@@oldgysgt That would have made it a $1,500 to $2,000 gun in today's money. I would gladly pay $1,500 for one today in .308 caliber, but back then, it was not a large market.
@@danielaramburo7648 while the 1903 is a good rifle who wouldnt want a semi auto with larger capacity? Particularly when facing the japanese army of the 40's
The ping noise is more of a myth than a reality. In the heat of combat, the small noise couldn't be heard. As someone who has fired an M1 rifle, the noise is the same as throwing a soda can on the sidewalk.
Its Wikipedia article states that one of the advantages of the Johnson over the Garand was the lack of the M1-ping. Ian and BlokeOnTheRange have done videos adressing this myth of the M1-ping being an actual problem.
This rifle, specifically the Johnson automatic, means the most to me. It was what my grandfather in WWII was issued as a Marine Paratrooper. He was in Bougainville, Vella la Vella, Guadal canal, and Iwo Jima.
He died two years ago. He was 94. He still fit in his Marine’s dress clothes when he died. He was buried in them. They don’t make men like that anymore.
Your grandpa was a fucking bad ass man. 4 whole battles? Jesus man. I'm glad we had people like that to fight for us. We're all where we are now because of heroes like your grandpa. Thank you.
Dominus Victoriae I lost my mount....... *sniff* Friedrich was his name........ that french bastard killed him! So i took my mace and gave him something to think about! Then i swore to never ride again.
well nothing wrong with being a zweihander or a walking tank instead of a lancer. and we all dislike the french for their disgusting practice of targeting a warriors greatest companion. That is why we end them rightly with atomic pommels!
the M1 "Garand" ? ... yea ok, i'll give it to you. ... if he'd not been working in America with all those Americans, any rifle he'd have made would probably not have been the M1... and he lived in America since the age of 11. After all, "Majority Rules".
Surprisingly I was able to buy one of these original M1941 Johnson rifles here in Canada a couple years ago. It hasn't been sporterized and has a VERY low serial number, below 2000 and no letter prefix. Shoots great but the sights don't quite zero perfectly, but this could be due to it being used in the Pacific. The rifle has obviously been used, the stock has a number of dings and scratches and the metal has a nice patina. I'm sure there aren't many people here in Canada who own one of these AND an M1 Garand as well.
Too bad that here in Canada the 10-round capacity isn't allowed, the magazine has to be pinned to 5 rounds. Garand is allowed to keep its full 8-round capacity though.
Yes very much so. Thankfully not too much damage besides one small hole drilled to pop in a small rivet to stop the follower at 5 round capacity.... but still will hurt the value if i go to sell it some day. But i doubt I'll ever sell it, unless someone offered an insane amount for it. Haha
I own both in Canada as well. M1941 Johnson Serial number is halfway between 2000 and 3000, no letter prefix. Beautiful condition. Plan on making a video or two this summer for my channel. The M1 Garand is Springfield,1954. I see "Collectors Source has an M1941 for sale at $7500.00. The Johnson and Garand were part of a larger purchase that also included an SVT 38. I have made a video on that one.
For future reference of anyone with one of these rifles, the way to remove the bolt handle is to grab that pin with the extraction groove of a 30-06 case and hold it between your thumb and the groove. Pull, and slide forward. Easy-peasy.
I was in Civil Air Patrol in Red Wing MN as a teenager and a WWII vet Marine came in to do a talk. He described getting a hold of a rifle that he could load single cartridges into that had a rotary magazine. He said he made sure not to turn it in for entire war because the Japanese would count shots from an M1 and pop up while you were reloading. I thought he was full of it until now, this is a very cool video.
Anywhere from 1 to many guys just fired off 8 rounds of .30-06 each..given how loud the round is, I don't think listening for a ping is high on the list.
@@OpenMawProductions Absolutely. On the other hand there are many combat scenarios involving a lot less people than that. Once your down to only 2 or 3 people per side, firing from different positions, then you can count shots and listen better. I've played paintball (woodsball) in games with more than 20 people per team, yet you can still end up one on one or one on two pretty easily, especially in the backwoods areas, or in endgame. In those spots it makes a huge difference if you're facing someone with a tipman 98 vs a tipman 98 with a flatline much less some other type of gun.
@@fredjonson5781 In paintball, you dont have the sheer volume of a gun battle going on around you. Even with 4-6 combatants, if half have .30-06 semi-autos and the other half 8mm rifles, its gonna get really, REALLY loud.
+confuseatronica again,a cover would cause the same issue,something like the bayonet on an fg-42 or a swinging bayonet like an sks could have worked very well on this rifle and may have been able to have gotten this adopted alongside the m1 Garand
breech loading and the cartridge killed the bayonet, to me it's a non-issue!!! why they still have that relic in service is beyond me? it would have been a great paratrooper piece!!! and I've heard the arguments for keeping that pig-sticker, the 3 or 4 times a charge has happened since W.W.1 doesn't warrant keeping it!!!
Primary use of the bayonet if for guarding prisoners. While few and far between there have been bayonet charges in the Vietnam War and in Desert Storm for the US.
Yes Johnson rifles are not well known outside of a small community of historians and collectors. This is why I couldn't understand the rejection and odd reactions when I would ask my shooting buddies if they wanted to check out my Johnson. Thanks Ian for a good informative video on a under rated great rifle.
