Ridge Runner

I was watching Ken Burns THE WAR on public television tonight and saw quite clearly, footage of a Johnson Machine gun in three different scenes. They were invading Italy (according to the narration) when the Johnson video footage was shown. Anyone else catch it?

Well, after a year of buying it, I finally had it out to the range. It took awhile to save up the money for the restoration, then finding the time to work on the stock, then I lost one of the screws and had to order another one from Joseph Scott. Then I had to find the time to sneak away to the range. What a great rifle to shoot. Recoil was not bad at all and it holds really well. The sights present an excellent picture. It did however, keep grouping to the right, no matter how much I played with the rear sights. I determined that I need to drift the rear sights slightly to the left. Other than that, it was grouping very well. I did notice on my brass that it leaves a very distinctive mark. I small rectangle dent on the edge of the rim face. Is that the same for everyone? It worked perfectly, handled well, looked great and drew a small crowd at the range. I can not wait till next week end.

Thanks Walt. I appreciate the detailed answer. A thank you to all of you.

I was working on my JAR this week and shortly afterwards I found a small, tightly coiled spring near my workbench. It is proably only a 1/4 long and only a few millimeters wide. Is this a spring that belongs to my JAR? What are the smallest springs that go to a JAR so I can check?

Thank you for the visual....however that is not it. Damn this is frustrating. It may be a part to something else. I took my JAR apart again and I can not see where this spring would fit. It is just OVER 1/4 of an inch long. The rifle seems to function well without it and I am hesitant to shoot it to find out. The bolt seems to be complete and intact.

Where does the "bolt stop plate plunger spring" go? I do not have a manual. Can anyone post a pic?

Hi everyone. I wanted to know your opinions on what spare parts I should keep on hand for a JAR. I know that JAR are made with quality parts, but I always feel better having some "extras" on hand for just in case. Firing pin? Springs? Any comments would be appreciated.

If you are looking for stripper clips, buy swedish stripper clips (6.5X55 ammo) for the 96'. They are better than any other stripper clips for the 30-06 (and cheaper). They work perfectly for Johnson rifles, 1903a3's and 1903 Springfields.

Walt - Thanks for the comments. I do not expect a high figure. I have no delusions about what I have. It is a rare rifle that has been modified. I have tried to do the best I could on it. I do not feel like its owner, just its "caretaker". I am doing it more for fun than anything.

Going to Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine this Saturday. They are having a free Antique Gun and fishing appraisal show from 10am-6pm. I thought I would bring my JAR/bayonet & scabbard down to see what they say. Your comments would be appreciated - It was a sporterized JAR that has been worked on by Joseph Scott. New replacement stock from Joseph Scott M1 Garand barrel that has been parkerized with new front sight and bayonet lug (Again from Joseph Scott) Receiver and trigger guard is blued Dutch stamp on receiver Replacement but plate (Joseph Scott) Bayonet and Scabbard are original and are in excellent condition. Any guesses as to its value? Any guesses as to what they will tell me is the value? We could make this a contest

I sent a JAR bayonet and scabbard that I bought from a dealer over a year ago for $350. The bayonet is in excellent condition. No pitting, rust or major nicks. Color is uniform throughtout. The scabbard is in excellent shape also. If I remember correctly Joseph Scott told me over the phone that it is one of the nicer ones he has seen. What should I do to preseve the scabbard correctly? I assume I do not treat it at all......put do I seal it in a vaccume bag? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I recently disassemble my JAR and discovered that my firing pin is caked with grease. Is this a good thing. Should the inside of the bolt be loaded with grease or oil?

I have a match coming up for 100/200 and 300 yards. I just noticed that my rear sight elevations are in meters? Why is this? How do I adjust for YARDS? Up to this point I have only been shooting it at 100 yards. Any help would be appreciated.

Does anyone have any leftover stain from their rifle that they would be willing to donate? Does anyone know where I can find this stuff? I have been to Lowes, Home Depot and every local paint store and they look at me like I am an idiot? If I do locate it, how many coats should I apply to a new stock? How dark were the rifles stained? How do you guys apply BLO to your stocks and how many coats? I have a match on 5/12 and I would love to see everyones faces when I show up with this rifle to compete against their M1's......... Any detailed advice would be appreciated.

