSAR and about 2/3 the price of a restored (new bbl, stock, etc) military JSAR

Available from Numrich https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1072520 They also have the screws to the cross bolt.

If you really want something and money is no object.....few of us are there!...you can get swept up in a bidding war. Remember 9 or 10 years ago when a nice but by no means exceptional JSAR went for $12000.

Garand bbls were commonly used on Winfield standard spotters. You could recognize them by the remnants of the hand guard clip grooves and the lower band pin groove. They were also shorter and usually done with JSAR front sight but without bayonet lug. The pin and clip grooves are the giveaway. Remington 700 30/06 take offs are relatively common and inexpensive and work well also.

Garand, 1903/ 1903/A3, Remington 700 bbls are generally used. I see no reason why a 1917 bbl would not do. As noted, Joseph Scott would know.

Proven provenance, collector interest and condition have always been the most important determinants in the price of collector firearms. "Possible" is no substitute for documentation. Rarity means little if no one cares. On the other hand, condition can be seen and in most cases verified. There is often a huge difference in the price of an 85% gun verses a 95%. Your's ended up being a bargain but auctions are a "crap shoot" where sometimes you win and other times you don't do so well. JSARs have been down for several years after the $8-12,000 record auction prices before the last recession. The collector market for many things is aging. Younger folks are just not interested. The big gun shows are all old men and people buying black guns.

$4825

With the recent posts on "matching", I thought I might reinforce Ed's comment on matching. A "matching" JSAR means that it has the numbered parts (not matching) original to the rifle when it left the factory. They were not the same number! If it is a "no prefix" rifle, we chan get the correct numbers from the log. Perhaps the most infamous "fake" JSARs were the so called "Queen's Guard Carbines" This JSAR is a unique configuration called a “crest” rifle among Johnson collectors. The “W” crest engraved on this rifle stands for Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands in 1941. This rifle, sometimes referred to as a “Queens Guard Carbine”, has a short 19” barrel and matching numbers on receiver, bolt and barrel. These rifles were refurbished / assembled by “OLD BENECIA ARSENAL” in the early 1970’s with parts from Winfield Arms. Winfield had acquired surplus rifles from the Dutch, parts from Numrich Arms and sold reworked and/or sporterized JSARs in the 50’s and 60’s. Indeed,most JSARs today were originally sold by Winfield. There is no record that a configuration such as this was originally produced by Johnson Automatics. Joseph Scott and I each have Crested Carbines. There are thought to be a few more around. There are also Mexican Crested LMGs and reported French Crests although I have never seen one. For your enjoyment!

JSAR #1967 is listed in the production log but no part numbers or disposition is given. This one came out of the auction in Indiana a few years ago as part of a lot of 10 or 12 JSARs. It would be most interesting to know the history of this particular JSAR. Sample, gift, reject ????

Obviously. Yours is nicer, particularly the sight base.....and we know it works! The same builder did the 303 Dror and the 41 LMG with the wrong bipod the same seller recently sold on GB. Not quite sure why he welded in the pin which retains the bolt catch support on all 3.

I have a few as new complete JSAR operating handles FS: $205 delivered. Numrich and SARCO have none. brian.alpert@louisville.edu

According to Joseph Scott and John Darling before him, the difficult part was not shaping replacements to external and internal dimensions so everything fit. It was properly drilling the stock for the recoil tube. It took a particular "jig" which John Darling had developed and made and Joseph Scott later acquired. They both made "drop in" replacements which really worked. Over the years I have had so called drop in replacements from other makers in which the recoil type assembly could not be properly placed without practically destroying the the hole. Tanker's post about recountouring Winfield sporter stocks is most timely. This is not particularly difficult if you have some woodworking skills and time. The hard part here is redoing the stock key holes which are covered with a wood plug on one side. The Winfield key is often solid and glued in

You guys bring back old memories of my growing up in Lake Placid and later Tarrytown, NY. All the old Vets, WWI and II and a few Spanish American war proudly marching in their old uniforms. I remember that I thought of the day when I might be a Vet and march in my old uniform (which I still have). Different times, different places. It was easy to be a patriot. We were Americans, always in the right, with God on our side with a government which never lied. The military was an honored profession on a par with medicine, law and the clergy. Then came 1968 and all that followed, including an end to the draft as well as military prestige. My time was 70-72. I remember too well being told not to travel in uniform to avoid incidents. The military is now fashionable again, or al least everyone says "thanks for your service" often meaning better you than me. At any rate, I am afraid that the hard core patriotism of those who served and our generation is diminishing. I have been an educator for 45 years and I have not seen much of it in the educated, even here in the South where it is still fashionable.

A very nice "investment grade" JSAR just sold on GB for over $9000. I guess quality still has a price. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/756922473

He has buyers who are more interested in quality from a reputable dealer than price. To a few, the money is not as important as the prospect of not being cheated with a fake. This is especially prevalent in the art world.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/M1941-Johnson-model-1941-rifle-magazine-door-spring-RARE/183152988755?hash=item2aa4c4d253:g:HZUAAOSwaVRavUu7 There have been several inquiries of late

Butchered original stock, missing tube, spring, follower, probably tube cap and buffer assembly, buttplate, replacement bbl without bayonet lug, receiver drilled and tapped partially covered with rear sight from what I can see

One only has to change the bbl to 30/06, 270, 308, 8mmMauser, 35 Whelan, etc (all but 30/06 being Winfield or other custom gunsmith variations). The crested JSARs are all fakes....at least the crests were added later by entrepreneurs. The most famous (or infamous) were the "W" crested Queens Guard carbines. I also have a LMG Look-a-like with a Mexican crest. There were also reported to be French crests although I have never seen one. There is nothing particularly unique about the Chilean JSARs except the 7mm caliber, the bayonet sheath and the Dutch pattern sling. Some have muzzle covers added later. I pulled the rifle and bayonet from the auction for lack of interest. I did not want to take the chance of someone grabbing it for $2500. This is a practically mint investment grade JSAR with mint bayonet and Dutch pattern sling. It is worth in excess of $6500. The one I sold 2 weeks ago for $5900 + was not quite as nice and I thought the market was ripe with the one going for $7700 a month ago. I may put it up later, without the history and with a 30/06 bbl instead.

Very nice original JSAR on Gunbrxoker (mine!) This is the real deal. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/762698923 So far undiscovered.

I guess someone was impressed with what the last one went for. https://www.ebay.com/itm/M1941-Johnson-model-1941-rifle-magazine-door-spring-RARE/123085951791?hash=item1ca87e932f:g:HZUAAOSwaVRavUu7

Another https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/764785009

So did the buyer. It was the real deal

Doubt the typo error. #s were hand written, not typed, Magazine may have been dented and rendered unusable and thus replaced. JSARs which presumably saw action in the Indies usually have poor bores as the ammo used was corrosive and the jungle made cleaning and maintenance difficult. Replacement bbls are hard to come by. Decent originals in 30/06 often go for over $1000, 7mm for $750 (although a 7mm just went for $1350 on Ebay) Aftermarket replacements are occasionally available. I may have a few. Email me for what I have. <brian.alpert.Louisville.edu>