I feel like one major advantage the M1 has over this is the reload speed. I couldn't possibly see a soldier under duress being able to load the Johnson with a stripper clip as fast as an M1 with its en bloc clip
@@LaatiMafia I always thought that was a poor design feature on the Garand. Why even design the rifle to do that? I always thought someone in the design process should have said 'Wait, as soon as you shove the clip in the bolt releases? Even if your thumb is still there? That sounds stupid. Let's just make the bolt stay locked while you reload then you have to pull back on it to release it or add a button to release it or something." If it made it through the design process it looks like the first test shooter would have come to the same conclusion. When they explained to him "Yeah, shove the clip in and get your thumb out of the way asap because the bolt will close immediately when you push the clip down all the way", it looks like he would have "Wait, you're serious? Why'd you design it that way? Couldn't you have just added a button to push or something?"
@@genxer1 With a little practice, it's fairly easy to avoid getting pinched by the Garand. Mainly because unlike its eventual successor the M16, its charging handle is attached to the bolt carrier group. So what you do is hook your ring and pinky finger over the charging handle as you're pushing the clip home, thus restraining the bolt from closing until your thumb is out of the way.
10 rounds (11 if you start with one in the chamber) beats 8. Especially when you can top up every 5 or 6 shots without ending up with a pocket full of clips and loose rounds.
@@genxer1 I have owned an M-1 and a 1941 Johnson for a lot of years and never got my thumb pinched. The M-1 bolt will not release upon inserting an enblock clip, as long as you push down on the clip the bolt stays back. It's only after the clip is locked in place and the downward pressure is released that the bolt comes forward. Even than, because of the clamping force of the spring steel clip and the resulting friction on the rounds the charging handle will need a push for the gun to charge the first cartridge. AND, just in case the bolt comes flying forward, it's shoving the top round into the chamber so there is no room for your thumb to be there, the bolt will simply push your thumb out of the way. The only way to get Garand thumb is by sticking your thumb into an empty magazine and touching the charging handle.
Very good vid. My dad, a WWII Marine aviator with VMB-612, like all aircrew was issued a pistol; in his case a .45. Some time after his squadron assembled on Iwo Jima, several of the ground crew ended up with the Johnson - presumably because the 'Mud' Marines considered the M-1 Garand the superior rifle - due to it's grenade, bayonet and 'club' characteristics, and overall simplicity when compared to the Johnson. I believe the breakdown barrel is the primary reason one of those Johnsons is parked in his gun safe today.
Having owned and shot a nice example of an M1941 for the past 30 years, I can say that it works very well. If you're going to acquire one, be aware that most of the M1941s you'll see were worn out in foreign service and refurbished. Many of these were "sporterized" and then converted back to military configuration. Your first clue is a replaced barrel. Worn guns will usually have a violent action and are often missing parts.
My father was a paramarine in WW2 and carried one. He said it was far superior to the Garand. They also used the Johnson Light Machinegun and H&R Reising submachine guns. He said the Reisings were crap and constantly jammed.
The Reising was a poor combat weapon...functions well under normal conditions like police/guard duty but in filthy combat conditions it was subject to malfunctions.
I've been wondering this, but which is more common: Left-handed shooting or Right-handed shooting? I'm wondering because I shoot from my left shoulder.
"In my view" there are more right handed shooters simply because the world at large is right handed so most but not all firearms are made to be shot right handed. I am left handed and had to adapt. I take the time to learn to shoot any firearm I own from both sides. After 40 plus years of shooting there are firearms I shoot left and some right. Be willing to safely experiment to find what works best for you then practice practice practice and have fun.
I am still kicking my self for letting my $55.00 1941 Johnson's go. In Vermont we are limited to 6 rounds for center fire big game rifles. So before going to South Vietnam I sold off my 5 Johnson's. I had bought them thru an add in one of my gun magazines in 1963 for a cost of $55.00 each delivered to my door in Brandon Vermont in a wooden crate with manuals and cleaning kits; plus the little bayonets with sheaths. They were in NRA Excellent rated condition(?). This was my first exposure to cosmo!!!!!!!!
Awesome rifle. It seems your opinion has slightly changed since your first review about the Johnson rifle. I enjoy mine and while I like M1's I think it was every bit it's equal. Superior in some ways and lacking in others. Still an awesome shooter.
@@returnofbeaux STFU! Nobody cares about a freaking spelling error (out of an 841 word article)! Is this kind of crap all you can contribute to society?
I don't think any of those riffles got shipped to Holland after the fall of the Dutch Indies. The Germans were sort of crawling all over the place a year earlier.
Re mag vs internal, surely then it was also that doctrine was for single aimed shots rather than blazing away on auto/burst? We're still in large-ish calibte times after all.
It also takes extra time to make these components out of steel when time and metal were in high demand. Box magazines also increase weight. Using striper clips make more sense when Springfield clips were still in great supply.
Early in WW2 the Marines, being at the end of the supply chain, went into the Pacific Theater with 1903 Springfield bolt action rifles still in front line service. The Johnson M1941 would have been a real step up if a Marine could get his hands on one.
Yes and marines in ww2 have a tendency to to just grab what ever is available to them or they want and use it. Look at the stinger for another good example of that. Hell the pacific is usually just summarize with aircraft carriers but a lot is usually forgotten by today’s history and military
This would be really cool to run in a 2-gun action challenge. The ability to easily top off on the run seems like a good feature to leverage. If nothing else, it would be sweet to see if this could hold its own these days.
It really is fantastic to see the history of the mechanical systems in a platform like the ar-15 weather it was Mr Stoner or the people working with him. The ar-15 and ar-10 are fantastic in their simplicity when compared to mechanically complex systems that proceed them. The bolt and bcg in ar platforms seam so basic. But it really does allot of the same things that this Rifle does.
They were never shipped to Holland because at that time Holland was occupied by Nazi Germany. Some Johnson Rifles reached the Dutch East Indies before the capitulation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942 and some more reached the Dutch army in Australia, but most were never shipped to the Dutch.
