New to me 1941 Johnson

[Whitpusmc 0]

A7729 is now mine though not in my hands as of yet.

I would be grateful for any information about it members would like to share.

Eventually I want to return it to military configuration so I’m looking for a buttstock and Buttplate and rear sling swivel. Would also like a military configuration barrel.

Any leads towards parts would be appreciated as well.

Whit 

[Orlando 0]

Some of those parts you are looking for are pretty hard to come by. Good luck with your search, hope you find them

[Whitpusmc 0]

On 2/13/2021 at 7:36 PM, Orlando said:

Some of those parts you are looking for are pretty hard to come by. Good luck with your search, hope you find them

Thank you, much appreciated. Please keep me in mind if you ever see one!

[Whitpusmc 0]

I have been offered a reproduction buttstock which I’d like to use but requires a recoil spring tube to test.

Does anyone have a recoil tube they would sell? I can’t get mine out of a Winfield stock without much damage. Recoil keys would also be appreciated though I may be able to source those.
 

Whitpusmc@aol.com directly or through forum PM 

[eb in oregon 0]

After retiring I bought this early 1950s Windolf crawler tractor. It was a cute thing with a two cylinder Wisconsin engine. After a couple of years of tearing it apart to rebuild something (four times), to include making both rear axle clutch packs from scratch (I've a small machine shop) and the associated parts from scratch I got tired of throwing money and time into a project I'd have better left alone and just used it. I finally realized that some parts simply aren't worth the effort to reach my desired goal and that some parts aren't worth the effort, and some parts cost a great amount of money to reproduce. And I hadn't addressed the issue that the tracks themselves were virtually irreplaceable and they needed serious help. So I sold it, for not much more than I paid for it. Losing a few thousand in parts, time, and labor. I learned it isn't a good idea to buy something that requires such effort to meet a mental belief.

[Whitpusmc 0]

My father and I have rebuilt two MGBs and several Triumph Spitfires over the years. They were inadequate transportation and caused many a frustrating day. We learned the hard way that a aftermarket turbo and high compression pistons don’t mix.
I cherish those times.  The destination is one thing, the journey another and to each their own. 

I have enjoyed talking apart the M1s I bought from the CMP and have “built” a few now from parts and enjoyed all of that as well and while I’m sure I didn’t make any great money doing it when I’m using them I know what they are supposed to feel like and what they are not supposed to feel like. I have my own small machine shop and have done minor gunsmith work as well and have had some success doing so. My Craftsman lathe does better now that I’ve added a DRO and I enjoyed and learned from that project as well. Could have bought a better one new and know less. 

It’s my rifle and as a (former) Marine Officer I’d like it to look like it would have in the hands of my brothers. I won’t be the first to do so.

Still would appreciate help finding some parts, in particular a recoil tube and buttplate. 

[eb in oregon 0]

Whitpusmc, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Have at it. Advice and opinions are freely given, whether they are appreciated or listened to is an entirely different story. And the Windolf isn't the only project, merely the biggest and most worthless project.

Oh, and if your Craftsman lathe is an old one it is most likely an Atlas flat bed lathe. I had one of those for about 15 years before I gave it back to the guy who lent it to me and I upgraded. Also sold the Enco Mill/Drill (with a 3 axis DRO) and bought a Bridgeport at auction. I got a real deal on that. Only cost me fifteen hundred at the end of things and it is perfect.

 

 

[Brian Alpert 0]

You appear to be reasonably handy.  Why don't you try recontouring your sporter stock to military configuration, fitting a buttplate (available from Joseph Scott), fitting a sling swivel (available from SARCO including screws).  Numrich may have the small stock key and screws if you want to go that far.  Military configuration bbls are available (I have a few) Attach picture is one I did compared to an original

[Whitpusmc 0]

That is a reasonable suggestion and was my initial intention. You clearly have talent as your results would satisfy me 110% or slightly higher. However my Sporter stock has a small amount of damage that’s probably beyond my ability to seamlessly integrate a repair. Photo attached. Someone with talent could repair this I am sure. 

I have been unable to reach Mr Scott but M48Tanker has graciously sold me the needed parts and another forum member has sold me a reproduction stock so at this point I intend to try to install the required hardware in the reproduction stock and check it’s functionality. If it works then I will refinish it. 

I also have a spare handguard and I intend to drill out the solid pin holding the magazine in place and replace the original pin and modify the handguard to match. Another poster here recently did a similar restoration and it looks and functions much better.

Lastly I purchased a replacement military barrel so that part is restored. I really like this rifle and appreciate the support shown by the forum members here. I’m farther down the rabbit hole than I should have gone but I could recoup some amount by selling off my Sporter parts at a later date. For now they help me have a functional rifle as I chase the restoration. I’m also having fun. 
 

Lastly (again) any suggestions on removing the Sporter recoil pad? The two screws came out easily but the pad seems to remain welded onto the wood. There’s clearly some paint on the wood of the stock in a black and cream pinstripe but then the rubber seems glued to the back of the buttstock. I’d prefer not to destroy it during the removal so I can shoot it with it on. But without removal I can’t check the recoil spring length or move recoil parts to the new stock. (Not the tube, it says put. )

 

[Dutch2 0]

The recoil pad on mine had deteriorated and was already collapsed so I just scraped and ground it off, after removing the screws of course

[eb in oregon 0]

1 hour ago, Whitpusmc said:

Lastly (again) any suggestions on removing the Sporter recoil pad? The two screws came out easily but the pad seems to remain welded onto the wood. There’s clearly some paint on the wood of the stock in a black and cream pinstripe but then the rubber seems glued to the back of the buttstock. I’d prefer not to destroy it during the removal so I can shoot it with it on. But without removal I can’t check the recoil spring length or move recoil parts to the new stock. (Not the tube, it says put. )

At one time it was normal procedure to glue the recoil pad to the stock and use the screws to just hold it in place while the glue set. If the recoil pad refuses to budge that may be your situation, in which case removal will entail cutting it off and grinding or sanding the remains. You can take a sharpened putty knife and carefully work it around the joint between the stock and butt pad keeping the flat edge to the stock and the beveled edge to the butt pad, but that will leave some marks and if it is glued do nothing of consequence. Rubber recoil butt pads are cheap, it's making them fit which is the hard part. Good luck with your project.

And that large chip can be repaired with Accraglass mixed with a bit of sawdust and colored carefully, but if you don't remove the tube or at least paint the tube with about four coats of release agent it ain't ever coming out again. While the repair will be visible, it won't be nearly as noticeable. You can make a little dam out of something like a plastic milk carton and mash a large chunk of children's play clay to form it in place. And I'd take a small drill and poke a few holes in the bottom of the break for the Accraglass to grab a bond.

[Whitpusmc 0]

Thanks for both replies! And thanks for all the help, especially M48Tanker and John R for the parts help.

Whit

[eb in oregon 0]

2 hours ago, Whitpusmc said:

Thanks for both replies! And thanks for all the help, especially M48Tanker and John R for the parts help.

Whit

By the way, if you do use some clay to form and hold a dam in place in fixing that break DO NOT place it under a lamp to assist in curing as it will melt the clay and getting that out will be a chore. Been there, done that. So let it cure under room temperature for 24 hours at least. Anyway, just getting the clay out unmelted is a job all by itself.