The search for a new rifle
Before we get into the Johnson rifle, you must understand the stage that was set at the time. During World War I, the United States was rocking the 1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle. After the war, every major nation realized the advantage of the semi-automatic rifle and began pursuing adoption of a more modern design.
Related: Memorial Day Salute – The Venerable Springfield 1903
For the United States, that design came from a Canadian named John Garand, whose rifle patent was adopted in 1936 as the U.S. M1 Caliber .30 rifle, or the M1 Garand.
Melvin Johnson enters the chat
Although the M1 Garand was adopted in 1936, it took a while for the design to reach all the units, branches, and outfits. During the early production cycle, a firearm inventor by the name of Melvin Johnson came forward with a different design for a semi-automatic rifle.
Related: Ode to the M1 Garand – America's Beloved Battle Rifle
Now, Johnson’s design was not necessarily intended to replace the Garand, but rather to enter service alongside the M1 to supplement production. Johnson believed that the long-stroke gas piston system of the Garand would have issues with wartime production ammunition, as there was a lot of energy required in a long-stroke system.
He happened to offer a rifle that operated on a short recoil system, driven by the inertia of round leaving the barrel. Thus, in 1940, Johnson submitted his rifle to military trials.
Related: Historic Arms – M1941 Johnson Semi-automatic Rifle and LMG
Rejection and Redemption
Ultimately, the U.S. decided to pass on Johnson’s design, as they thought it would deviate production priority to the M1 Garand. However, with waning interest from the United States, the Dutch showed a great bit of interest in the design. In 1941, the Dutch ordered 10,000 rifles for delivery to the East Dutch Indies, where there was concern over war with an advancing Imperial Japan.
Production began in 1941, but only 1,999 rifles were delivered prior to the fall of the East Dutch Indies in January of 1942. This left the remaining Dutch contract rifles to go into storage.
Called into service
Before long, a U.S. Marine Corps officer discovered the collection of stored Dutch contract rifles. Considering that the Marines were the smallest branch of the military, they were the last branch to receive the latest and greatest. While U.S. Army units were receiving and training on the new semi-automatic M1 Garand, the Marines were relegated to the bolt-action Springfield 1903. In fact, the Springfield 1903 remained the standard-issue rifle until late 1943 and early 1944.
Upon discovery of the shipment, it was realized that the Johnson rifle was a semi-automatic rifle chambered in .30-06 Springfield that fed off 1903 stripper clips. This led the Marine Corps to revive Melvin Johnson’s dream of a supplemental rifle as the East Dutch Indies rifles entered service in the Pacific.
The Marine Corps ended up ordering more 1941 Johnson Automatic Rifles, along with several thousand Johnson light machine guns, totaling 30,000 units (including the 10,000 Dutch contract rifles) by the end of the war. At the end of the war, outside of a small contract for 1,000 rifles to Chile, the Johnson rifle exited service and production. The surviving rifles were sold on the surplus market, some entering domestic collections while others went to places like Israel to fight in the conflict there.
Much like the U.S. model of 1917 Enfield, the Johnson rifle faithfully served with none of the official recognition. Melvin Johnson would go on to take the bolt design from the 1941 pattern rifle to a project with Eugene Stoner in what would become the AR-15.
The design
The 1941 Johnson rifle is a funky design. Due to the fat receiver, it is is often referred to as the “pregnant belly” rifle. The magazine is an internal rotary-based magazine designed to feed from 1903 stripper clips. This design makes it easier to top off when loading, a task that is pretty much impossible with the Garand.
The rifle is also distinguished by the thin barrel that protrudes from a short wood handguard. This is due to the recoil system, as the barrel floats inside the handguard and moves back with recoil, unlocking the bolt. This is similar to the operation of the M2 Browning Machine gun, using the recoil of the bullet to cycle the action. One issue with the rifle was with bayonets, as adding a weight to the barrel could inhibit the movement of the barrel, preventing a reliable cycle.
The rifle has a cheese-grater-style heat shield and a safety selector in front of the trigger guard. The sights feature a rear block with a peep hole, as well as a front post with protective wings. The rear block sight obscures more of the peripheral, unlike the round rear sight design of the Garand.
The bolt is a rotary design, similar to that of the AR-15. As the barrel presses on the bolt, it unlocks and is pushed to the rear. The recoil spring is contained within the receiver and butt stock, pushing the bolt back into action.
On the Range
Shooting the 1941 Johnson rifle is such an amazing experience, considering the rarity of the rifle. Again, it was never officially adopted, but the Marines had a great deal of love for this design. In fact, Captain Robert Dunlap relied on his 1941 Johnson rifle during the actions that landed him a nomination for the Medal of Honor.
In a side-by-side shooting comparison with the M1 Garand, the Johnson rifle has a little bit of a harsher recoil impulse. The short-stroke system tends to lead to a tad bit more felt recoil. It is also harder to maintain situational awareness and run through target transitions with the big square block sight, in comparison.
That said, reloading and topping off rounds is so much easier with the Johnson. While I did not have any 1903 stripper clips, there is never a concern of “Garand thumb” with this loading system. The en bloc clip of the Garand basically makes it impossible to open the action and top off rounds easily.
This particular rifle is a Dutch contract with a 5000 serial number range with no letter prefixes. What an incredible piece of history. It’s not very often you get a chance to shoot a short recoil-operated rifle – much less one that is a decorated World War II veteran.
Summary
I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: the best part of this job is getting to see and highlight rifles like this 1941 Johnson Automatic Rifle. The history, the design, and the service all work together to make you appreciate the time that has gone by.
In a world so blessed with ease and amenities, it is easy to forget those who sacrificed everything to offer this way of life. Rifles like this are just a peek into the struggle and service of those who have gone before, and it is a treat to show off this rifle so that it is never forgotten.
History is fun to learn and read about, but it’s way better when you can take it to the range.
