Ed Johnson

OK. Reading this saga, and the final resolution, makes me feel better about Phil's auction purchase. I was worried about what you were running into. And thanks for the receiver photos, EB. They clearly show the different feed ramps. The ogive (shape and size) of the .30 M1 Carbine bullet versus the 5.7mm bullet were different. Without beefing up the feed ramps, some of the sharp-nosed soft point bullets were slamming against the face below the chamber and not being lifted up the ramp and positioning into the chamber. When buying later receivers from Plainfield Machine, they had them cast with our ramp shape and found that both the 5.7mm and the .30 cal cartridges fed OK with that change. IAI came along years later and should have copied what we did but I guess they somehow did OK anyway. EB, you would know better, as I have never fired or handled an IAI carbine.

This topic relates to the successful efforts by "matconcrete" to obtain Lot # 212 Johnson Papers & Blueprints from the Amoskeag Auction # 132 in New Hampshire last weekend on 11/20/21. Be advised that I have contacted the Curator of the Springfield (MA) Armory National Historic Site and received a prompt positive response. To quote Mr. MacKenzie, "Its a really great thought to donate those papers here. It would make a lot of sense and we'd be happy to preserve them in the archives forever and make them accessible to research. Your Dad's papers would be in good company with papers and archives from Garand, John Pedersen, Julian Hatcher and Townsend Whelen, among others." Therefore, if there are enough individual donations made by members and readers of this Johnson Website, the papers and blueprints will be appropriately donated to Springfield at a later date. So far, I note indications of support on the other 2 page thread below from myself, Art R, Joe Scott (very generous), Rarecat (matching Joe), EB In Oregon (generous), Orlando, Imgone, and Butch. I encourage others to join us as best they can. Contributors shall have access to the Springfield material and I'll have more info on that procedure later on. Contributions (checks) should be made out and mailed to: Phillip Mattingly, P.O.Box 105, North Anson, ME 04958, per his instructions. You should note "Johnson Donation" in the check memo line. In passing, Phil was disappointed in not being able to obtain Lot # 208, the serial number record book, but we had digitized those records several years ago as a precaution so the info is still active. Thank you all for your interest in Dad's work. It is very much appreciated. Ed J

The above comments by E B In Oregon are accurate. Too heavy a bullet and too hot a load is going to be a problem. Stick with 40 grain bullets. As for substituting the H110 pistol powder instead of the 4227, one of our long-time website users ran some previous tests on ammo using H110 and reported no problems with excess pressure and that it worked well in an 18" barrel. The above tech sheets by Dad and myself from the 1960's, submitted by material purchased by Matconcrete recently, give a good summary. The objective is high velocity in the 2800 to 3000 FPS range but staying below or at 36,000 lbs chamber pressure. You can tell if you are going too high on hand loaded ammo by looking at the primers of the expended shells. If they are showing deformity, you are too high. Ed J

From the Johnson Family to the Johnson Website Team and major members of this site..... The past two years have been rough for many of us. The Pandemics certainly didn't help. Let's hope 2022 brings world health under control. For those of you who assisted Phil ("Matconcrete") with contributions for the Amoskeag Auction purchase, thank you very much. There will be more info on this topic later on. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Ed J

Naturally, I'm interested, Frank. Can you E-mail me? I have a question. Ed J

I landed on a Smith & Wesson video. Didn't look much like a JSAR, so I stopped watching. ???

The tent peg was the only way to meet the requirement for acceptance because the recoil operation of the JSAR was affected by weight. I know that bayonets were used in WWI on bolt-action rifles and trench warfare, which is why that was the requirement. I do not know of them being actually used in WWII but will yield to someone who knows for sure that they were.

I just got a letter returned stating "attempted delivery, not known, unable to forward." Do we have a different address? ej

I agree with this concept. Wall space is limited in most homes, including my own.

