wwiifirearms

Thanks! I almost got it right. I put it in upside down. Easy to correct. -Ray

I figured it out magazine cover spring.

I picked up JAR today that I thought was missing the magazine spring and follower, but upon disassembly it looks like it may have just been misassembled. Part A? in my picture was rattling around inside. Does anyone have assembly instructions for the magazine? I did follow the disassembly instructions on the main page, but they stop short of the magazine. Thanks! -Ray

Still under $4000 with less than a day to go.

I am no gunsmith, so consider the following non-expert opinion. I shot Greek surplus in mine and it shot fine. As with any old gun I would carefully look for any broken, missing, worn, or damaged parts. If possible check the headspace. Definitely make sure there are no obstructions in the barrel. Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, and be aware of you backstop and what is beyond. Nothing Johnson specific that I know of. Joseph Scott is on this forum under his full name. -wwiifirearms

1. The finish and markings: this may tell you if it has been refinished. The original finish is thin, so I would be cautious if parkerizing is heavy. Markings including Cranston arms should be easy to read, not buffed out. 2. Front sight and bayo lug: look at the pins on a good one and compare to see if they show signs of being messed with. 3. Stock: should not be too smooth or too small, which would indicate sanding. Originals may show rough sanding marks that are cross grain because of how they were made. 4. Consistency: is the condition consistent on all parts? Example: if the stock is beat but the metal is perfect, suspect the metal was redone. 5. Barrel ring( or whatever it is called) : usually marked 30-06 and 41 on an original 30-06 That's all I can think of right now. Good luck. -wwiifirearms

Nice find! I am guessing Joseph Scott can supply you with the missing screw. He got me one a few years back. -wwiifirearms

Auction ends on Sept 13th. http://www.gunrunnerauctions.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=1031091070

Clarification: auction Starts Sept 6th, not sure what date bidding on this item will end

Fyi. The Gun Runner auction September monthly auction has a Johnson rifle coming up. Not listed yet, but look for it in September. http://www.gunrunnerauctions.com/ -wwiifirearms

Really hard to tell from pics. Seems some people are really good at taking bad pictures. None of the pics are sharp enough to really judge the finish, but i see signs it may have been refinished. Both the metal and wood look suspect to me, and without clear pictures of the markings, I would be concerned. The starting bid price would require a very high quality gun and I don't see it in those pics. It might be a great gun with bad pics, but I'd need to see it in person before paying top $. Just my $0.02 -wwiifirearms

If you are in Northern Ohio, I've got a metal detector. However, if people shoot steel case at the range you may spend all day picking up cheap Russian 7.62x39 cases. -wwiifirearms

If you can get documentation of this being one of the few that where issued to US troops and even the man and unit, it would be very special and valuable. I would collect as much info as possible on your friends father and get a letter documenting this was his gun. A picture of him in the service with the gun would be unique. Documenting the gun may not be possible, but if it is the value would far exceed an average example. I would NOT restore a gun with a documented history. Pics would help put a value on it. With no documentation most seem to be $2500 to $5000, depending on condition. I am guessing a documented US military issued rifle could bring 2 or 3 times these numbers, maybe more. If I recall only about 5% of these were issued to US troop, and many of those never made it to the surplus market. -wwiifirearms

Some original stocks are made from 3 pieces of wood (aka laminated), others originals are made from a solid piece of wood. Either can be correct. Nice gun, great deal. If you want to get an original stock repaired I would recommend Rick Borecky in Ohio. He does amazing work on old wood. He repaired a Johnson stock for me and it is perfect. He also does Garands, Carbines, and most any other old stock. -wwiifirearms

It's like looking at photos of a crime scene. I can barely stand to think about the horrors that took place inside those walls. If you have the address I'd love to stop by with my metal detector and see if we find a buried pile of bayonet lugs out back. ;-) -wwiifirearms