M48TANKER

Thanks to Webmaster for bringing us the new "Gallery" feature. I hope that everyone enjoys seeing the collectibles. Please show your appreciation by using the "Gallery" feature to show everyone your Johnson Collections. You don't even have to use a "Photo Hosting Website"...you can upload directly from your own computer. YIPPEE! M48TANKER

I just acquired another 1941 Johnson, but it's not the typical JSAR. This one looks more like the "V" model, the Taft-Peirce sporting model, or the Marlin sporting model...but it does not have those manufacturers' names on it. It has a vertical magazine, a full stock, no sling swivels, the routings for the buttplate and rear sling swivel have been plugged with the same type and grain of the stocks wood and are hard to notice unless you look for them. The rear sight is not the typical sight either because there is no dovetail for it. The top of the receiver is just flat with no raised portion for a dovetail slot. The sight that is on there is a "buckhorn" type sight with some lettering left that appears to have said "MARBLE" "Gladstone, Mich. USA". The top of the receiver has also been drilled and tapped for a scope base. The stock has a flat buttplate with a small patch of checkering in the middle and it's "plastic" or "bakelite" or whatever hard buttplates are made of. The stock is a full stock to the end of the radiator, but it's actually made up of three pieces that are joined with a "factory made dovetail/lap joint. The joint is done so well that if the wood were sanded and stained again I think you wouldn't be able to tell where the joints are. There appears to be only one coat of "varnish" over the bare wood. The receiver looks to have started life as a typical 1941 Johnson "R" type receiver #A0095. The normal "1941 Johnson Automatics, Providence Rhode Island, Patent numbers, 30.06 semi-auto" lettering is present. The receiver and barrel are blued like a Winfield blue but the barrel has no identification marks on it. However there are two cuts on the bottom of the barrel where a bayonet lug may have once been pinned. For this reason I think the barrel was once meant to be a military barrel, but it has no other markings. Likewise the rear stock section appears to have been military with the exposed screws on either side for the mainspring tube recoil stop, it looks like it once had a metal buttplate and once had a sling swivel. On the left side of the receiver the hinge loops for the rotary drum have been machined off. On the right side the stripper clip entry has been milled flat. A steel box has been added where the rotary magazine used to be and it forms the magazine well. The magazine looks like it would hold five or six rounds. The center wooden section is a tight fit around the magazine well box, with a spring loaded flat blade to hold and release the magazine. The rifle strongly resembles one of the "V" model Taft-Peirce or Marlin commercial models, but the rifle also appears to have possibly been a factory demonstrator, or prototype. All the modifications appear to have been done by a good machinist or the factory and the wood was definitely done by an expert. However the overall quality does not seem to be meant for the commercial market. Overall the rifle looks better than the pictures indicate and all parts are in good condition. The extractor is #A0187, the bolt is #A2258, the firing pin is #A5894, and the locking cam is #A3003. I didn't check the trigger, hammer, or lock frame yet. I'm going to try to attach a link to "Snapfish" photo hosting gallery with an album of pictures of all parts of the gun. I wonder what I have? I believe that it is more than a "Bubba-done-it"...Bubba doesn't do quite as nice work. Here is the link to Snapfish, I hope: http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4679447014/a=129430422_129430422/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Thanks "rigunner," I'd love to see pictures of your rifle. We now have a "Gallery" section where you can create an album of pictures of your Johnsons. Of course you can still post pictures in the forum section too. Where are all the "Marlin" and "Taft-Peirce" rifles? I guess that very few were made. I hope that more will surface. The variations of Johnsons makes them so interesting...if rifles could only talk! M48TANKER

Claybob, I saw that rifle on Gunbroker. Auction # 180138558. It looks pretty good although the pictures are a bit dark. Be aware that the buttplate is not one that I've seen before on a Johnson, but that may not be any big deal to you. I think the buttplates should have had a trap door from the beginning...JMHO. The "pistol" grip area of the rear stock is not exactly like most original Johnson Military buttstocks, but I can't say that it's not. Wood can be easily replaced anyway if it bothers you. I bought a stock similar to that and I'm going to put it on one of my "Winfield Sporters" that has the fancy stock with the cheekpiece and rubber recoil pad on it. If the price does not go much higher than the opening bid, then I think that it's probably fair. My personal opinion is that you won't be paying too much...but that's just me. If the chip in the forestock bothers you...I've got an extra that I can sell. Good luck in bidding if you decide to go for it. Let us know if you get it. M48TANKER

I would like to see pictures of other people's collections. Can we use a web picture hosting site such as "Snapfish" to create a "Group Room" in order to share on-line photo albums with each other?

Here are some photos of a Mil-tech refurbished 1941 Johnson. Enjoy. M48TANKER

That's a great piece! I've collected several "print blocks" similar to that. My Uncle used to print a local smalltown newspaper, way back in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I spent one summer visiting with him and helped to arrange the typesetting. He was using a "linotype" machine....yep really ancient. I guess that's where I picked up the interest in the printing blocks. I've got some with old cars on them for the auto dealers, some for an electrical contracting company, one from "Maytag" with a wringer type washing machine on it, etc. I believe that they are made from the melting of lead or an alloy containing lead, which is then poured into a mold or carved out block of wood. Very interesting. M48TANKER P.S. His newspaper was "The Carlisle County News" in Bardwell, Kentucky. His name was Ralph Graves. Died many years ago.

Webmaster, that is great news! Thank You !!!! I hope everyone participates and enjoys the new feature. M48TANKER

Ryche_me, here you go...the best I could do right now.

Webmaster, that sounds great! I wish some others would chime in and let us know. I see what you mean now about the number of "Views" versus the number of "Replys". Come on guys...let's make this board more active. M48TANKER

cdj7097, Of course you are absolutely right. The Mil-tech rifles do however have the basic receiver, with mostly factory internals. The stocks are new and "proper" and the barrels are new, safe, shootable barrels. (They are a bit similar to "Mitchell's Mausers" in these respects.) They are definitely not in "as found" battlefield condition, although it might be possible to document that the serial numbered receiver was on the list of rifles in the first shipment to the NPC, and that part of the rifle might have seen action. As with any group of "collectors", we have those who only accept documented rifles, "as found", with enough provinence. We also have those of us, as I am, who would like to have the rarest "documented" rifles but don't want to put that much money into our collection. Therefore we "settle" for a reworked or refurbished rifle that really looks good and is a "shooter". That gets us started. As we advance in our efforts to collect, and learn just what to look for in "originals", then we are more likely to invest more money in the higher end rifles that we wanted to start with. Collecting is a learning process. The more you research and learn about the family of rifles you wish to collect, the fewer "mistakes" you'll make in your purchases. With ANY Johnson you are getting one of the most sought after collector rifles out there. As a beginning collector you might possibly be safer to get a refurbished rifle that has been inspected and test fired by the factory and deemed safe and completely operable, with no worn out or missing parts. And that's my two cents worth. (Did you ever wonder why you put in your "two cents worth", but it's only "a penny for your thoughts"? We'ge getting shortchanged somehow) M48TANKER

Webmaster, sounds good to me also. Do you need contributions to help make it happen? Would we be able to post a price, with the description of the photo, if the firearm or accessory/part happens to be for sale? This might save a lot of space on the regular forums since people want to see pictures of fifles that are described as possibly being for sale. Thanks, to Webmaster M48TANKER

Here are the pictures of a Mil-tech refurbished 1941 Johnson.