OK, Rarecat, we'll keep that in mind. We may not be able to arrange a group tour too quickly. They had to close the Museum completely due to the Covid 19 and did renovations during that period. This latest strain of virus from South Africa might screw things up again for a while. Stay tuned. ej

Phil, if you live in Maine, you are not THAT far away from Springfield, MA using Rt 95, Main Tnpk and the Mass Turnpike. Its a car trip, not a plane trip. And I agree that the project itself should wait till after Christmas Holidays. Let's see how well people respond financially for starters. And when we do a presentation, we'll have some other local folks to join us and go up into the vaults and see many things. Story to be continued....... ej

Glad to see the support above. I've sent money also. Joe makes a good point on the blueprints and Art is correct about the flash drives which include Joe's previous disks. At this point, let's let Phil enjoy his purchase and go through all that material he bought. We will also consider Joe's suggestion on re-photographing the prints and possibly photographing the prints Phil just received. Story to be continued....meanwhile, the Holidays are upon us, which will keep some of us busy for a while. ej

To all readers of this site. I have already mentioned the Amoskeag Auction to be held on 11/20/21 and 11/21/21 in New Hampshire. It is a very large auction of multiple estates, and it also includes Johnson Rifle Prototypes and related written material. I expect to receive a small, limited number of large printed catalogs this week. If any of you would like a copy mailed to you, I will need to know ASAP because time is getting short. Priority will be given to Website Team Members, and then regular readers. Because of the mailing weight, I will need a small payment after you receive the catalog...using the honor system. If you do not wish to wait, and have a serious interest in the Johnson products, contact Amoskeag directly. Ed J

OK, Phil, thank you very much for your efforts. I will drop a note to my contact at Springfield Museum Historic site first to see if there is interest. If there is not, it would still be very good to preserve what you have, some of which was used in the writing and publication of the book we put out in 2002, "Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns." And Art, think you for the full listing of the products....very helpful. (a) If my info is correct, the following lot numbers all went to one telephone buyer: 200,201,202,203 and 208. I believe this buyer also got 210 and 211....not sure about 209' (b) Phil confirms that he got 207 and 212. (c) I am not sure how many buyers bought 204, 205, 206, 213 and 214. If any of the above is incorrect, please advise. As we say....story to be continued. Ed J

I have received some preliminary info on some of the Amoskeag auction activity as it applies to the Johnson and related products. I will be trying to match up what I've heard with my copy of the auction catalog. Thus far, it appears that the 4 main pieces plus the logbook and some books all went to one buyer in the $70k range as a total. Apparently, the buyer was fairly aggressive, bidding on the phone and constantly raising as necessary.. One of our Website regular readers was successful in bidding on the box of papers and the Spitfire Carbine. I will know more after he actually receives the items, after which he may want to see if a group of us want to share costs in order to possibly present the papers to the Springfield MA museum. Story to be continued on that one. Ed J

View this email in your browser Auction No. 132 Preparation Auction Day - we look forward to it every time with a sense of anticipation and excitement. What to expect? What to bring? Our Live Auction starts promptly at 9:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday and doors open at 7:00 AM for viewing and registration. This is a great time to inspect your quarry and formulate your bidding strategy. Specialists are on hand for any last-minute questions and our office staff can assist with any inquiries in regard to the post-sale process. This is also a great chance to say hello to old friends or introduce yourself to the Amoskeag Team. We offer light refreshments including coffee and snacks, but if you plan on spending the day it would be best to pack a lunch or plan to order from one of our local eateries (including a cafe here in our building). Dress comfortably and bring anything that might make your day easier or more enjoyable. A physical copy of our catalog or a smartphone can be a helpful way to see what is coming next and when your desired lot(s) will come up. Don’t forget to bring identification and a copy of any Firearm Licenses you may have either as a dealer or C&R Collector. After that, sit back and enjoy the sale. Things move fast and there can be a great deal of activity happening all at once. When the bidding is over it’s time to take a breath and see where the dust settles. Background checks can be completed on the day of sale for those who are in attendance. For those who choose to bid remotely and would like to pick up their winnings, we do not do auction day deliveries for remote bidders, you must wait to receive your invoice on Tuesday afternoon and then schedule an appointment for pick up. Please join us this Saturday and Sunday for what will be a memorable auction filled with some truly impressive firearms and a great opportunity to add something to your cherished collection. Thanks again to all of our bidders and consignors who continue to make this possible. We look forward to seeing friends old and new alike for a weekend of fast paced bidding. Please call if you have any questions! 603-627-7383