I really like this gun! I like the fact that the wear surfaces on the bolt are replaceable. Very well thought out rifle. Today's guns are really boring for the most part, no real innovation other than new materials to make things from. We have a lot of cookie cutter guns now.
After doing some reading about the US Cavalry right at the start of the war, Ive decided that if the Chief of Cavalry had been a better bureaucrat and managed to save some of the Horse Soldiers from the tide of mechanization, THIS would have been the rifle he would have wanted to advocate for. Easier to load, more ammo, better balanced, better handling; the Johnson's advantages over the Garand are slight, but as a Cavalry/Scout Rifle, it would have been PERFECT.
In one of the stories of the Battle of Gettysburg, a Union soldier was found to have loaded his rifle four times, but had not fired it once! Loading a rifle in the heat of battle is the most stressful moment for the front-line soldier. He is distracted from an advancing enemy for several seconds and is most vulnerable during that time. The Johnson M1941 use of Springfield rifle clips has that problem - times two. The M1 Garand does it only once. Slam in the 8-round clip and you are ready to shoot. The M1 8-round clip has a smoother, more fluid operation and fewer distractions. Although the Johnson is a very attractive and more futuristic rifle, the double-loading process makes it the less desirable weapon to serve the needs of a front-line infantry soldier.
You make an interesting point but one advantage was existing stocks of 1909 ammo on strippers made logistics easier at first. I shot one as a teen in the 1970s and it was a pleasure. Having them in select units like Marine raiders made sense.
Omnihil777 No, there is nothing to properly get a hold of with a cartridge. Fingers or tweezers are your best option, which would be pretty terrible in really cold, humid, or hot environments I guess.
Mirdarion, i think you're wrong. if you look carefully at 13:20 you can see that the charging handle pin does have a notch. it might be too small to work with a cartridge rim. a spent cartridge should work though
Wish this outstanding video had been available a few decades ago when I owned one of these. It is a nice rifle. Mine was inherited, shot well but the safety was broken, the lever just rotated 360 without engaging a "safe" position and when firing the trigger 'doubled' discharging properly on a pull but hazardously upon release. Good for rapid fire but a problem if the second discharge was undesired. Sold it for $500 to a friend who was an advanced collector. Hope he was able to correct those flaws.
I for one demand the return of the universe disassembly tool!! Every other method clearly is inferior since every gun that need carriages to open needs different cartridges. So universal disassembly tool all the way!
What a dumb statement! If you have the weapon, don't you (normally, esp. in a military setting) have the appropriate cartridges that go with it? Also, universal disassembly tool = Swiss army knife = EVERY tool EXCEPT the one you need.
Pretty sure that a 10-shot auto-loader was pretty attractive to Marines that were still using Springfield rifles, and didn't Para-Marines pretty much get their way as to what they equipped with?
@@patrickcrosley6179 Patrick, obviously "Spare 15" doesn't have the attention to spare, or he would not have asked the question. Ian was gracious enough to answer the clown.
This got recommended to me exactly after BFV introduced the gun into the game. I swear DICE take ideas from Ian's channel for weapons to add into the games.
TBH, a reproduction Johnson chambered in .223/5.56, .308/7.62 NATO, and 7.62x39 with some rails would be a perfect California/Restricted State Gun. It would probably sell well in non-restricted states (assuming it can undercut the AR or offer something that the AR doesn’t) due to the simplicity, cleanliness compared to gas guns, and ease of disassembly, through muzzle brakes, flash hiders, and suppressors could be a problem but still likely work considering you can get away with a suppressor on most pistols.
Found a Johnson in a surplus store many years ago, well before debit cards. They wanted $75.00 for it. They wouldn't take a cheque, figures, so I had to go find a bank. Came back with the money and the price was now $275.00. I asked how come and the guy said, "Do you know what it is?" I said, "Yes.". He said, "I found out what it was." I didn't get it. Never seen one since in Canada.
I seem to remember seeing a b&w photograph of a Filipino guerrilla using one of these. This was WW2 and as far as I know, these were never issued to the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Must have been supplied clandestinely by submarine. Nice rifle.
Seriously what is with militarises and the hard on for bayonets? Even the C7 the CAF issued me had a friggin bayonet lug. Ya know where that bayonet spent 99% of it's time during my time in the CAF? In it's damn sheath and the other 1% of it's existence coming out solely for drills. Not once during any of the firefights I was in did I ever need the stupid thing.
As I understand it, the bayonet is still decently useful for stuff like riot control. Having a big scary knife at the end of your rifle forces people to stay the fuck back.
Will Siddle If it really came down to a melee contest I'd gladly trade a piss poor spear for a well made tomahawk. That being said my ET would make a better melee implement then a bayonet equipped rifle so it's not much of a contest.
Probably attractive to the marines early in ww2 because the army hogged the early garand production and the marines were still using springfield bolt actions. The first marines landed at Guadalcanal had springfields, though relieving troops in November 1942 had garands. Johnson may be no better than a garand but it beats the heck out of a bolt action.
Ian, thanks for all your hard work. I don't understand why you only have 300k subs while someone who just unboxes new cell phones or whatever, has millions. Anyway, kudos on a great channel.
This, like the Madsen M47, is one of those rifles that make me question why it wasn't targeted at the civilian market after failing military adoption.
War.
Because most Americans had no use for a 10 shot battle rifle? The SMLEs sold a million or two of them here in the US because they were $10 each.
In the 1950's there were magazine ads for surplus Johnsons for $175.00.
