ryche_me

Hey Buddy lookin good, glad i could help. Joe Scott had new Main Springs at one time. I don't know if he still does. I would try him 1st. Ryche

Rarecat: Do you have a functional one or are you still working on a Kit?? Your grip unit seems to have slightly different markings than mine... HHHMMM Enquiring minds want to know Ryche

Cush: i didn't want to get inflammatory about the guy , due to doing a lot of business with him back then (... as is... you would find me under his table going through boxes of greasy parts where no one could see me, ... really sitting on the floor under his table with a box of greasy parts and some paper towels But what they were doing , i didn't feel was correct for the community. If you are anywhere near Arizona i would like to take a look and compare our two pieces. Brian and I had several conversations about the company and their business around that time. Do you have any knowledge if your piece was originally sold at an RIA auction when the last owner got it? Even if it is theirs, I think it would be a very nice and functional piece . The quality of the work was always very high and that's why they commanded the prices seen at that time for something that didn't ever exist ( IE the prototypes) Yours did exist and is what appears to be a very nice piece. Whenever I take mine out, I always get comments like WHAT the F***k is that and Did those really Exist??? The answer is always YES they did ... I talked with an IDF armorer several years ago who had nothing nice to say about " That Hagenah piece of Sh***T. He was very unhappy when the guys took them apart and lost small parts. He told me that he started tack welding them together to keep that from happening. Explains alot of weld markings on the older kits. In my humble opinion... NO one is that passionate about that weapon unless you are trying to build one or are stuck working on one that has been issued and broken in the field. He didn't have much nice to say about the "POS" M-16 that we gave them as well I am looking forward to seeing good close up pics of this when you get it in hand. The serial was probably copied from the mag housing or possibly the other way around. The number on the mag housing looks to be original. I think Art already looked up the Johnson serial number, but that may not be the correct original number to the receiver parts. Either way I'm looking forward to talking with you about it. I think I had the 1st functional one in Arizona till Ian got his built. I like to believe so anyway. Ryche

Ok so here is what i know... Mine was built by the same guy that built Brians. There was at the time we are talking about, an outfit called surf city firearms. They were the ones building JLMG/DROR hybrids and passing them off at RIA as Johnson prototypes. They were called out on this but as far as i know never shut down for it. They also had most of the USMC marked 1911's (also bogus). I do know at the time the owner had a box full of JSAR recs. that had been cut into 3 pieces. Their work was very good and the items tended to sell at high prices. I had spoken with the builder at one time about building mine. I vaguely remember them being marked in what caliber they were built in, ala the 8 mm marking. I don't ever remember seeing their name stamped on the few items i saw in person. So its a very good possibility that this piece is one of theirs. I would look very closely inside and out to try and spot weld lines in the rec. If they marked them it might be on the bottom somewhere. I also believe they are long since out of business. The owner at that time attempted to be a member here with alot of parts for sale (lord knows i bought enough from him) But he had very few posts before he disappeared from the site. Art you may be able to look up his user name from the early 2000's I can give you his 1st name, if needed ,don't remember his last name at the moment. There were also a few threads at the time discussing his work. I acquired Brians DROR type 1 mags from him at a SAR show years ago . If memory kicks back in i will supply what i can think of then. He was the primary builder at the time, most other builders had not attempted , or even knew about the DROR back then. Ryche

No roasting here either. Beautiful and interesting rifles. If you ever saw Ian's video on the DROR, that one is mine. I am visible during the slo mo section as he was running the camera. Beautiful piece, not many people have a functioning one Ryche Any idea who built it??

