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Big Al1
Senior MemberPosts: 8,502 Senior Member
I took the Johnson apart, just to see what makes it tick, and as I was cleaning the barrel I noticed that the breech end looked very familiar! So I went back and checked my reference book and found out that Maynard Johnson was hired in 1954 by the Armalite Co. as a design consultant and one of his co-workers was Eugene Stoner!! Anybody that has been is the military is the last fifty years should know who Stoner is. (NO not that guy, every unit had one!!)
The other familiar part (s) I notice was the link for the recoil system, very similar to the Browning A-5.
The recoil springs were in the butt stock.
Other than having a rather slim barrel, the only other weaknesses I did notice, was that the magazine was made of rather light sheet metal, I'm sure it could be easily dented in a combat situation rendering it useless. OTOH, It's fast to load and can be topped off with the bolt closed and a round in the chamber, unlike the Garand. There was even an experimental model of the Garand that had a Johnson magazine fitted to it.
That's what I love about this old stuff, how they were designed and similarities with modern firearms!!
Does this look familiar??
Big Al1
Senior MemberPosts: 8,502 Senior Member
I took the Johnson apart, just to see what makes it tick, and as I was cleaning the barrel I noticed that the breech end looked very familiar! So I went back and checked my reference book and found out that Maynard Johnson was hired in 1954 by the Armalite Co. as a design consultant and one of his co-workers was Eugene Stoner!! Anybody that has been is the military is the last fifty years should know who Stoner is. (NO not that guy, every unit had one!!)
The other familiar part (s) I notice was the link for the recoil system, very similar to the Browning A-5.
The recoil springs were in the butt stock.
Other than having a rather slim barrel, the only other weaknesses I did notice, was that the magazine was made of rather light sheet metal, I'm sure it could be easily dented in a combat situation rendering it useless. OTOH, It's fast to load and can be topped off with the bolt closed and a round in the chamber, unlike the Garand. There was even an experimental model of the Garand that had a Johnson magazine fitted to it.
That's what I love about this old stuff, how they were designed and similarities with modern firearms!!
Replies
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
And you still opened it!!
Cool piece of history. Heck, be a real pal and offer your BIL 100 bucks to take it off his hands :tooth: :guns: :guns: :guns: :guns:
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
The bore was not as bad as I thought would be, until it got to the last inch before the muzzle. The rifling was thin but still visible. I think he paid about 100 bucks for both of them.
See you can offer him a profit @ 100 bucks each!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
It's already back together. I don't make bag guns, I re-assemble them!!
It's very similar to an M-16 style breech. That's the connection between Johnson and Stoner. Both rifles use a similar breech system.
In short, imagine trying to explain it to Buffco so he can explain it to CPJ.
However in NN's defense, when he was a Marine they had just transitioned from flintlocks to the percussion cap. I'm not sure he's acquainted with them new-fangled self-loading muskets.
You too act like I was armed with a M-16; it was a .38 revolver, 1 ea,
And in Vietnam it was a 5 shot .38 revolver.
DO NOT use crayon to explain it. Unless you have forceps for extracting said crayon from the Marines nose.
Dad 5-31-13
Oh sure your probably the second guy on this forum that can re assemble a Ruger MKII...... Me being he first;-)
That is a cool pict. Funny how good things stick around.
So, you are saying that there is a little Johnson in that Stoner?
Ok, I'll stop now.
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
What is that thing inside the breech with the white outline on the bottom that goes from 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock?
Looks like Eugene Stoner did borrow that breech idea. And that recoil system is pretty similar to an A-5.
I guess that good ideas tend to get recycled in some form or another in firearms. Twin lug bolt lockup on bolt actions has been around for over a hundred years, and got transitioned to quite a few semi auto rifles, and pump actions. The single locking lug on top of the bolt of pump and semi auto shotguns is another one that seems pretty common.
I also have a Ruger Mark I and a 22/45 and love the way they shoot. Just not thrilled with putting it back together after cleaning. My Buckmark is way easier to disassemble and assemble. But I wouldn't think of getting rid of the Rugers. Especially the Mk. I.
― Douglas Adams
If the last inch of the bore is in poor condition, a counterboring could solve the issues without altering the rifle's looks.
Funny how they issued a rifle that "filled the gap" between the '03 and the BAR; the Garand finally made this and the bolt-action Springfield battlefield relics.