Anyone have any first hand experience with one?  Also, are the worth the prices they are now commanding?

Thanks, Todd

I've handled one but not shot it. The old timer Marines say that they're a POS for a combat rifle. The only reason the Corps adopted it was because a Marine designed it.

No, they're NOT worth what prices some are asking, IMO.

What are the going prices for the Johnson M1941 rifle?

Well, my father has one and I've shot it.  Recoils about the same as a Garand, but the sights aren't anywhere near as good.  WAY too many small parts in the gun.  Making one would be expensive.  While the M1 wasn't an easy to manufacture gun, the Johnson would have taken even more time.

One cool feature was the quick-change barrel.  You flip a lever under the barrel, and it comes right out.  Makes cleaning and barrel replacement pretty easy.  Theoretically you could have several calibers of barrels made for the one rifle and switch between say .30-06, .308, .243, 8mm, etc. in seconds.  

It used a rotary mag.  The mag is loaded by single rounds or 5rd Springfield stripper clips.  Two clips loads the mag.  You can load the mag while the bolt is shut, so you can "top off" anytime you want and still shoot.  The mag itself is thin stamped metal, and it sticks out all around the bottom of the rifle.  It's pretty easy to see that it would get dented easily in combat and that would definately effect function.  

The trigger pull is VERY long.  I mean it was a strange gun to shoot.  The one I shot was a .30-06 weapon that was one of a batch made for the US military, but I don't know the serial number etc.  It could quite possibly be a B.S. story told to my dad when he bought it.  One of these days I'll have to research it and find out.  It's definately not a sporter, and not a Dutch gun.  I haven't seen it in years, as they live a couple thousand miles from me.  It was a fun gun to shoot though.

I've handled the LMG, though never shot it.  It fired from a closed bolt on semi and an open bolt on full auto.  The rifle is closed bolt only.

They are in the over $2K area now.  Top dollar for ones that are in GI trim.  The sporters are towards the low end of the price region.  The gun is a rare collector piece now, but the gun itself isn't worth that kinda price.  I'd expect the price to do nothing but climb in the future.

Ross

I fired one not long ago..check the C&R forum for my take on it.

I thought it was pretty neat, and takedown/cleaning was a snap. It came down a lot easier than a Garand, IMO. I don't know about "small parts"...the Garand has far more parts that had to come out for a decent cleaning.

The only things I didn't like were the sights, and the trigger. The sights, as noted by Ross, were crude at best...and the trigger pull was really, really light. Oh, and loading the magazine with single loose rounds took some time to get used to. It's not an easy rifle to load.

Yeah, the Garand has more small parts to deal with on disassembly.  I was refering to manufacture.  There just seemed to be more work involved with making a Johnson.  Not that there isn't plenty of work invovled with making a Garand.  

Loading with the 5rd stripper clips speeds things up, but the clip guide is this really small thing on the side and didn't seem as effectvie as one on, say, a Mauser or M14.  In the end, although you had two less rounds in a Garand, I think you could shoot more rounds out of the M1 in a given time frame.

It's a neat gun though.  If you get the chance to shoot one, do it.  If you get the cahnce to buy one, and you have the money, it'd be worth owning.

Ross

At a recent local gunshow, 3 1941 Johnsons were on a dealer's table. Prices ranged from $3300 to $4300 for one in pristine condition. Don't believe he sold any of them.

I've owned one briefly, but never fired it. Definitely a neat rifle. This is a rifle I am always on the lookout for as an investment.

At the Middletown show? Yah, they've been there for a couple years. A little too pricy for them, I think. If he came down 500-1,000 on them, they'd go like hotcakes, methinks. I'd pick one up for myself, instead of having to steal me pop's rifle

Quoted: At the Middletown show?

This was the Syracuse gunshow. Quite possibly the same dealer though....