There is a B prefix at an outfit called Gunslinger Auctions. The light was not good enough for me to get the number. Looked to be in decent shape. Ryche

I believe they are the same in size as i often find them mixed up when looking at others rifles. Ryche

Any chance this was one of the very rare prototypes built by "our friend" at S**f city fire arms years ago? They were often passed as originals. I have seen some of his work in the flesh and it was always very good to the non knowledgeable eye, Ryche

Hey buddy glad it all got there. If Tanker reads this i think he did at least one. Joe Scott should have some good advice as well. Art have you ever done one of these? or know where he can find the info on the forum files? Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Ryche

Ok I have one center collar and two rears. one of them is not marked. If you want to PM me your phone number i will text ya some photos Ryche also can i send parts like that to Canada?

I may have a set of both. no bayo lug though. Will check when i get downstairs and let you know Ryche

SN B1483 on broker. Says 7mm Chilean contract. $16,950 open bid. Historic investments Ryche

I agree with you WHIG. Finding parts for my various projects has gotten very expensive. Hoping some of the Milsurp does come back down. $1000 for an SKS is just silly Ryche

Hey Guys I am trying to help 64 caddy with his semi JLMG build. We are in bad need of a cam roller assy (bolt carrier) and possibly a front grip. Anybody here have any of this stuff avlb.? I am shaking every tree i can think of trying to find the parts. The front grip i can have copied from mine but still gonna need the cam roller assy. One from a DROR will work as well. Thanks for taking a look to see if anybody has one to let go. Ryche

Hey Art: its not just you... looks to me like its been hammered on with both hammer and punch. Ryche

I have a bolt handle like that one that i bought from another member many years ago. I believe they were made to emulate the Garand cocking handle. Ryche

I used a BAR bipod on mine and was told by brian alpert it was an accepted replacement. I will have to check if i have his blueprints on the conversion unit for it. or i can post pics of the unit i got from him several years ago. Ryche

Its up to $1800 with a day to go. Hey the barrel alone in good shape is worth that. Ryche

Everything except the bolt handle looks to be refinished. That being said i would bid up to at least $900 without a thought Be interesting to see how high it goes in 12 days. Kinda looks like a Mr. Scott butt plate on it. Removing it and looking would tell the tale. Have to wait and see, especially if a board member ends up with it. As Art said no good pics of what we like to see. Bayo scabbard really looks repo. Ryche

Art: I remember those days as well, my father was in the supply chain for a while and would bring home all the stuff being disposed of at the end of every year. Wish i still had most of that stuff. I do have, if any collectors are interested: 2 50 cal. receiver covers one has some wear but is marked: Fungus proofed mark1, and Schmacht & Kale 1945. The other is mint aside from a small stain and is stamped the same but still has the orig paper tag with all the info still stapled to it. If any interest contact me and we can talk. Ryche

I don't seem to have much info on that either. As both designs are so different i doubt there was any connection. Be interested to see if MR. Canfield has any thoughts about that. Ryche

ArtR: Actually Rarecat and i have been discussing that very item over on the LMG thread. I believe he is bidding on it. If Anybody is attempting to build a Paracarbine i believe i may still have some of Dr. Alpert's blueprints for the rear sight base. He helped me several years ago as i was building mine. Mine is very close to being finished, need grip escution. The small female end that the screw goes into in the grip. Also need to get the barrel finished with the right color bluing. Just the front end though as i had to use a cut down rifle barrel that was screwed up on the front end. Anyway builds are alot of fun if you have the time and money to do them well. Resources like our friend Brian Alpert will be sorely missed. Ryche

Thanks for the pics. It would almost look to be NOS. I may have to throw the money down for one myself. Ryche

I am somewhat inclined to believe that the Winfield is responsible for most modern collectors to have heard of the Johnson.. (say 1950's on) Due to limited military use, most have never even heard of it until recently.. (say last 20 years or so). Anyway in my family photo it has a prominent place below the military issue pieces. Ryche

Hey Rarecat: Nice pic but where is the postwar commercial? or maybe a DROR? In all seriousness just kidding. Having all three in one place is a collector achievement. But you need a pic of the Garand hiding in the corner in shame Ryche Don't get me wrong i own two Garands but still prefer the JSAR over them.