@@oldgysgt That would have made it a $1,500 to $2,000 gun in today's money. I would gladly pay $1,500 for one today in .308 caliber, but back then, it was not a large market.
@@samobispo1527; So would I.
"The Johnson handles really well because there's not a lot of weight out on the front end."
You and me both, brother.
Damned mohel!!!
WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The Boris Johnson.
Thin shaft...wide tip?
"They described your pnus as, egg shaped..."
"Enterprising Marines' lol!we hade a acronym when I was in STEAL"Stealthfully Transport Equipment to an Alternate Location"
bigblockchevy454
Reaproperate.......
As all good MARINES do.
Semper Fi !
Today we call it an "undocumented equipment transfer"
Doesn’t the saying go “ gear adrift must be a gift”?
@Therein lies your first problem it was clearly a quarter master error
@Dirk Pitt Hey, nice job with those Japanese robots!
Considering the USMC went to war with the Springfield 1903 I can see them grabbing any available firepower available.
Not that thing.
Could only function when using lubricated ammunition. In combat lubricated ammunition tends to get dirty and jam the rifle
Daniel Aramburo because they are literaly full coppys of the mauser rifles
Tha last real Springfield rifle with its own action was the trap door one
@@danielaramburo7648 while the 1903 is a good rifle who wouldnt want a semi auto with larger capacity? Particularly when facing the japanese army of the 40's
The M1903 was still a better rifle than the Japanese Type 99.
@@orcinus6802 very late production 99 yes... but trust me you grab an early 99 insted of 1903 if you know both rifles well...
Watching a grown man play with his Johnson is one of my favorite pastimes
I prefer to see a young mans body just being wrecked by a few Johnson’s at a time
Its all about what comes out the end of the Johnson and penetrates a young man in uniform
😂😂😂😂😂🙃😉
@@ExtremiSS88 Johnson was barking up the wrong branch of the military, he should've shilled it to the Navy instead.
I'm sorry... what?
We all know the real reason it wasn't adopted
It doesn't go ping
Just Another Fanboy naturally
The ping noise is more of a myth than a reality. In the heat of combat, the small noise couldn't be heard. As someone who has fired an M1 rifle, the noise is the same as throwing a soda can on the sidewalk.
How is a battle rifle like a microwave? They both go ping when finished.
it's still admittedly sexy and interesting
Its Wikipedia article states that one of the advantages of the Johnson over the Garand was the lack of the M1-ping. Ian and BlokeOnTheRange have done videos adressing this myth of the M1-ping being an actual problem.
This rifle, specifically the Johnson automatic, means the most to me. It was what my grandfather in WWII was issued as a Marine Paratrooper. He was in Bougainville, Vella la Vella, Guadal canal, and Iwo Jima.
smphillips87 if your grandfather is still alive, please thank him for his service. If he has passed away, you have my sympathies.
Dude he must have been a badass to survive all of that.
He died two years ago. He was 94. He still fit in his Marine’s dress clothes when he died. He was buried in them. They don’t make men like that anymore.
@@sphill_edc I am sorry to hear that.
Your grandpa was a fucking bad ass man. 4 whole battles? Jesus man. I'm glad we had people like that to fight for us. We're all where we are now because of heroes like your grandpa. Thank you.
I get the feeling this is in my recommended because of the new Battlefield V patch
Me too
Yos
plentyness yep
That's what happens when you get women into games, it get's ruined. Had they made a REALISTIC WW2 game, holy fuck, super duper sales.
RIP BF franchise, politics and broken promises killed you.
Yey! An American rifle that isn't an M1 variant!
Not that i don't like the M1 variants.
well your choice of armor certainly is good but hows your riding?
Dominus Victoriae I lost my mount.......
*sniff* Friedrich was his name........ that french bastard killed him! So i took my mace and gave him something to think about! Then i swore to never ride again.
well nothing wrong with being a zweihander or a walking tank instead of a lancer. and we all dislike the french for their disgusting practice of targeting a warriors greatest companion. That is why we end them rightly with atomic pommels!
the M1 "Garand" ? ... yea ok, i'll give it to you. ... if he'd not been working in America with all those Americans, any rifle he'd have made would probably not have been the M1... and he lived in America since the age of 11.
After all, "Majority Rules".
Yah, almost every American rifle seems to be based pn either the M1 or M16.
Surprisingly I was able to buy one of these original M1941 Johnson rifles here in Canada a couple years ago. It hasn't been sporterized and has a VERY low serial number, below 2000 and no letter prefix.
Shoots great but the sights don't quite zero perfectly, but this could be due to it being used in the Pacific. The rifle has obviously been used, the stock has a number of dings and scratches and the metal has a nice patina.
I'm sure there aren't many people here in Canada who own one of these AND an M1 Garand as well.
Too bad that here in Canada the 10-round capacity isn't allowed, the magazine has to be pinned to 5 rounds.
Garand is allowed to keep its full 8-round capacity though.
Yes very much so. Thankfully not too much damage besides one small hole drilled to pop in a small rivet to stop the follower at 5 round capacity.... but still will hurt the value if i go to sell it some day. But i doubt I'll ever sell it, unless someone offered an insane amount for it. Haha
I own both in Canada as well. M1941 Johnson Serial number is halfway between 2000 and 3000, no letter prefix. Beautiful condition. Plan on making a video or two this summer for my channel. The M1 Garand is Springfield,1954. I see "Collectors Source has an M1941 for sale at $7500.00. The Johnson and Garand were part of a larger purchase that also included an SVT 38. I have made a video on that one.
Very fine rifle my friend, lucky you! 👍
Oouuuu better not tell your gubbament!
