Johnson LMG: History & Disassembly
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- / forgottenweapons
The Johnson light machine gun is one of the lesser-known US military machine guns of WWII, although it seems to have been very popular with all those who used it in combat. Melvin Johnson made a commendable attempt to get his rifles adopted by the US military, but was unable to unseat the M1 Garand as American service rifle. However, he did make a significant sale of both rifles and light machine guns to the Dutch colonial army.
By the time those Dutch guns were ready to ship, however, the Japanese had overrun most of the Dutch islands. The guns were thus basically sitting on the docks with nowhere to go, and at that point the US Marine Corps took possession of them. Because of their short recoil action and quickly removable barrels, the Johnson guns were ideal for airborne Paramarines, and saw use in the Pacific with these forces. They were also used by the joint US/Canadian First Special Service Force in Italy.
In many ways, the Johnson LMG is similar to the German FG-42, although with more emphasis on full-auto use instead of shoulder rifle use. It fired from a closed bolt in semiauto and from an open bolt in full auto, and had a bipod both effective, light, and easily detachable. Overall the Johnson is a light, handy, and very easily dismantled weapon, and its popularity with combat troops seems well deserved.
/ forgottenweapons
Thank you so much for laying down the facts about my grandfather's guns and the places where they were used. I am the grandson of Melvin Johnson Jr.
+Dreaded88 Thanks and it's my Grandfather not father. I'm not that old yet. Haha!
***** Thanks for the compliment for this invention.
Lou Johnson that is pretty cool.
steelrain7.62API Thank you Steel!
Lou Johnson did any of his creations get passed down in the family? lol
A simpler, lighter BAR you can wield like a rifle? I'm surprised this wasn't more popular. At least we know this design saw some success.
It looks like if it had a shorter carbine barrell and the magazine below the gun it would have been a good assault rifle.
+brett knoss why?
nathan pennington because it would have been light enough to use as a rifle, versatile enough to be a sub machine gun (yes it would be high recoil but so was an AK and an M14), and it could still do some machine gun work. Definatly think the Johnson rifle was a small improvement over the Garand at best, and it didn't justify the logistics.
well the design came out too late, alot of commentators talking about the logistics and the M1 already being in production these simple things helping to win the war practically. Although from what our friend at forgotten weapons is saying (also in the review of the rifle) is that the Johnson was relatively light, especially compared to the BAR, i was more curious about the side mag comment, would of been more usable with a drum mag for sure, but no way of prone or bipod firing with that long mag set out underneath
+nathan pennington I hadn't thought of it being a single row mag, just thought it would balance better.
I have always loved the Johnson line of rifles and LMGs. A little over a year ago, I went out to eat with my grandpa who is a WW2 veteran who fought in the Pacific. When I walked into the restaurant, I saw him talking to another WW2 vet who had his vet cap on. I wanted to talk to this other vet before he left and give my thanks and found out he was extremely frail and had trouble talking. Who I am presuming was his daughter asked if I wanted to see his medal and I of course said yes. He then pulled out a Congressional Gold Medal presented to members of the 1st Special Service Force. I was like holy crap. I have forever idolized the Johnson and the 1st SSF and here I was talking to this hero. In his time, he was the toughest of the tough.
My grandpa was also in the army. But he fought for Canada
Hero? Hhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhaa
@@matthewbrowatzke6024 XD
I'm Dutch and I find the story of the Dutch being just too late, somewhat unprepared and caught off guard at the start of WWII to fit in with this story nicely.
Melvin Johnson's contribution to the development of the AR10/15 is seriously understated. Most of his design elements from the rifle and LMG are present on the AR10.
He also took essentially the same system as the French MAS and Swedish Ljungman plus the overall aestehetic of the MP43.
I'd sure like to see this go up against the FG-42 in a two gun match!
Merle Morrison FG 42 would win. The Johnson has too much recoil
Have you ever shot a Johnson or FG42? I own a FG42 made by SSD in Germany. It has very little recoil and the muzzle nearly does not rise when shooting. A short recoil gun does have too much recoil with the whole mass of the barrel reciprocating. The magazine is also too long. And well even Ian said in an later episode that the Johnson is a miserable gun to shoot.
bob445566DE from what I know,the trigger system of Johnson is far more superior than FG 42, and the johnson doesn’t kick as much as you thought cause I do had shot both of them in the US.
