Info requested on serial #0075

[Bob K 0]

Hello All,

I'm new to the site and to Johnson rifles as my main interest is M1 carbines and German WWII weapons. I may have the opportunity to pick up a Johnson this weekend that is supposed to be serial number 0075. What can you tell me about this rifle before I look at it? Any tips or suggestions? What would be a ballpark figure?

Thanks,

Bob K

[ArtR 0]

Bob

As you are familiar with M1 Carbines, I will assume that you know the basics, i.e., stock cracks, dissimilar metal colors, screw conditions, etc.

What you might not know is that the Johnson's never had matching serial numbers, and if one or two parts did match, that was a fluke. Barrels often times are dark. The stock often had cheek pieces glued by the magazine as the standard stock material was not thick enough, so these are normal. As for pricing, be aware that they are all over the place. The posted pictures are quite small so it is hard to have any definitive opinion on this rifle as there is no detail to check. It appears to be a full military configuration. Post several better/larger/more detail pictures with different views if you want a better idea on this particular rifle. You can go back on some of these posts and see some representative guns and maybe what the buyer paid. The prices have gone up considerably in the past years, and buyer beware. IF the seller claims some Marine, WWII, or other provenance, ask for written proof, as by in large there does not seem to be much actual proof of such. Other than that, they are fun to have and shoot.

Have fun!

ArtR

[webmaster 0]

Hi Bob,

Rifle S/N 0075 appears in the Production log amongst a batch that have no details listed at all and those few that are detailled are for the Govt. of Chile. This is common in the first few pages of the log and there has been speculation in the past that these rifles were for presentation purposes for shareholders in the Johnson Automatics Co.

Obviously by the condition of your rifle it has seen no service and I would probably hazard a guess that it was a presentaion rifle as I have stated.

I know that one such rifle from this run of early rifles has no serial numbers marked upon the usually serialled parts.

I can't help you with value.