Everytime battlefield releases a new gun Ian pops up with the exact gun years prior
Because the weapons in battlefield are based off real guns
@@felonytaxevasion2773 no shit.
@@felonytaxevasion2773 mind blowing
It actually because everyone starts plugging the algorithm.
Guns aren't real, what are you talking about?
For future reference of anyone with one of these rifles, the way to remove the bolt handle is to grab that pin with the extraction groove of a 30-06 case and hold it between your thumb and the groove. Pull, and slide forward. Easy-peasy.
elitearbor Slick!
BINGO!
While watching the video, I thought that also.
I was in Civil Air Patrol in Red Wing MN as a teenager and a WWII vet Marine came in to do a talk. He described getting a hold of a rifle that he could load single cartridges into that had a rotary magazine. He said he made sure not to turn it in for entire war because the Japanese would count shots from an M1 and pop up while you were reloading. I thought he was full of it until now, this is a very cool video.
Anywhere from 1 to many guys just fired off 8 rounds of .30-06 each..given how loud the round is, I don't think listening for a ping is high on the list.
counting 8 shots is going on the list though. @@akmarksman
@@fredjonson5781 If you have a half dozen men firing, you're not going to be able to count who fired what. I question that.
@@OpenMawProductions Absolutely. On the other hand there are many combat scenarios involving a lot less people than that. Once your down to only 2 or 3 people per side, firing from different positions, then you can count shots and listen better. I've played paintball (woodsball) in games with more than 20 people per team, yet you can still end up one on one or one on two pretty easily, especially in the backwoods areas, or in endgame. In those spots it makes a huge difference if you're facing someone with a tipman 98 vs a tipman 98 with a flatline much less some other type of gun.
@@fredjonson5781 In paintball, you dont have the sheer volume of a gun battle going on around you. Even with 4-6 combatants, if half have .30-06 semi-autos and the other half 8mm rifles, its gonna get really, REALLY loud.
With the bayonet issue,I wonder if they could have used an integral bayonet that folded out?
The idea being that the weight stays the same.
That is a good idea. As long as you know what the weight is going to be, you can tone the system to work with it.
yeah, i was thinking that too- or even a permanently sharp barrel, with a lightweight cover of some sort. Front sightyonet!
+confuseatronica again,a cover would cause the same issue,something like the bayonet on an fg-42 or a swinging bayonet like an sks could have worked very well on this rifle and may have been able to have gotten this adopted alongside the m1 Garand
breech loading and the cartridge killed the bayonet, to me it's a non-issue!!! why they still have that relic in service is beyond me? it would have been a great paratrooper piece!!! and I've heard the arguments for keeping that pig-sticker, the 3 or 4 times a charge has happened since W.W.1 doesn't warrant keeping it!!!
Primary use of the bayonet if for guarding prisoners. While few and far between there have been bayonet charges in the Vietnam War and in Desert Storm for the US.
Got a Gary Johnson ad on a video about the Johnson, coincident, I think not.
:D
I'm Gary Johnson, and I approve of this Johnson.
I got an advert for Grindr on one of Ian's other Johnson videos. Probably just a coincidence though ;)
gary Johnson showed up on our lawn so we had to get weed killer to get rid of him lol
DUDE
WEED
LMAO
It looks like a pregnant M1 Garand
Does this rifle use Springfield stripper clips?
Yes.
Yeah, strippers are great for a johnson.
Yes Johnson rifles are not well known outside of a small community of historians and collectors. This is why I couldn't understand the rejection and odd reactions when I would ask my shooting buddies if they wanted to check out my Johnson. Thanks Ian for a good informative video on a under rated great rifle.
This always reminds me of what the Krag wanted to be when it grew up.
I had the misfortune of owning a Colt All American 2000. It was hot garbage.
Hot garbage is one of my favorite terms now a days!
I feel like one major advantage the M1 has over this is the reload speed. I couldn't possibly see a soldier under duress being able to load the Johnson with a stripper clip as fast as an M1 with its en bloc clip
@@LaatiMafia I always thought that was a poor design feature on the Garand. Why even design the rifle to do that? I always thought someone in the design process should have said 'Wait, as soon as you shove the clip in the bolt releases? Even if your thumb is still there? That sounds stupid. Let's just make the bolt stay locked while you reload then you have to pull back on it to release it or add a button to release it or something." If it made it through the design process it looks like the first test shooter would have come to the same conclusion. When they explained to him "Yeah, shove the clip in and get your thumb out of the way asap because the bolt will close immediately when you push the clip down all the way", it looks like he would have "Wait, you're serious? Why'd you design it that way? Couldn't you have just added a button to push or something?"
@@genxer1 With a little practice, it's fairly easy to avoid getting pinched by the Garand. Mainly because unlike its eventual successor the M16, its charging handle is attached to the bolt carrier group. So what you do is hook your ring and pinky finger over the charging handle as you're pushing the clip home, thus restraining the bolt from closing until your thumb is out of the way.
10 rounds (11 if you start with one in the chamber) beats 8.
Especially when you can top up every 5 or 6 shots without ending up with a pocket full of clips and loose rounds.
@@genxer1 I have owned an M-1 and a 1941 Johnson for a lot of years and never got my thumb pinched.
The M-1 bolt will not release upon inserting an enblock clip, as long as you push down on the clip the bolt stays back.
It's only after the clip is locked in place and the downward pressure is released that the bolt comes forward.
Even than, because of the clamping force of the spring steel clip and the resulting friction on the rounds the charging handle will need a push for the gun to charge the first cartridge.
AND, just in case the bolt comes flying forward, it's shoving the top round into the chamber so there is no room for your thumb to be there, the bolt will simply push your thumb out of the way.