You will see it in Heroes and generals
I don't recall an episode where Ian said that, and if he did it would've been about the 1945(el cheapo) variant of the gun... I do vaguely recall hearing something about the FG42 having issues with it being too light and fragile in one of his videos though. XD
I know because you own one they can do no wrong in your eyes. But how's about you stop FG42 fangirling and calm your tits. They're both cool guns.
Johnson's 1945 book "Automatic Weapons of the World" is still available if you look around. It's full of information on every class of self-loading firearms, from pocket pistols to autocannon-very much including Johnson's own LMGs-together with his reflections on the relation of weapons to tactics.
14:58 I almost had a heart attack. I mean this buzzing sound. You listen totally concentrated and then this "Bwoop!" occurs.
lmao i died XD
Me too
you're the living proof that you can talk about guns from every sort ,and not being the typical badass-looking and brain-dead gun crazy ,that are so common on the net.
This channel is my favourite because it shows that you can like guns without being a stereotype poster boy for Trump kind of American. It shows that guns and intelligence are not mutually exclusive.
+ianmanfredsengensen1 dude you and people like you are a large part of the problem America has thats causing big brother to constantly limit and/or remove our right to bear arms. A shotgun or pistol is more then sufficient for home defence and if you havent taken saftey classes and dont know how to handle any firearm short of an automatic you shouldnt have access to a firearm anyway. Also, NEVER heard of a common thief breaking into someone's house with a rifle or a balistic vest, which in my opinion are the only times you need the firepower an assault rifle provides. As a matter of fact, given where I live, I've know my fair share of both burglars and victims of burglary, most of the time it's someone who has nothing let alone the income to afford an ar15 or pistol.. often the only thing they might have that could be considered a weapon is the tool they used to break into the house, like maybe a prybar. I think you watch too many movies or play too many video games.. no one's coming into your house in tactical gear with a machine gun to steal mommy's jewelry.. and it's fine if an AR is what you have but it's not necessary for home defense. Most of the time, even SWAT doesn't use rifle calibers because of the possibility they have to penetrate walls, appliances, doors or whatever gets in the way and potentially hit an unintended target which is a huge liability. Get real kid
the Creative Assembly machinimas Do you mean IQ?
If you are trying to look clever, try reading what you have written out loud, and see if it still sounds good.
FYI, I am in the UK and don't own a gun.
America also has a population FIVE times that of Italy, just an important note.
So, you admit that the United States has more crime than Italy, while at the same time condemning Americans from wanting to protect themselves from criminals?
Gives a whole different meaning to, "Grab your Johnson."
badweetabix and go shoot some guys... oh dear
Would you be firing from the hip?
Underrated
Talk about dumping a load from your Johnson..
Skóggangr - Um...ew. 😉
I couldn't engineer my way out of a wet paper bag, but I've got to say, designing the feed system so that you could add an additional 5 rounds into the mag well/action in addition to the 20 round mag seems pretty frigging ingenious to me.
@@justforever96modern soldiers still carry stripper clips today they weigh almost nothing and can help reload magazines faster than just loading them one round at a time
the Johnson lmg is probably the world's most underrated gun.
Johnson's work is severely underrated overall in my opinion. Like yeah, we recognize his work today but back then, I feel like he was always treated as 2nd tier. Kind of like Pederson.
@@UA-camViolates1A Believe & willing to be corrected if wrong, that Israel used several of these in the early wars they fought The Philippine Forces in Korea as well
@@MrSaerrock I wouldn't know to be honest.
Thanks for noticing.
@@UA-camViolates1A Thank you!
hmm, reciprocating barrel bayonet. Rapid fire = Saws all. you can shoot and saw someone in half up close and personal. LOL
so, retro Gears of War
+wishuhadmyname what did you think the retro lancer was?
@Qwerti39 and look what happend after you nuke a country twice....
@@albertgeovanni3301 At are expense!
😂
Goddamn, that mag is so much larger than i thought it was! Really stands out when you see it next to a living person.
Don't you just hate it when the Japanese invade your biggest customers?
Maybe that's the way Disney felt when the stupid Pokemon anime/cartoon craze exploded in the USA in the mid to late 90s.
