1st post

[Whitworth 0]

Hello gentlemen. This is my first post here. I am glad I found this site. I am the proud owner of two 1941 Johnsons -- both Winfield sporters, but as far as I can tell (please correct me if I am wrong), the only difference is in the stock and the front site -- oh, and blueing). Are there any other mods that Winfield performed? How many were converted? There is scant information available on Winfield. Unfortunately, the economy being what it is, I may have to sell one. Not sure what the sporters are fetching nowadays, but the one I would sell is in very good shape. Appreciate any information you can provide me.

[Brian Alpert 0]

Most of the JSARs in this country actually came from Winfield. They were sold from around 1953 until they ran out of stuff to sell in the early 60's. Cecil Jackson ended up getting the majority of surplus JSARs from the Dutch. He imported them to Canada and then set up Winfield Arms in L.A. Numrich had a great deal of spare parts they had purchaced from Winchester who had ended up with them when they hired Melvin Johnson as a consultant following the demise of Johnson Automatics. Jackson bought much of this parts stock. Winfield now began putting together JSARs and selling them. They offered a standard military (an "as issued" JSAR), a Deluxe Military (military configuration but polished and blued often with new stock and bbl), a Sporter (Parkerized with sporter stock, bbl without bayonet lug...often made from a Garand bbl), Deluxe Sporter (polished and blued, new bbl, ramp front sitght, fancy stock), and Deluxe Scoped Sporter (polished and blued, new bbl with ramp sight, high end sporter stock, scope and mount. The advertisments for these various configurations can be seen in the JSAR website and in "the book". Today, of course, originals are the pricey ones and the sporters are priced based on what it would take to get them back to proper military configuration. Polished and blued sporters generally go for from $1500-$2200.

[M48TANKER 0]

Welcome Whitworth! Glad to have you on the forum. I, too, am a "new guy". I just acquired my first 1941 Johnson. It's a Winfield sporter. It has the stock with the comb and rubber buttpad, the Dahl front ramped sight, and it's got a beautiful blue job. I'd love to return it to complete military configuration, but the blueing is starting to grow on me. I have the ability to parkerize it, but I hate to ruin that lustrous finish that's on it now. I may settle for just replacing the stock and adding the military front sight and bayonet lug? I've even considered leaving it "as is" and finding another Johnson to militarize. Tough decision. Usually a sporterized military rifle is just about worthless, but with a Johnson...well that is part of it's history. No doubt a full military specimin is worth more to collectors. Now to historians, a Winfield Sporter may be just fine. At any rate they are wonderful rifles and I'd love to have more of them. I hope you enjoy the forum. Joseph Scott, {amoung others}is the resident guru and can be a lot of help with parts, restoration, etc. He stays pretty busy from what I hear.

Michael E. Roper...aka...M48TANKER