The only way to get Garand thumb is by sticking your thumb into an empty magazine and touching the charging handle.
Very good vid. My dad, a WWII Marine aviator with VMB-612, like all aircrew was issued a pistol; in his case a .45. Some time after his squadron assembled on Iwo Jima, several of the ground crew ended up with the Johnson - presumably because the 'Mud' Marines considered the M-1 Garand the superior rifle - due to it's grenade, bayonet and 'club' characteristics, and overall simplicity when compared to the Johnson. I believe the breakdown barrel is the primary reason one of those Johnsons is parked in his gun safe today.
Such a unique looking weapon, looks like it would fit in perfectly in the Fallout universe.
A lot of never adopted weapons from the WW1-WW2 time period fit into that category.
Today, every damn gun looks the same.
My grandfather keeps one of these on his mantle, he says he used it during the Revolution
He was talking about Castro's Johnson not the rifle.
Your grandfather keeps his Johnson on the mantle?!
Good lord...
2:17 "Both for himself and for his country"
;_;7
*0*/
Also used by the US/Canadian First Special Service Force - often referred to as the Devil's Brigade (incorrectly).
I thought that was the Johnson LMG.
@@sethmoyer well, maybe it was both
@@TheTiberianWolf I think it was only the LMG. A deal of 125 Johnny guns for explosives from the USMC.
Having owned and shot a nice example of an M1941 for the past 30 years, I can say that it works very well. If you're going to acquire one, be aware that most of the M1941s you'll see were worn out in foreign service and refurbished. Many of these were "sporterized" and then converted back to military configuration. Your first clue is a replaced barrel. Worn guns will usually have a violent action and are often missing parts.
God I would love if someone made a run of reproduction johnsons
+TiglathPileser3 I'm also 19 and in college so I would get one anyway... Just dreaming I guess
+Chris Na wouldn't*
Holden McKroin thats what she said!
That would be awesome!
Hehe reproduction Johnsons
My father was a paramarine in WW2 and carried one. He said it was far superior to the Garand. They also used the Johnson Light Machinegun and H&R Reising submachine guns. He said the Reisings were crap and constantly jammed.
The Reising was a poor combat weapon...functions well under normal conditions like police/guard duty but in filthy combat conditions it was subject to malfunctions.
Johnson: we can't put a lug 14 inches back on the stock
Marines: bring back the WW1 18 inch Hun Cutter we'll be good
He should have just given it a full length fore end.
@@zacharyrollick6169 that would've made it too heavy and negated the advantage of having a removable barrel.
So his Johnson wasn’t 14”?
Bet lots of people got here cause of Battlefield V.
OP
I am here because of Hidden & Dangerous, what do you thinking ?!
I’m from h3vr
You were shooting the rifle right handed. Was that for the camera or is easier to fire right handed?
Just for the camera.
I've been wondering this, but which is more common: Left-handed shooting or Right-handed shooting? I'm wondering because I shoot from my left shoulder.
what do you mean which is more common?
there are a lot more right handed people so naturally a lot more people fire right handed..
"In my view" there are more right handed shooters simply because the world at large is right handed so most but not all firearms are made to be shot right handed. I am left handed and had to adapt. I take the time to learn to shoot any firearm I own from both sides. After 40 plus years of shooting there are firearms I shoot left and some right. Be willing to safely experiment to find what works best for you then practice practice practice and have fun.
Give it a try. You may enjoy learning to shoot all over again
New bfv gun and now he pops up
*_Thanks RUclips!_*
I am still kicking my self for letting my $55.00 1941 Johnson's go. In Vermont we are limited to 6 rounds for center fire big game rifles. So before going to South Vietnam I sold off my 5 Johnson's. I had bought them thru an add in one of my gun magazines in 1963 for a cost of $55.00 each delivered to my door in Brandon Vermont in a wooden crate with manuals and cleaning kits; plus the little bayonets with sheaths. They were in NRA Excellent rated condition(?). This was my first exposure to cosmo!!!!!!!!
REED POND Best example I’ve heard of Seller’s remorse. Feel sad for you as well.
@@johndix1820 considering they are 8k now yeah i would be kicking myself in the ass better hope the wife never finds out lol.
Never sell your Johnson
Awesome rifle. It seems your opinion has slightly changed since your first review about the Johnson rifle.
I enjoy mine and while I like M1's I think it was every bit it's equal. Superior in some ways and lacking in others. Still an awesome shooter.
a side grade if you will
I feel like m3 carbine, PPK and Chauchat is going to be on my recommendation
this weapon was used by one of the soldiers in the movie Assembly.
not a bad movie, and an interesting rifle.
www.forgottenweapons.com/movie-review-assembly-2007/
Talkin about popular culture, this was also featured in the original Hidden & Dangerous. Probably innthe sequel too.
@@returnofbeaux
STFU!
Nobody cares about a freaking spelling error (out of an 841 word article)!
Is this kind of crap all you can contribute to society?
The Johnson rifle was also used in some episodes of Dr Who in the 70's.
@@stevecolley6750 He was just pointing it out
8:07 "...spike bayonet kinda like you'd see in an FG-42 or a French MAS-36...... or a musket from the French and Indian War....."
I don't think any of those riffles got shipped to Holland after the fall of the Dutch Indies. The Germans were sort of crawling all over the place a year earlier.
The amount of Johnson jokes is just fantastic XD
What can I say, people like playing with Johnsons'.....
I’m just here for the comments!
Re mag vs internal, surely then it was also that doctrine was for single aimed shots rather than blazing away on auto/burst? We're still in large-ish calibte times after all.
