Spitfire configuration

[JohnSch 0]

I currently have some of the spitfire configuration M1 carbines but only one is a MM Johnson and is stamped MM Johnson on the reciever. It is marked 223a on receiver and barrel but the rifle is a polished smooth metal and nicely blued with a front site that is very simular to the Winfield 41 Johnson sporter site, just smaller. Rear site is a peep site. The stock looked like a typical M1 carbine military but was broken at the wrist so I got the rifle for $200.00. Did Johnson ever sell there spitfire in a polished and blued configuration with sporter type sites?

If so, will any replacement M1 stock do fine, I could find no markings on the broken one to make it unique. If these rifles did not come out of the Johnson Factory in this sporter config, anyone know who can return it to it's proper configuration and possibly 'tune" it for some target shooting.

If they did come out this way, did they ever come out with a sporter stock with cheakrest etc...

All my Non "Johnson" 5.7's are in military configurations and don't keep a very tight grouping, but they are still a lot of fun.

[Ed Johnson 0]

To answer some of your questions, you may refer to the recent book by Canfield and Lamoreaux titled "Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns, available from:

www.brucecanfield.com

In addition, go to the following website for info on the MMJ 5.7 project.

http://www.imageseek.com/5.7mm/

We manufactured the new 5.7 Johnson Spitfire Carbines back in the mid '60's with blued actions, custom sporter stocks and Williams front and rear sights. The name of our company was "Johnson Guns, Inc." started by my father, Melvin Johnson and later "Johnson Arms, Inc." operated by my mother, Virginia and myself.

Other versions of the M1 Carbine manufactured in this caliber were produced by the Plainfield machine Company of Dunnelen, NJ which was later bought and produced by Iver Johnson (no relation to Mel Johnson, my father). There were some technical differences in the guns, including barrel twist.

In any case, buy the book and check the website. You will enjoy both. Ed Johnson

[JohnSch 0]

Thank you!

I have purchased the book and hope its information is mostly accurate. I knew you would be the ultimate source for this information. You had before mentioned there was a difference in twist rate among the "Spitfire" type rifles out there and that made a very real difference on the bullets performance. I don't remember what the book said was the twist rate your father chose to go with so I'll have to read up that again. But didn't your Dad do a lot of theory and testing to determine the proper bore design for a proper length and twist rate to give it the ability to travel strait and then do extraordinary damage by destabilizing, tumbling around inside its target after impact and delivering it's energy internally instead of just passing through. Isn't that one of the issues with the current military .223 rifles in use by our guy's, the high twist rate. The bullet spins so fast that it will stay stable on impact and pass right through without delivering it's energy efficiently unless it hits a large bone or metal object being worn first?

Anyway, I'm glad the rifle is most likely in it's original config and I can just add on a new stock, preferably a sport stock with cheek rest and a scope (NO DRILLING) for my new varmint toy and have it be in an original configuration and barrel twist to show people who I might be with, what to look for and which manufacture to go with when they watch the target object come apart instead of just having a little hole through it. :-).

I LOVE your Fathers / Family's work and contributions and have tried to buy every Johnson I could afford for the last 5 years now and my 41 Johnson pile is getting there, but they are not all prime examples (some rough and some dark bores, some broken wood and some others being the Winfield Sporter style) but a few are very nice and I really enjoy them and they don't kick like a mule as does my Garand.

Have a great day

Thank you

John

[Ed Johnson 0]

John, you are correct on the "tumbling" effect of a .223 40 grain bullet coming out of an 18" barrel with a 1 in 16" twist at approximately 3000 FPS. The bullet is potentially unstable, with just enough spin to remain stable until it strikes a "fluid" target. At that point, the combination of the bullet NOT drilling straight through the "target" thus creating more fluid pressure, combined with the high velocity of the bullet to begin with, makes for a lethal combination. However, the same bullet with military full metal jacket configuration will drive through a 1/8 to 1/4 steel metal plate with no problem. Ed J