Johnson Barrel Wanted

[jgranai 0]

Looking for a barrel.   Wondering if anyone has one for sale that is in good shape? Anyone making new barrels anywhere?  Feel free to email me at granai@charter.net

Best,

Jeff

 

[dhazel74 0]

I have been looking for a 1941 barrel for quite sometime and have had no luck. If you did find and original in good condition I'm sure it would set you back $600 to $800 minimum. I did reach out to Criterion Barrels via email and asked if they had any interest in producing a new replacement 1941 Johnson barrel. There response was, that they have had some previous inquiry's for Johnson barrels  but, they would need a minimum order of 50 barrels to do a full production run. I have had very positive results with there M1 Garand barrels both in 30.06 and 308. Seems like a new replacement barrel would be the way to go.

Well.... I'm in for at least 1 possibly 2 depending on price anybody else?? LOL

Thanks
David 

 

[Brian Alpert 0]

For each bbl you will need to provide a locking collar, guide collar, bayonet lug and front sight.  I have used Remington 700 30-06 take off bbls which are relatively easy for a competent gunsmith to fit and headspace to the JSAR components.

Good condition original bbls go for $1000 and up, replacements with good bores $600 and up

[Joseph Scott 0]

Use caution when trying to buy an original barrel.  Most Johnson owners will not sell a good barrel but keep it for their next purchase. I have purchased, at a show, what I thought was a good one with excellent bore but it had a bad chamber.  Gun show sellers usually don't know condition and go only by bore condition.  Johnson's are very sensitive about chamber condition especially very fine pits which cannot be seen.  As they do not have a gas pushed extraction rod, they depend on bolt momentum  to extract the cases.  Do not buy a barrel unless you can return it for refund after trying it.   Another caution is about a "stubbed" barrel.  This is where they cut off in front of the chamber to save the factory lettering, bored it out and stubbed a different barrel into the chamber section.  Usually a weld shows.  One I found had only a seal weld, not a strength weld.  This technique is very dangerous.  When I started making barrels, it took three years and lots of money to get together new high quality parts.   Many used rear collars have damaged lugs or have been faced off in error trying to get correct headspace.  Used sporterized barrels are usually in good shape and can be converted back with lug and sight.  Original,barrels with ugly bores sometimes shoot great because the muzzle is not worn from the GI screwed together cleaning rods.  No longer making barrels due to bad vision.

[Brian Alpert 0]

Sound advice.  If an original bbl is available, ask why and never buy something expensive without the ability to take it back.  Any reputable individual should stand by what they sell.  Having to hone the chamber to remove fine pits is not unusual. 

[dhazel74 0]

Brian , Joe

Thanks for all your info and knowledge on the Johnson rifle.

So my question is could you both point myself and the rest of the forum followers in the right direction to have a gunsmith build up a barrel. My aim is to have an as new recreational shooter barrel rather than purchase an original Johnson barrel. Which, seems to be an act of congress even to find one.

I have the parts from my unknown origin barrel on my rifle front sight, bay lug, locking bushing an barrel guide collar. I have heard the use of O3A3 barrels, M1 Garand barrels and as Brian stated above Remington 700 barrels. Is there a gunsmith you gentlemen could recommend? And whats the difficulties? Cost rough idea?

There has to be quite a few folks out there that need a replacement barrel.

Thanks
David

[Brian Alpert 0]

My gunsmith can (and has) done it.  Kind of takes forever as it is a sideline with him but I will check as to cost and time involved.  Email me at <brian.alpert@louisville.edu>

[CranstonArms 0]

Great advice.

[M48TANKER 0]

I've been working on getting set up to produce a few barrels for myself and another board member. We've invested in a couple of NIW 03 barrels, several locking collars, center bushings, bayonet lugs and front sights.

I've re-fitted sporter barrels with military bayonet lugs and front sights but this will be the first time for me to install the locking collar and center guide bushing.

So far I've removed the front sight from the new 03 barrel so it will fit in my Southbend lathe. I set it up and reduced the diameter of the threaded portion of the 03 barrel and re-threaded with 16tpi threads to match the Johnson locking lug. Now the locking lug will screw on the barrel and snug up against the shoulder area. Next I suppose i need to get some 30;06 headspace guages in order to check that the cartridge will chamber with the correct headspace and modify accordingly. It's probably going to take some chamber reamers to fine tune the chamber. Also have to get the correct depth on the extractor cut?

Now, I'm thinking about things which I haven't considered yet. Is the concave opening of the mouth of the 03 chamber suitable to accept the Johnson bolt head and bolt face? Hmmmm.....maybe I should have thought of that earlier? I suppose worst case scenario would be that I'd have to reconfigure the chamber first and then fit the locking collar to that spacing? I think I need some help from the masters. (Joe Scott, are you out there?) (anyone else who can offer some insight?)

[Brian Alpert 0]

OK.  Realizing that Joseph Scott is the acknowledged gold standard in JSAR bbl building, here is our experience.  Last year, my gunsmith, Rodney Richardson of Radcliff, Ky and I (Rodney doing and me offering moral support) put together 5 replacement JSAR bbls.  The rule was trial and error.  We finally settled on the following utilizing 1903, 03/A3 and Remington 700 take offs:

Trim the shank and rethread to match the JSAR locking lug

Concave the face of the chamber opening to roughly match that from an original bbl

Screw on the locking lug and snug up against the bbl shoulder

Mark the extractor cut, remove the collar and cut the extractor cut

Utilizing the headspace gauge, bolt and reamer, carefully trim to correct headspace.  At this point, the bolt with attached extractor should close over the "go" gauge but not over the "no go" or "field" with appropriate clearance for the bolt head and extractor

Turn the appropriate area of the mid bbl to the inner diameter of the locking collar

Insert the bbl into the receiver and engage the bolt so that it locks to the bbl

Slide the locking collar on the bbl so that the lug locks behind the bbl latch.  Fix in this position with Loctite. 

Remove assembly the next day, drill and place appropriate size taper pin to permanently fix collar in place.

Turn and step bbl appropriately and mount front sight and bayonet lug.  Again this is easier and more accurate if you do it with Loctite 1st

You may still have to so some fine adjustment of headspace 

Hope this helps

           B

I forgot to note that after making the extractor cut, screw the collar back on the bbl

[taharad 0]

When a barrel is too far gone, Miltech will make a reproduction barrel to use their Johnson restorations.  Ed has made dozens of barrel from the stock of parts he has.  A little while ago, I post a picture of a box full of locking lugs that was at his shop.  Miltech has restored hundred of Johnson over the years.