New Guy With a Question

[Caesar1 0]

Hi, new guy here. I was offered this Johnson Rifle and was just wondering about the finish on it. I cant tell if its been reparked or not but only have crappy cell phone pictures that I took in the sellers basement. Can anyone tell anything from these pics. The stock looks shiny in the pics but it it really isnt and the metal was really nice but the lettering still seemed deep, not soft like it had been reparked. If its been refinished, any thoughts on value would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Ed Johnson 0]

Possible Miltech rebuild? Any serial number on the receiver?

[Caesar1 0]

Of course I forgot to take a picture of that! How would that affect the price?

[Brian Alpert 0]

Looks refinished to me. All the components are NOT supposed to be the same color....like the rear sight and receiver. Looks like a nice restoration. Front sight and bayonet lug taper pins are NOT original

[Caesar1 0]

Thanks for the help. How does $4k sound? In the ballpark?

[ArtR 0]

I agree, it looks like a MilTech restoration....$4000, even for a MilTech, is in the ballpark

[Brian Alpert 0]

$4000 is a decent price, even refinished with a replacement bbl. Make sure it shoots!

[Caesar1 0]

Thanks for the help

[Ed Johnson 0]

Receiver serial number might be useful if it is straight 4 digit. Not too usefull if it has an A or B prefix. Let us know once you have it.

[M48TANKER 0]

Nice restoration in my opinion. I noticed that the recesses in the wood, where the screws are, don't seem to have any finish in them. To me that is a sure sign of a replacement stock. I believe I read that the Johnsons were "dipped" in the finishing solution, so on a military set of wood you could expect the holes to be dark.

The parkerizing job looks excellent. The metal on the rifle appears like new, even fewer machining swirls than usual. It does have the Dutch acceptance mark too.

Definitely worth the money in my estimation. Miltech does some fine work and it may well be one of theirs.

[tsmgguy 0]

This rifle has been refinished, without doubt. It looks to be a very nice job!

I lucked into a M1941 JSAR in original virtually new condition years ago, and have noticed the following differences between it and most refurbished guns:

The bolt handle and extractor were originally blued, along with the ejector and its spring. Most of the rear sight was painted black, which is flaking off of most original rifles today. The adjusting knob was parked, as was the aperture itself. The cavity inside of the receiver in which the bolt rides should be bright, with evidence of milling. As others have already stated, originally each parked piece had a slightly different color and finish to it. The visible portion of the bolt should be bright. Serial numbers should not match.

The wood was originally finish sanded using belt sanders and will generally show minute transverse scratches from sanding cross-wise to the grain. Many (if not most) M1941 butt stocks will show laminations at the magazine swell. These stocks will also have holes for lightening and storage under the butt plates, which reproduction stocks generally will not have. The original stocks had factory markings on the flat face of the magazine swell.

These guns have generally been restored and refurbished because they need it. Many were completely worn out before refurbishing. A nice M1941 (even a refinished one) will have a slick, tight feel to it, not loose and wobbly. A range visit will likely tell the tale. If you have the opportunity to shoot the rifle you will quickly notice whether or not it's accurate. (You're looking for accuracy that's acceptable for military purposes, not a MOA tack driver.) A violent action that flings damaged cases a long way is another indicator of wear, or might only mean that the recoil spring (in the tube in the butt stock) needs to be replaced. The action should cycle gently, piling cases just a few feet to the right. Shooters at the other end of the line should not be in danger of injury from your brass. The gun should function reliably with M2 ball ammunition, and should compare favorably with a service grade M1 Garand. (Yes, it's legal for use in 100 yd. John C. Garand service rifle matches.)

Is the barrel original? Does it have original JA (edit) and Netherlands Purchasing Comission marks? (Many if not most refurbished gus have been rebarreled.) How's the chamber? If it's rough, failures to extract are virtually certain to happen regularly.

I'm no expert. I've seen many M1941 JSARs, but I've only owned one of them. It's a very nice example, though. It has none of the problems mentioned above. It has almost all of its original finish, and it's reliable, accurate, and a real pleasure to shoot.

Hope that this helps!

[Joseph Scott 0]

The barrel should be marked J.A.,( Johnson Automatics), not JS (Joseph Scott) which is my marking. I also do not put any serial numbers on my barrels. My wood is stamped JS on each end.

[Caesar1 0]

Now I have a tough decision. I was offered a different rifle from somebody else. It is supposed to be in original configuration, no letter prefix with a repaired stock and two very small holes that have been filled behind the rear sight. It is half the price. I will post pics when I get them. Considering both are are not completely original I'm leaning toward the more wallet friendly version.

[Ed Johnson 0]

Post the 4 digit serial number when you get it.

[Caesar1 0]

Can someone PM me an email address? I am having trouble posting pics of this one. Thanks