Don't you hate it when the Japanese mount bayonets on their LMG's??
@@SarionFetecuse So did Germany on the FG-42.
@@Psiberzerker fg42 was supposed to be a hybrid between machine gun and rifle so a bayonet makes sense.
Who are you ford?
Why this didnt replace the dead log of a gun the BAR is beyond me, this Johnson is utterly slick and brilliant
Same reason the Johnson rifle didn't replace the M1. They already had plenty of BARs, they'd been using the BAR for a long time, and it wasn't enough better to justify throwing out the BAR and adopting the Johnson LMG instead.
Also, the Johnson isn’t a smoothe shooting weapon, kicks like a bitch.
@@edm240b9 Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't care enough about the BAR, but isn't the BAR's recoil bad too?
Dirtyturtle10 DT10 I have footage of me firing the A2 BAR on my channel, and recoil is not bad at all.
It moves on you, there’s no doubt about it; but because it’s so damn heavy, it definitely softens the kick.
The Johnson’s recoil operation system means a lot more mass is being pushed back into the shooter’s shoulder somewhat violently, and combine that on full auto, it gets a bit unbearable.
@@edm240b9 Good to know! I appreciate the info.
Charging the gun makes a satisfying mechanical sound.
+TheFoodnipple
Seemingly very quiet, too.
+TheDoctorGnome Erm...
TheDoctorGnome
....I'm not really into that stuff..
*quickly closes all of hisASMR anime videos*
...really,trust me-
...Oh dear God...
I can only imagine what the world would look like had we beat the Nazi's with our Johnsons waving around.
Remember to use BOTH hands when handling your Johnson.
It's for fighting AND fun!
Looks like Stoner was Johnson fan.
+Ronald Colman More like Johnson was Stoner's Daddy. and several other peoples, daddy. He was the dude.
I’m a stoner and a fan of my johnson
They worked together on AR-10. And Johnson was behind the design of the bolt. So his legacy is much bigger then people even know, considering how popular and influential the AR rifle has become.
"I don't like this machinegun"
"Why?"
"Can't attach a bayonet to it"
The US Marine Corps in the 40's. Lt. General Chesty Puller famously asked where you'd fit a bayonet when having a flamethrower demonstrated to him. Apparently nobody gave him the memo that bayonet charges were getting kinda stupid.
i guess no one ever explained how influential bayonet training is on infantry or how its much better to have a skill you dont need than it is to need a skill and not have it.
+metamorphicorder You can use the time for something else, rather than to train a skill that is outdated. They don't teach walking fire anymore either.
+VIPER150311 The US hasn't had bayonets fixed since the Korean War.
+Toastmaster1990 Should you also teach soldiers how to use muskets and sabers?
+Nukle0n walking fire is taught, frontal assault is no longer taught because thats some dumb shit. but developing and maintaining mobility both individually or as a group while maintining mission specific fire is the basis of modern warfare, that was the entire purpose of walking fire, the context and application has changed and so has the way it has taught. an whether or not we have fixed bayonets since whenever is irrelevant to my point, the skill is basic, simple, (not easy) done relatively quickly, the equipment is multiputpose, cheap, not obtrusive and is simply one more tool for someone to survive by or accomplish their mission. furthermore, if we do train our soldiers in this, then its something that that have and can do which their enemy may not, so it is an advantage. if we do, then its something they cant do, which their enemy may be able to do so that's a disadvantage. if they even have the equipment and not the skill against an enemy who does have the skill in a situation that they have to use it, they will more than likely lose. even furthermore, the training for bayonets has an effect on other aspects of training and mentality that no other or few other types of training have. its a very harrowing and centering thing to consider a scrwaming angry man running at you scared shitless of you thrusting a big fucking pike at your chest, leg or head or having go do the same thing yourself, pr how not to have to do it.
I liked the Johnson rifles and I think this light machine gun is even better. It seems to have it all. The best parts of an open bolt machine gun. The best parts of a closed bolt semi-auto rifle. A quickly changed magazine, and the entire thing does not weight too much. Really interesting trigger group too.
One of my friends grandfather was a Para Marine, and loved this weapon. Thought it was much better then the BAR. After watching this, I would tend to agree. The weight, sights, quick change barrel, and bipod assembly alone are way better. Thank you for the video. One to add to my virtual fantasy collection.
