My Mil-Surps

[roverboy]

I got bored here and thought I'd post my Mil-Surps. Most are not much but here you go.

[Cbenc1]

Thats a helluva good start. Not many collections have a Johnson Automatic.

[462]

Indeed, the Johnson is pretty unique.

[captain-03]

The Johnson is a collection in itself!!

[Bloodman14]

What, no Enfields?

[nicholst55]

A nice looking accumulation of old soldiers! I gather the Johnson has been 'sporterized' with the new front sight. Still, it looks good.

[Combat Diver]

Nice collection!

[roverboy]

Glad yall like the Johnson. I call it the Holy Grail. The front sight was on it when I got it. But pretty much everything else is original. I've not shot it much. Just shot M2 loads in it so far. I'm gonna try my Garand loads in it some time.

[roverboy]

What, no Enfields?

Sorry, I've just not got into'em yet. Now my brother in law he's got 3.

[Shooter6br]

Dad had one SN 901 He sold it with an FN 1949 and 7mm Mauser and a 1941 Tokaroth (Russian)

[Multigunner]

Glad yall like the Johnson. I call it the Holy Grail. The front sight was on it when I got it. But pretty much everything else is original. I've not shot it much. Just shot M2 loads in it so far. I'm gonna try my Garand loads in it some time.

Thats one of the advantages of the Recoil operated Johnson rifles, they easily digest ammo that would bend the op rod of a Garand. No problems with burning rates and pressure curves, just so long as theres sufficient recoil the action will cycle.

No gas port, cylinders, and pistons to keep clean either.

[Combat Diver]

You need to find a US M1917 Enfield

[roverboy]

You need to find a US M1917 Enfield

I don't have one but, a friend of mine's got one but the reciever has been scrubbed. Thats kinda sad.

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

I'll swap you a very nice M1917 for the Johnson. :D

[waksupi]

Scrubbed receivers are okay, depending on what you are going to do with the rifle. On this one, I leveled the front ring, and engraved it. Gives a nice work surface.

[roverboy]

I'll swap you a very nice M1917 for the Johnson. :D

Sorry, I gotta pass. I can't blame ya though.

[Bloodman14]

What is a "scrubbed" receiver?

[roverboy]

Scrubbed means that the reciever stamp has been filed or ground away.

[BarryinIN]

Glad yall like the Johnson. I call it the Holy Grail. The front sight was on it when I got it. But pretty much everything else is original. I've not shot it much. Just shot M2 loads in it so far. I'm gonna try my Garand loads in it some time.

The front sight looks like the one mine came with. It was what Winfield Arms used when they re-sold the Johnsons in the 60s that they bought from the Dutch.

There is a gentleman in TX who makes the correct style front sight for these (and the bayonet lug, and a lot of other parts). I had him replace my sight, add the bayonet lug, and re-park the barrel.
In addition to returning it to it's military glory, I find it easier to shoot with the correct front sight. I didn't do well with the sporter type's round bead in peep sights (centering a round bead in a round hole is easy but locating that bead under a bullseye is a problem for me). The flat topped sight is much easier for me to use.

My stock was non-original too. I can't tell about yours from the pic. Mine had a recoil pad, which is pretty obviously wrong, but aside from that, it was lacking the cross screws that help locate the recoil spring tube and hold it in place.
The same guy who did the sight replaced the stock on mine. Stock replacement is more involved than it first appears because that recoil tube has to be located properly. Since he did it for nothing after buying the parts, I gladly let him do it.

If you are interested in getting a military front sight, bayonet lug, etc, I can give you that gentleman's contact info. It only took him about two weeks to change and re-park it.
I was hesitant to spend the extra money restoring it after buying the rifle because I felt pretty good just for doing that, but I am extremely glad I did now.

I was just shooting cast in mine today in fact, and have been thinking about posting a report on cast in the Johnson after I try a few more loads. It does have a wider tolerance for ammo that will function it than the Garand, no question. I was using the Saeco 301 today, which makes for a loooong cartridge, but it still works through the magazine.

Something you might keep in mind if and when you try cast in it: What feeds and functions with five rounds in the magazine might not work with ten in the magazine. There isn't that much more spring pressure when loaded, but it causes enough added drag to slow the bolt just enough to matter.

[roverboy]

I may try to restore it. I'd like to someday. I got a good deal on it.