It also takes extra time to make these components out of steel when time and metal were in high demand. Box magazines also increase weight. Using striper clips make more sense when Springfield clips were still in great supply.
Early in WW2 the Marines, being at the end of the supply chain, went into the Pacific Theater with 1903 Springfield bolt action rifles still in front line service. The Johnson M1941 would have been a real step up if a Marine could get his hands on one.
BFV just got this as a gun wonder why it's in my inbox
Bfv released this gun and gun jesus done this years prior
Now if everyone comes from Bf V
How is endgame?
No ppsh 41 = disappointment
Mexicano watching YOU No moist nugget either
QUIENSOY you have the Suomi is literally the same...
So, did a bunch of Marines get these guns early on because they were still using Springfields and hadn't yet been issued the M1?
Yes and marines in ww2 have a tendency to to just grab what ever is available to them or they want and use it. Look at the stinger for another good example of that. Hell the pacific is usually just summarize with aircraft carriers but a lot is usually forgotten by today’s history and military
This would be really cool to run in a 2-gun action challenge. The ability to easily top off on the run seems like a good feature to leverage. If nothing else, it would be sweet to see if this could hold its own these days.
Who’s here after battle field v update
Chat is now bfv owned
It really is fantastic to see the history of the mechanical systems in a platform like the ar-15 weather it was Mr Stoner or the people working with him. The ar-15 and ar-10 are fantastic in their simplicity when compared to mechanically complex systems that proceed them. The bolt and bcg in ar platforms seam so basic. But it really does allot of the same things that this Rifle does.
I would love to see reproductions of this gun being made that are of good quality. So many older rifles just have a very cool operating system.
Anyone got this in their recommended after battlefield 5 added this gun?
Very nice rifle, reminds me of my model 8 35 Remington, I despised mags. Try shooting from a dirt pile
Marines do love johnsons
You're thinking of Sailors
With that great big long and thick stock I'm surprised the navy did take a poke at that Johnson.
Are mean green spirt can not be defeated
They were never shipped to Holland because at that time Holland was occupied by Nazi Germany.
Some Johnson Rifles reached the Dutch East Indies before the capitulation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942 and some more reached the Dutch army in Australia, but most were never shipped to the Dutch.
I really like this gun! I like the fact that the wear surfaces on the bolt are replaceable. Very well thought out rifle. Today's guns are really boring for the most part, no real innovation other than new materials to make things from. We have a lot of cookie cutter guns now.
Who else here cuse of BFV?
After doing some reading about the US Cavalry right at the start of the war, Ive decided that if the Chief of Cavalry had been a better bureaucrat and managed to save some of the Horse Soldiers from the tide of mechanization, THIS would have been the rifle he would have wanted to advocate for.
Easier to load, more ammo, better balanced, better handling; the Johnson's advantages over the Garand are slight, but as a Cavalry/Scout Rifle, it would have been PERFECT.
I wonder why this was in my recommend 🤔.....
Gear left adrift, consider it a gift.
Cool rifle, but there are a lot of parts you could lose in the field.
In one of the stories of the Battle of Gettysburg, a Union soldier was found to have loaded his rifle four times, but had not fired it once! Loading a rifle in the heat of battle is the most stressful moment for the front-line soldier. He is distracted from an advancing enemy for several seconds and is most vulnerable during that time. The Johnson M1941 use of Springfield rifle clips has that problem - times two. The M1 Garand does it only once. Slam in the 8-round clip and you are ready to shoot. The M1 8-round clip has a smoother, more fluid operation and fewer distractions. Although the Johnson is a very attractive and more futuristic rifle, the double-loading process makes it the less desirable weapon to serve the needs of a front-line infantry soldier.
You make an interesting point but one advantage was existing stocks of 1909 ammo on strippers made logistics easier at first. I shot one as a teen in the 1970s and it was a pleasure. Having them in select units like Marine raiders made sense.
Is it possible to grab the pin on the charging handle with the rim of a cartridge?
Omnihil777 No, there is nothing to properly get a hold of with a cartridge. Fingers or tweezers are your best option, which would be pretty terrible in really cold, humid, or hot environments I guess.
Mirdarion, i think you're wrong. if you look carefully at 13:20 you can see that the charging handle pin does have a notch. it might be too small to work with a cartridge rim. a spent cartridge should work though
@@spamboli there's nothing on the pin
Good to know that no special lube is required, but do you need to use BOTH hands to work the rim?
Wish this outstanding video had been available a few decades ago when I owned one of these. It is a nice rifle. Mine was inherited, shot well but the safety was broken, the lever just rotated 360 without engaging a "safe" position and when firing the trigger 'doubled' discharging properly on a pull but hazardously upon release. Good for rapid fire but a problem if the second discharge was undesired. Sold it for $500 to a friend who was an advanced collector. Hope he was able to correct those flaws.
I for one demand the return of the universe disassembly tool!!
Every other method clearly is inferior since every gun that need carriages to open needs different cartridges.
So universal disassembly tool all the way!
Why would you want to disassemble the Universe?
@@panzerabwerkanone So you can make a new universe where K-pop doesnt exist.
What a dumb statement!
If you have the weapon, don't you (normally, esp. in a military setting) have the appropriate cartridges that go with it?
Also, universal disassembly tool = Swiss army knife = EVERY tool EXCEPT the one you need.
So if your out of bullets, you don't have a disassembly tool. interesting......
Many of them shipped to China in the 40s, nickname "fat belly"
God I wish America had adopted it. IMAGINE THE MEMES!
"Alright privates! Grab your Johnsons and move out!"
I remember this gun from the movie “assembly” about the Chinese civil war.