Johnson LMG; My bucket list for this channel is nearly complete!!
+Frank Dantuono What else is on it? :)
Top 5 (in no particular order):
The M50 Ontos (one is at Rock Island Arsenal in the park with all the armored vehicles)
A volley gun
The PIAT
A leather cannon of any kind
A Hispano Mk II 20mm
Forgotten Weapons Top 5 (in no particular order):
The M50 Ontos (one is at Rock Island Arsenal in the park with all the armored vehicles)
A volley gun
The PIAT
A leather cannon of any kind
A Hispano Mk II 20mm
Show less
+Frank Dantuono
i think Ian has already done a volley gun or something close to it, let me look ... after about 5 minutes of looking through the channel i did find that yes, Ian has reviewed a volley gun, the 5-barrel Nordenfelt gun
The internals of this look like an ancestor of the AR-15. Especially the lower receiver section.
+1337penguinman and the barrel too
+1337penguinman I was thinking the same thing. selector, and auto sear trip look very AR-15/ M16. really smart how they got it to fire from a closed bolt in semi. Maybe too ahead of it's time and people just couldn't stomach the recoil operated rifles. The BAR gas system is basically what is used in the MAG58/ M240B.
The owner of the hunting ranch that I worked at as a kid, happened to own a Johnson LMG. it was a souvenir from WWII European theater. Jerry was Czechoslovakian underground resistance fighter who joined up with SAS in 1941. Captured and escaped from the Germans 2 times. Very nice LMG and the barrel change is a snap to accomplish the accuracy was decent on full auto at long range. It was the first machine gun that I ever used and I liked it. Every week end at the end of a long day I used to beg to shoot it.
Having the drill rounds for the demonstration is really good.
Watching how this gun is designed and is assembled really makes me think that stoner gets all the credit for alot of ideas that came from johnson for ar-10 and now ar-15.
I would love to see you guys use this rifle in a 2 gun match, maybe even in competition with the FG42! I know that's likely incredibly unrealistic considering how rare and valuable they are. But still, the request stands!
Thanks for showing us a really cool rifle. Melvin Johnson was a really good firearms designer. I think it's unfortunate that none of his weapons saw wide use.
Then the Korean War happened AND the military was still using the BAR.
the joint american / Canadian 1'st special service force - aka the devils brigade and the us marine corps raider units had gotten some use and action out of them , another good underrated weapon
Ever since Battlefield 1942 I have absolutely loved Johnson LMGs. Now, because of this video, I love it even more.
Wow, a full-auto I'd actually want... Mostly because it's nifty. didn't know about these, Johnson was a clever designer.
Watched your 10/3/16 video on the Johnson rifle where you mentioned that Johnson went on to work with Stoner on the original AR designs. With the you can kind of see it, with this LMG the familial relation is glaring. Buffer in the stock is straight, the rear grip looks nearly identical and the proportions look very similar. Rotate the Mag well 90 degrees and this would basically be a 30-06 select fire AR.
Edit: Watching the disassembly I need to amend this. This is a 30-06 AR style rifle minus gas feed with the mag well rotated 90 degrees... WOW.
It's the ancestor of the AR-15 :)
+KCMercenary223 It really is, as far as the locking system.
+Donsknotts What I thought as well but also there were versions in 303
even the lower assembly, inline stock/raised sights.... very AR-like
kinda, sorta, but not really either. i have little doubt stoner was inspired by col johnson's bolt head, but that "interrupted spline" config was actually pretty old hat by the time melvin used it, let alone eugene (pretty sure browning patented it turn of the last century, lol). the actual "guts et al" closest similar arm is the mg42s (and their kindred), with the short recoil action (though a far less elegantly simple bolt than johnson's, his is a genuine engineering marvel of unvarnished functionality). it actually appears one could seemingly do a belt feed mod using the hk-21 system (and some skillful kluging), as the action is pretty suited to those nato push belts. a beltfed johnson in .243 (or a maggy fed orig in 25-06) would be an incredibly flat shooting 400 yd "death ray", lol
mg42 was roller locked, but short recoil operated (with an expansion chamber accelerator, rather than a browning kicker). the mg42 has the locking occurring in a barrel extension, just like the johnson, and AR. the "quick change barrel" on BOTH changes the extension as well (as opposed to being lugged barrel in either trunnion or milled receiver).the johnson is actually a short recoil variant of the remington model 8 type action (browning long recoil rotating bolt), with an impressively elegant camming system (actually lifted from madsen, i believe, or one of the other less often heralded euro also-rans). there is actually a LOT of madsen in the johnson, just modernized and made modular, as the madsen designs pre-date WW1, and show that "old world craftsmanship" that is impressive in cuckoo clocks, but life threatening when applied to most tools of warfare. the ONLY similarities between a johnson, and an ar is the splines as lugs, and a cylindrical barrel extension. that just shows they are the product of the same "school of thought" of industrial design. it maximizes leverage of the unlocking scheme (less rotational arc to unlock), and can allow for a VERY effective "primary extraction" during that high leverage, low axial motion period. the garand did basically exactly the same, just with 2 lugs.
