Transferable Johnson LMG's

[HHollow 0]

I am new to the forum and wonder about the population of transferable Johnson LMG's.  I have been watching the usual auction sites and see a nice C&R Johnson be offered maybe once every 9 months or so.  Of course the asking prices tend towards insanity.

Anybody care to estimate the number of transferable Johnsons?  Dozens?  A hundred? 

For a US made MG I would have expected to see more out there,  And I have not noticed any rewelds or remanufactured (non C&R) transferables.

I am a collector of the Dutch AR10 MGs and semis.  I blame the rarity of C&R AR10s on the fact that they were made overseas.  But why is the Johnson LMG so rare?

[Brian Alpert 0]

According to Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns pg. 162, factory records specify 2805 1941 LMGs were produced although as many as 200 more "samples" may have been assembled.  Only 125 were actually delivered to the US government before the contract for 1600 was cancelled in Nov 1942.  These 125 were received by the 1st Special Service Force.  US Marine Raider and Parachute units had an unknown number.  It is thought that the Japanese captured most of the Netherlands contract 600 JLMGs when the Netherlands East Indies surrendered.  Armex International offered 41JLMGs to Class 3 dealers and law enforcement for $650 in 1981.  Reportedly most of these ended up being cut up and sold as parts sets, some of which were assembled on modified JSAR receivers as legal semi-auto "LMGs"

[HHollow 0]

Much thanks for that information.  I had thought there were more transferable JLMGs and will get a copy of "Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns" before I ask any more questions.

[Bruce Canfield 0]

I don't know how many transferable M1941 LMGs are in the BATF registry but the number is certainly rather low, likely no more than a couple dozen at best.  They are rare because not many were acquired from the Dutch by the Marine Corps and those were purged from the USMC inventory well before the end of WWII. The   It is doubtful if many (or any) that were retained by the Dutch ever made it back to United States.   The last example of a transferable M1941 LMG I saw went for just north of $75,000.

The USMC contracted for 515 M1941 LMGs, the first contract for 15 guns was January 11, 1942 and the second for 500 on April 23, 1942.    Marine Corps records indicate that as of late October 380 of these guns had been delivered; 244 were issued to the Parachute Battalions and 136 were in "depot stock."  The U.S. Army subsequently procured 125 LMGs for issue to the First Special Service Force. All of these guns were acquired from the Netherlands Purchasing Commission.