Pretty sure that a 10-shot auto-loader was pretty attractive to Marines that were still using Springfield rifles, and didn't Para-Marines pretty much get their way as to what they equipped with?
Isn't there also a LMG version of the M1941?
Yes.
he said that in the video
@@patrickcrosley6179
Patrick, obviously "Spare 15" doesn't have the attention to spare, or he would not have asked the question.
Ian was gracious enough to answer the clown.
Seems a very slick, nice rifle. I think it’s quite appealing compared to the M1.
This got recommended to me exactly after BFV introduced the gun into the game. I swear DICE take ideas from Ian's channel for weapons to add into the games.
Same lmao
The literally have him in a consulting role. He's in the credits of both bf1 and bf5. So, yes, they do
In fact, I think the sound for the chauchat in bf1 is recorded from Ian's personal collection's choo choo
Whaaaaat
TBH, a reproduction Johnson chambered in .223/5.56, .308/7.62 NATO, and 7.62x39 with some rails would be a perfect California/Restricted State Gun. It would probably sell well in non-restricted states (assuming it can undercut the AR or offer something that the AR doesn’t) due to the simplicity, cleanliness compared to gas guns, and ease of disassembly, through muzzle brakes, flash hiders, and suppressors could be a problem but still likely work considering you can get away with a suppressor on most pistols.
Did you say around 3:40 that some were shipped to Holland or Poland? It was hard to tell
Holland.
Thank you
Found a Johnson in a surplus store many years ago, well before debit cards. They wanted $75.00 for it. They wouldn't take a cheque, figures, so I had to go find a bank. Came back with the money and the price was now $275.00. I asked how come and the guy said, "Do you know what it is?" I said, "Yes.". He said, "I found out what it was." I didn't get it. Never seen one since in Canada.
Every time battlefield v has a leaked gun or a gun comes out I always get a video from this channel about the gun on my recommendations
same lmao
What would ultimately make me choose an M1 Garand over a Johnson is the distinctive ping from the M1.
The outline of this rifle is so cool and unique, even if it wasn't safe to fire it would make a nice wall hanger.
@Superdude70 I had completely forgotten about this comment.
Johnson: short recoil, ten rounds with clip, easy to use, lighter and kiled by soldiers
Garand: *PING*
Military: yeah...we'll take that one thanks
its the sks of the usa in ww2
“Why use a rifle named after your junk, when you can have something that sounds better?”
-someone smart in WW2
Could be that the bolt handle pin is designed to be pulled up with a cartridge rim.
Anyone else watching this because Anton put the Johnson rifle into H3VR?
Well well well I get this in my recommandations right after it gets added to BFV, what a coincidence :D
I had one and sold it for $1000.00 about 22 years ago…HUGE MISTAKE!
Is my guy left handed? 0:14
Yes
If you're asking your guy left handed, then he is not your guy or your mate.
Left eye dominate is the correct term for shooting
Yes Ian is left handed
Sorry but that’s one ugly gun!
This is one of the best gun channels on youtube.
I think your wrong, but we all have our opinions.
Please show me a channel that’s better.
Even with being three years later.
@@amazoniancustodian I mean...I said that 3 years ago. Now it's the best.
*Loads magazine sideways*
You have my attention...
16:14 HEY, Ian is left handed and always shoots lefty.
I seem to remember seeing a b&w photograph of a Filipino guerrilla using one of these. This was WW2 and as far as I know, these were never issued to the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Must have been supplied clandestinely by submarine. Nice rifle.
Seriously what is with militarises and the hard on for bayonets? Even the C7 the CAF issued me had a friggin bayonet lug. Ya know where that bayonet spent 99% of it's time during my time in the CAF? In it's damn sheath and the other 1% of it's existence coming out solely for drills. Not once during any of the firefights I was in did I ever need the stupid thing.
As I understand it, the bayonet is still decently useful for stuff like riot control. Having a big scary knife at the end of your rifle forces people to stay the fuck back.
You don't bring a knife to a gun fight, but you also don't bring a gun to a knife fight.
So you bring both.
Agreed. Bayonets on rifles have not had any use since ww1.... unless your Japanese.
Will Siddle If it really came down to a melee contest I'd gladly trade a piss poor spear for a well made tomahawk. That being said my ET would make a better melee implement then a bayonet equipped rifle so it's not much of a contest.
Its a tradition thing it was only usefull in ww1 other then that ur right I agree with you dude the bayonet is completely useless
Probably attractive to the marines early in ww2 because the army hogged the early garand production and the marines were still using springfield bolt actions. The first marines landed at Guadalcanal had springfields, though relieving troops in November 1942 had garands. Johnson may be no better than a garand but it beats the heck out of a bolt action.
Ian, you deserve many more subscribers and much more contributions to the channel for all the work you put in. Excellent program.
This weapon does not look very good and is very complicated, especially since it is semi-automatic
Ian, thanks for all your hard work. I don't understand why you only have 300k subs while someone who just unboxes new cell phones or whatever, has millions. Anyway, kudos on a great channel.
I wonder if this could have fared better as a carbine/smg with fire selection. visually in my head I see the potential
I was looking forward to an update to the old johnson rifle video and this certainly didn't disappoint!
Very nice johnson you have there. I'd love to see how it feels myself sometime
I am ashamed to admit that I know this rifle mostly because of World of Guns but damn I do like this gun
I want to see this in the next ww2 Battlefield game.
Burt Sampson The next COD game is supposed to take place in WWII.
The next battlefield game is supposed to be in ww2
I think it coming soon to bfv. Data miner found it
@@ttherealmikemonster you think they'll make it a self loading rifle for recon? Letting the class have their own Garand type of weapon?
you got what you wished for !