Im surprised the U.S army didnt realise the rifle version would have made an incredibly useful semi-auto marksman rifle and easier to convert than a M1 rifle.
Johnny guns are a work of art, innovative, fairly simple and hard hitting, just nice to look at and shoot.
I had a great uncle who served in the First Special Service Force. His personal weapon was the Johnson LMG.
The Johnson is fascinating! It's a bit complicated for my taste, but it's still really cool.
It is sad that there was not more attention given to that LMG, it is a very thought out design and lighter than the BAR.
This is probably the slickest machine gun design I can recall seeing on your show so far! I would not be surprised to see this design resurrected with a lighter build materials and 308 cal snail mags!
Knowing how other open bolt guns will fire if you close the bolt with a round in the chamber, it seems a wee-bit scary that it slams the bolt shut when you go from SAFE to SEMI.
+Nukle0n Remember that the selector switch passes through the Safe position going from Full to Semi, this stops the hammer from dropping when the bold is released to pick up a round and chamber it.
This gun was unknown to me. Nice design. I would think that if it had a provision for belt-feed in addition to mag feed it would have been a real winner.
+Walter Zoomie www.forgottenweapons.com/belt-fed-johnson-lmgs/
+Forgotten Weapons Yes. Timing is everything. I know this, as does "Johnson Automatics. Inc." ;)
I remember I had a GI Joe that had one of these. Probably still have it somewhere in the attic.
Woah this is a very very interesting gun id never heard of before!
And that full/open bolt- semi / closed was really cool to see as well.
Thanks for another great video ian!
Wicked cool, I think that is one of the coolest, most well thought out guns I have seen you go over, Thanks again Ian.
What an interesting rifle. Many neat design elements. I never knew the US had something conceptually similar to the FG42 during WWII.
The ar-15 platform used a similar bolt design to the Johnson lmg and Armalite relied heavily on Johnson's efforts to make the ar-15
I first met this in a documentary on the evolution of the M4. The Armalite-15 copied or rather was influenced by this guns stock. At the time the Johnson had one of the most linear stock-barrel configurations which was found to reduce muzzle climb. Armalite-15 was offloaded to Colt as the military's preferred mass producer as Armalite couldn't produced enough. The AR-15 was adapted into the M16 for the military then the next major evolution was in 1994 when it was replaced by its newc evolution, the M4. This is a brief and simplified history of the Johnson legacy, weird to think the 2nd best assault rifle originates in part in an obscure WW2 LMG.
Boy, if he'd have figured out a belt drive for that - it could've been a real contender.
He put a chain drive on a Gatlin and that was the start of all of the modern guns on Helicopters.
14:59 bass drop
This gun is insane. So slick and cool
I had a small plastic model of this gun with a removable magazine and folding bi-pod. I never knew it was an American design.
We see a lot of elements from this automatic rifle used in future designs, many in the late 20th and early 21st century. The magazine well is common on large caliber bolt action AR-15 uppers, the dual open/closed bolt operation on IARs like the USMC M27, the selector on AR-10s and AR-15s and their derivatives, the retention spring on top of the magazine is used on archangel Mosin-Nagant mags, and the feed cuts in the barrel are also common on ARs.
Many years ago I came across a 4x4 pallet load of magazines for $10 each at M&I Surplus in Pomona, CA. I thought they were Madsen mags but they were Johnson mags. I wish I had bought some just as a keepsake as my Uncle Robert Foreman was in the 1SSF and fought at Anzio.