I will try to openly address this sensitive subject. The production log book was originally intended to be with the entire collection along with the papers, etc. on the premise that all would go to a museum. Over the years, that was changed because of problems involving the manner in which the museums seem to operate. (a) They don't pay for the material any more, but (b) they periodically change their displays and (c) even go so far as to actually sell off some of their collections to the highest bidder. The problem became more problematic recently because of the value of the Johnson guns. No private party showed interest in purchasing the entire collection outright. Knowing this was possibly going to happen, the Johnson Website Team had taken protective action (copying) on the paperwork. If some Website Team members want to bid at Amoskeag on something like the production logs, I am willing to cough up $100 towards a "group" purchase (someone else can handle the actual bid process and I will reimburse). As for who should then actually possess the logbook, it should be a team member who would be willing to share it with the rest on a rotating basis. Joe Scott has indicated that, because of his age, he would prefer not, which I understand. I am 81 and feel a younger person than myself would be more logical, At the same time, I need to point out and remind everyone that possessing things like this can always be a risk. Paper is easily damaged, especially by fire. We had some very bad luck in recent years that was suffered by two of our members who both lost their homes to major fires, along with pets, most of their collections and virtually all of their paperwork. Walter Liss has also suggested, instead, that the Springfield Armory Museum (National Historic Site), of which 3 of our team are members, would actually therefore be an appropriate facility for the logbook. This is a large, fully alarmed facility with fire resistant storage areas, and we know the curator quite well. I would be quite satisfied with such a move if the team agrees. And, to be open minded, if one or more of you (non-website-team) readers gets involved with purchasing any of the Amoskeag - Johnson items, and want to discuss such special disposition or get more involved with us, please contact me directly. Lastly, we lost a very valuable member, Dr. Brian Alpert, to cancer in August. I will be replacing him with a new member following a review with the Team over the next few days. Brian had also made some suggestions along these lines over a year ago, when Brian knew he was in trouble with cancer. True to the end, he wanted this Website to continue after his death, as I do as well. Anyone wishing to connect with me privately can use edwardrjohnson610@gmail-com Thank you all for your interest..... Ed J

I don't disagree with your statement. It is possible that the 5.7 Spitfires were never used, per your reasoning. It is also possible that they were used for more of a specialty item because of the superior ballistics within 100 yards, which would be similar to the AR-15/M-16 in explosive performance. We will probably never know for sure. ej

Brian was a major contributor to this Website, not only as a financial supporter but as an enthusiast and very thorough collector. His info was always accurate when he wrote and he was a very genuine human being. His battles with his cancer and his consistently upbeat attitude despite the hardships were an inspiration to me personally. I will very much miss him on this website and as a friend.

To all Website Team members and regular users of this website.....our team member Walt Liss is having computer issues so he will be off-line for a few days. If you have any news for him or any questions, you may route them to me and I will forward to him. Will let everyone know when he is back in service. Thank you. Ed J

I'm confused by this. I thought the auction rifles were at the Amoskeag Auction House in Manchester, New Hampshire. Did they have a special showing in Tulsa, prior to their auction on this next weekend, in order to drum up interest? Ed J

Yes. All set. To all site users.....I have no more Amoskeag Catalogs available. If you need further info on the auction, contact Amoskeag Auctions in Manchester, NH directly. I thank everyone for their interest. Ed J

To: Flyer 11/10/21 @ 6:27 PM EDT My E-mail address is edwardrjohnson610@gmail.com I will need your USPS mailing address ASAP and also your E-mail address. So far, it looks like I might be able to send you an Amoskeag Auction Catalog by tomorrow afternoon if I get no further requests from actual members of our website Team. Be advised that these attractive catalogs have many pages of firearms and are heavy. The mailing packages weigh about 5 lbs. The only way I want to ship them is priority mail in a cushioned envelope, insured, so the cost will be in the $15 to $30 range, depending. If I ship Thursday, you can expect them by Tuesday, which gives you time to look through them and be organized if you want to bid on any products, Johnson or otherwise. Once I have the catalog in the US mail I'll know the final $$ charge and will E-mail that to you. Once you actually receive the package successfully, then you can send me a check. Honor system. And if you prefer not to spend the money, its no problem. Just let me know. Ed J You are all set You are all set

Ditto. USAF 1961 - 67 Ed J

As an update, the Amoskeag Auction will be proceeding as scheduled, 11/20 & 11/21, with several Johnson items mentioned. There are papers, books, a production log, a couple of indoor target guns, Dad's Springfield and Sako rifles, in addition to the 4 prototypes I mentioned previously. And there is another ad running in "Man at Arms" magazine with contact info for Amoskeag.