jworkma1

Serial Number 5546 Questions

10 posts in this topic

Hi Everybody,

I recently acquired my first M1941 and hoping people could help me learn more about it. The gentleman I acquired it from made some interesting claims about its origins. His claims are italicized.

1) It also has a Johnson Automatics marked Barrel and I have yet to see another johnson barrel marked this way. This is believed to have been one of the Rifles Melvin Johnson bought back for the army and was subsequently restored for commercial sale through his Custom Gun Shop he operated in the late 1940s in Hope Valley RI hence the high polish finish and Johnson Automatics marked barrel.

2) Also of note are the initials N.O.J. Stamped into the pistol grip. I have no clue if these were maybe inspectors initials as the rifle does feature Dutch Acceptance star proof stamp aboive the Cranston triangle meaning it was one of the ones sold to the Dutch or if these are simply the owners initials from years later after it was sold commercially. Interestingly the last initial is J maybe for Johnson??

I certainly didn't take possession based on his claims that this was some unicorn M1941 and wouldn't be at all heartbroken to find it's been sporterized and frankensteined over the years. These are just cool guns. The bluing and rubber pad (since crumbled away) seem reminiscent of the Winfield conversions, yet the stock itself and sights don't look like other Winfields I've seen. 

Plethora of photos attached. Hoping a JSAR lookup and insight from those here can help fill in some of the history.

Thanks!

 

 

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Here is the data on JSAR #5546.  I am never in a hurry with these since nothing ever seems to match on spotters.  Actually, the only ones that seem to regularly match are the Chilean contract which were apparently stored and not messed with.  At any rate, enjoy

Transferred to Johnson Automatics 1/15/42

Stock #2

Bbl #6355E

Hammer block #4127

Hammer #6670

Bolt #3326

Locking cam #5374

Firing pin #8771

Extractor #2031

Magazine #6984

Transferred em to NPC 1/21/42

A few thoughts on your JSAR.  Johnson purchased 250 JSARs from the US Govt after the war and sold them with certificates of authenticity to NRA members for the amazing sum of $250!   In 20+ years of collecting and dealing in JSARs I have never seen a certificate of authenticity.  The stock on your rifle has the contours of a Winfield standard sporter but with a composition butt plate rather than recoil pad (which could have been changed due to pad deterioration).  The high gloss blue was usually done on Winfield Deluxe Sporters and Deluxe Military models.  Indeed, I have never seen that kind of finish on a Standard Sporter.  Johnson Automatics made bbls and rebarreled rifles for the commercial market. When they went under and Johnson went to work for Winchester, part of the deal was that Winchester take over the Johnson parts inventory which they promptly sold to Numrich (Gun Parts Corp).   Cecil Jackson, who purchased most of the JSARs from the Dutch, first importing them into Canada and later setting up Winfield Arms in LA, bought most of the Numrich inventory to rehabilitate his JSARs.  The bbl has the look of a Standard Sporter with original front sight but no bayonet lug.  Perhaps it was part of that inventory.  Winfield used a variety of bbls on Standard Sporters, the most common being reworked Garand bbls which are easily identified by the pin groove and remnants of the hand guard clip grooves over the chamber.  Lots of history here but all of this is documented.

     B

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Thank you very much! That helps fill in some of the gaps. I'll add some more photos of the butt pad. I looks like it was a rubber pad that deteriorated and what's left resembles a plate. I didn't realize when I bought it that the standard metal plates won't fit on these stocks. I'm guessing finding a replacement rubber pad will be almost impossible? At least an authentic one as they've all deteriorated?  Thanks!

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i notice your bolt is original to the rifle.  That is amazing on a sporter!

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Yes I noticed the bolt matched the manifest too, very cool!

The barrel number looks like 2800E, so that explains what happened to the bayonet lug.

Here's a shot of the butt pad. Seems very much it was rubber that deteriorated. Going by the old ads, it does look more like he is a Standard Sporter.

 

So now the big question is it worth trying to restore it to military configuration?

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That is not the bbl serial# but the locking collar #.  Winfield standard spotters were not polished and blued but left with original finish or Parkerized, so I suspect someone else did this one.

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I highly suspect that your butt pad is a homemade piece.

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Kinda feels that way, don't it? Like a homemade sporter between the bluing and the pad.

Thinking about sending it off to Miltech since it seems it's not a Winfield or anything else worth preserving. Not sure yet.

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