I looked this video up because of Battle Order's video on the USMC WW2 rifle squad. He mentioned the paramarines using this.
The AR-7 survival rifle is another example of a gun with feed lips in the gun itself and a similar magazine, ie no feed lips and a clip thing holding the rounds in.
My uncle carried one of these on Okinawa. He was a USN CB, trained as a lineman, and upon landing they attached him to a Marine Scout Raider platoon, and they had both BAR's and Johnsons. He had his choice and he took the Johnson . . . He also worked a flamethrower as the weeks wore on . . .
Very modern design solutions.
Let me guess: too much ahead of its time?
That's my grandfather for ya!
Nice piece of equipment really, And i never knew ¨we¨ were actually suposed to get these to our KNIL guy´s
I use to see these guns in surplus shops but being a teenager I didn't think of them other than unusual and of course, I had no money
Its impressive as it predates the FG42 ....its almost like a lot of its features were copied by the FG at least externally . Way ahead of its time .
For you that don't know Mr. Johnson worked with Mr. Stoner during the 1950's when Stoner was developing the AR rifles AR 10's and the M-16 that the military did adopt.... hence that's why the AR platforms are so similar to the Johnson. AR--10's chambered for .308/7.62 NATO...
(AR--15's) M--16's for .223/ 5.56 NATO.
Looks even better than the rifle version! I noticed a lot of the construction was steel stampings so easier & cheaper to build. What a shame the US Military didn’t adopt it. With the select fire feature already present it seemingly would’ve met all the future M14 requirements once recoil was adjusted to work with a folding bayonet.
What a brilliant specimen of clever engineering. Tis a shame we don't get anything as cool as this these days.
When I was in college by in the early '90s a local Army-Navy store in Pomona, CA had a whole bin of magazines for these. They were all rusted but still neat to see.
The store of Garey Ave?
Never have seen one on screen... Looks fine
Hey Ian, any chance you can get your hands on Rugers UZI, the MP9?
I got to see one in person in Battlefield Vegas's vault, but didnt get my hands on it....A video would be cool!
+MrTangolizard - Make sure you bring lots of money, or up your credit limit! lol.
Dont forget to take advantage of coupons for them in various tourist magazines, and you can also schedule free hummer pickup at your hotel to get there.
His johnson can turn into a quite compact package
I love these videos and the amount of historic/general information you have on each weapon is quite impressive. Its amazing to see how much guns effected wars and politics.
Hey Ian, I know you JUST said on InRange that there aren't really any old designs you want to re-imagine, but how about the Johnson? I think a modernized version might actually be quite the capable IAR.
Actually, with how reminiscent of the AR platform this thing is, I wonder if you could make a Johnson upper for existing AR lowers. You'd have to come up with some kind of open-bolt trigger mechanism to go along with it, but otherwise it seems like it'd scale pretty well, and an AR upper that offered a quick-change barrel and open bolt auto/closed bolt semi would be a really interesting proposition.
It already has been made by Jim Sullivan, one of the original AR-15 designers. Forgotten Weapons has a video on that.
+MrSnakedHD could you link it? It is sometimes hard to find certain videos.
@@SgtKOnyx Not sure if that's the one, but here goes. ua-cam.com/video/MRzMCjMr9kc/v-deo.html
I am pretty sure that none (or very few) of these Johnson LMG's ever reached the Dutch colonial army in the Dutch East Indies before the Japanese occupied this colony. I have never seen these guns on photos or in museums. The Johnson rifle however did reach the KNIL (colonial army) in some numbers and were even used after the war in the Indonesian independence war.
I'd never heard of this gun until I heard a song by Sunnyland Slim and looked it up. Nice to find out more about the gun itself.
Uhm there is a sound error at 14:59 is that for everyone?
This is one amazing gun for it's time ! Still is IMO. Thanks for posting this ! :)
The Garand was originally .276 cal but. Gen. MacArthur being Army Chief of Staff didnt want to dispose of the surplus stocks of 30.06 ammo so it had to be re-calibered.
Seems like a simple yet elegant little gun. Makes a BAR seem clunky!
Johnson also worked with Stoner. This is why the M16 has the in line stock.