It is a shame when all you can do is sit back and watch your country slowly die..............

Hello everyone - I just wanted to let everyone here know what a pleasure it was to deal with Joseph Scott. I found a nice JAR by luck and knew next to nothing about them. I found this site and his website around the same time and decided that I would have Joseph do the restoration work. After several phone calls to Joe I realized that I was dealing with a really nice, honest guy who knew his stuff and who was willing to spend the extra time on the phone explaining things to a newbie. I sent my bayonet and scabbard along with my JAR for him to inspect and get some feedback on, since I know very little about them. He told me that for $350 I got a really good original bayonet and an "outstanding" original leather scabbard, possibly one of the better ones he has seen. Due to my ignorance, I asked Joseph to do work a certain way on the rifle and it ended up costing me a lot more money than I anticipated. When I questioned the bill, Joseph explained to me why the price was more due my requests and how I could significantly reduce my costs. He did it in a very friendly and professional manner. I should have known what I was requesting before I requested it. Well, the finished product is here and I am getting ready to stain it and take it to the range. It looks beautiful and the work is first rate. The video I requested from him was destroyed by FEDEX during shipping. Joseph has told me that another one will be out in the mail ASAP. It is not often that you can talk to someone about guns and learn more than you ever dreamed, but Joseph Scott proved to be a wealth of knowledge and a hell of a nice guy to deal with. I would recommend his work to anyone. His service is top notch. Thank you Joseph for some excellent work. Tom from Maine

I emailed Joe, but have not heard from him yet. I guess he has a life, unlike me

Received a new stock set with my restored Johnson rifle. How should I stain the stock? What stain most closely resembles the original stain? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi - I finally removed my barrel to take a look at it. It is 21.5 inches long (cut down?) and had the protective front sight ears cut off. There is no bayonet lug, or evidence of one. The rifling is very clear and distinct. The barrel appears to be in good condition. There are two deep "gouges" on the top and bottom of the barrel near the chamber about a quarter of an inch long. They appear to be almost symetrical and directly opposite of each other. They are not scratches. The barrel only sticks out about one eight of an inch beyone the front sight. It does not appear long enought to fully support a bayonet. About three quarters down the barrel is a collar with the following marks: "30-06" on the top "41" on the bottom There is also a large "A" on the side of the collar At the end of the barrel at the chamber is the following markings: "5006K" is stamped on the lug "UC" and "XN" are stamped at the very end on the chamber Can anyone help me identify these marks? How does the barrel condition compare with others? Boy, I am really starting to like this rifle. It is a sporter, but it will be a fun project!

Thank you for the comment. I appreciate it. Is this typical? I hope I have not bought a bad rifle. I love the looks of it and really look forward to learning more about the history of it. Does this make it a lot less valuable?

thank you

Hi - Could someone measure the length of their butt stock wood from the end of the top of the receiver to the end of the butt stock? Mine looks cut down, and I am trying to calculate by how much. If you could also measure from the end of the butt stock to the rear of the butt sling swivel I would appreicate it. Mine has been removed, and I am considering putting a new one in. However, I can not tell where it should go. There is no evidence of there ever being a rear butt sling swivel on my butt stock at all. What was the purpose of the screw in right side of the butt stock? What did it hold? Mine has been plugged and I am trying to decide if I should remove it and how. Also, what color would original M1941 wood be? Would it be the reddish brown on 1903a3's and M1 Garands?

Well, the bayonet and scabbard look real. It has the domed rivet head, and everthing else seems to match up. The scabbard also seems to pass the test. However, I have to ask, was the machining on the originals poor in some cases? The blade on my bayonet lis clearly "off center" to one side when you look at it from the top. Also, the ring that goes around the barrel is very irregular shaped on the outside of the ring. Could this be attributed to them trying to get a lot out a one time?

Image of M1941 bayonet and leather scabbard - Does this look like the real thing? Can any of you tell if this bayonet is the real thing or not? The seller states that it is 100% authentic. What do I need to look at to verify if it is or not? How is the price? Thank you.

Thanks for the relpy. I see nothing on the outside of the magazine, so I feel a lot better about it. Can't wait to get her apart..............