I remember seeing a short documentary a while ago where they fired one of these. I recall them being quite unimpressed with the performance (particularly accuracy), but it may have been a a particularly worn out example. I always try to keep that in mind when hearing reviews/ impressions of vintage firearms.
+Greg Bezanson
Yes mine too (as well as the personality of the host, Ian is level headed and logical so I tend to trust what he says. But most people on gun videos have to be taken with a grain of salt LOL)
BUT that is my biggest question about this rifle since the barrel is moving back and forth, does that affect accuracy?
Maybe their findings werent unfounded...
Probably wouldn't take much to make it belt fed, a SAW decades before it was invented.
+vector6977 www.forgottenweapons.com/belt-fed-johnson-lmgs/
Very cool! too bad those examples are probably twice as rare as the example in the video.
First came across this when I was in High School and my Mother bought me a Book on Weapons of WW2 in the Pacific. Too bad You didnt get a chance to shot it Ian. Great video. Didnt know about the part about the Dutch.
I genuinely think if Johnson had approached the military offering this gun as a better alternative to the BAR he would have had a massive success. It just seems better for that role than the bar. Lighter weight, more convenient magazine for sustained fire, quick change barrel capability for when stuff really gets heavy. A lot of the other stuff is just gravy, higher capacity without limiting range of movement, cheaper mags, all the stripper clip stuff
Nice video as always Ian! The magazine reminds me that of a Madsen LMG with having no feed lips.
Ah, Johnson. An overlooked genius.
Man, You have access to some of the nicest firearms! Makes history come to life.
This is an auto rifle not a light machine gun. As an old LMG gunner (7.62 Bren) you need to change barrels every 200 rounds.
No provision for handling a hot, very hot barrel.
But looks good.
John
One of our high school shop teachers was a Marine who used one in WWII, but said that he didn't like it because mags and spares were harder to come by, compared to the BAR.
This might be the coolest gun you have reviewed. Neat stuff.
when I saw the size of that magazine I thought it'd hold a damm sight more than 20 rounds, but then its single stack.
the thin looking mag worried me "it's a single stack one. why?" and then see no lips, still questioning and realised it's a stamp n go, designed to be a cheap mag
Quite simply my all time favourite channel
Coming back to this; honestly this blows the BAR out of the water in terms of capability and use. Even with that still mediocre 20 rounds for suppressive fire it’s other advantages help make that a minor problem.
The Johnson appears to have an excessively large number of machining operations. In your opinion was the Johnson too expensive and time consuming in manufacture to be practical at the time? The Tommy gun had the same high cost/time issue and was replaced by the cheap/quick manufacture M3. Well made video. Thanks Ian and company!
Welp. I want one. I'll have to keep an eye out for another ne to hit an auction after I have the money.
I had the same reaction after your videos on the ZfK-55, the Madsen, and the Roth-Sauer...
(And I've felt that way about the Lee-Enfield and the Sterling for as long as I can recall!)
Pretty cool engineering on this one
Both rifles have to be some of my favorite gun of ww2
I always thought this would be improved by a double stack magazine. I guess he made this thing single-feed because he was adapting it from the Johnson rifle.
The issue of "feed lips" was far more important than most designers worked on, the BAR mags held twenty double stack, and fell apart, no reinforcement at all, one of their biggest drawbacks they had. I've served in the Corps for 76 to 97, all around the world, while it works, the AR platform has nothing to say for itself, except light, accurate, till it gets dirty. Most of the time, I'd rather have had a 30-30 Winchester, and "designated riflemen, for all distant shooting.
This is by far the most underrated set of guns ever just shoved aside. I've got a dozen Remington model 8's, in all their calibers, and there are many, many carry overs from the 8's to these, the pull pin charging handle, the recoiling action, although long recoil on the 8, short of the Johnson, but he, like most, took the best features of weapons in use, and really was exceptional in design, and care for "the details". Semper Fidelis, John McClain, Vanceboro, NC
The .30 Savage was lengthen slightly to create the 7.62x51 round with similar ballistics to the 30.06
What a great looking firearm, with quite a few clever features.
Seems like a well Designed and Engineered machine, too bad Johnson was a day late and a dollar short.
If this thing would have came out in 1919 like the BAR it might have been a different story