After designing the M1941 semi-automatic rifle, Melvin Johnson set his sights on a light machine gun version of his design. While making it accept the already issued M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle magazines seemed a logical choice, that was not an option due to Johnson’s prior experience submitting his M1941 rifle to the Army. When the U.S. Army Ordnance Department first tested the Johnson rifle, it had a detachable box magazine. According to Bruce Canfield in his authoritative work on Johnson’s firearms, “Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns: The Story of Melvin Maynard Johnson, Jr. and His Guns”, soldiers testing the rifle loaded the cartridges in the detachable BAR magazine used in the M1941 backwards. This had the effect of bending the feed lips, rendering the magazine’s operation unreliable. Johnson saw this and demanded new magazines before the test started. Ordnance refused and, adding insult to injury, counted each of the resulting magazine-induced stoppages as “malfunctions”, tanking the gun’s performance in testing on paper. Years later, Johnson’s son, Edward Johnson, suggested to me in a conversation that this was a blatant attempt to influence the outcome of the test in favor of the competing incumbent M1 Garand rifle.

Faced with such brazen dishonesty, Johnson responded by developing a rotary magazine that could not be sabotaged in this way and that offered the benefit of being able to be topped off in use with stripper clips so that soldiers would never be caught changing magazines when an enemy suddenly appeared wanting to shoot you. For his light machine gun, Johnson added a detachable magazine to one side. He could not use a double column magazine for fear Ordnance would sabotage them and count the resulting failure of the magazines to work as the gun malfunctioning, so he developed a 20-round single-column feed magazine that was immune to such tampering. That, plus the five rounds held in the rotary magazine, gave the soldier 25 rounds at their disposal.

Johnson was well aware of the Browning Automatic Rifle’s faults. The M1918A2 was a heavy, 21 pounds and very clumsy to handle. It was gas operated with all the attendant powder fouling and jamming that goes with that kind of system. It lacked a quick-change barrel, so sustained full-auto fire was out of the question. The exposed barrel would burn you sooner or later, disassembly and reassembly was a nightmare, and most damning of all, the gun wore heavily under heavy usage, necessitating constant Ordnance rebuilds. These rebuilds, while straightforward, were often poorly done by Ordnance resulting in the troops getting weapons that did not work reliably.

Johnson set out to make a light machine gun that had none of these faults… and he succeeded. At 12.5 pounds, the weapon was still within the upper limits of what a rifle could weigh. It handled fast and sure with no hint of clumsiness. There was a ventilated barrel shroud and a quick-change barrel just like the Johnson M1941 rifle had. This was a light machine gun that could maintain sustained fire like any other air-cooled machine gun with a quick-change barrel The short recoil system of the Johnson rifle eliminated all the problems inherent in a gas-operated machine gun. It was extremely rugged and didn’t fall apart under heavy use like the BAR did. Like the Johnson rifle, it was totally reliable. Accuracy in full-auto was superior to the BAR, but unlike other weapons, the M1941 LMG fired open-bolt when in full-auto (benefitting from the 50% recoil reduction that offers) but it fired from a closed bolt when the selector was set on semi-auto for sniper rifle accuracy.

The M1941 LMG shared many components of the M1941 Johnson rifle and was actually a rifle designed to fill the LMG role. As such, it and its successor, the M1944 Johnson, remain the only rifles in history to succeed in this role. The increased speed of mobility that a lighter LMG delivers was amply demonstrated by one of Johnson’s favorite tricks, firing the M1941 LMG one-handed with his arm fully extended, as shown in the photograph. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone firing an M1918A2 BAR with one hand like that. The speed of deployment of a weapon in combat is the difference between hitting the enemy and being hit by the enemy. As a LMG is supposed to be part of a mobile squad, its mobility is a decisive factor in its effectiveness in many situations.

Since the M1941 didn’t come from Army Ordnance’s tight little clique, they immediately hated the Johnson guns — even going so far as to deny export licenses for the M1941 LMG to America’s WWII ally, Holland, in the early days of the war. However, the Marine paratroopers liked the way the quick-change barrel of the Johnson rifle and the Johnson LMG could be removed and stowed alongside the rest of the weapon making for a more compact package during parachute jumps, and they were able to get a quantity. Both the rifle and the LMG were already in production for a Dutch order. When Holland fell, these guns became available to both the Army and the Marines where they were widely loved by their users.

U.S. troops weren’t the only ones impressed with the Johnson. In Germany, Louis Stanga took it as his inspiration for the famous FG42 which was intended to replace the 98 Mauser when production permitted. Not having a hostile Ordnance Board to deal with Louis used a conventional 20-round, double column box magazine. The action was based on an improved version of the WWI Lewis Light Machine Gun and a muzzle brake was fitted. It lacked a quick-change barrel and for all its virtues, it was still inferior to the M1941 Johnson.

There were also six light carbine versions made as semi-auto rifles with a standard 10-shot rotary magazine and no bipod. Dubbed “Daisy Mae”, one of these was carried into WWII by U.S. Marine officer Harry Torgerson.

Always trying to improve his guns, Melvin Johnson determined to make the most controllable light machine gun of all time and he succeeded with his M1944 Johnson LMG. The weight went up to 14.7 pounds and the bipod and wood forend were replaced with a 1.7-pound folding monopod that served as either a vertical or a horizontal fore grip, depending on its position. This monopod proved much faster to engage and more effective than the traditional bipod. The wooden buttstock was replaced with two tubes. The top tube enabled the mainspring to have more room while the bottom tube could store a cleaning kit. There was a substantial metal buttplate that was hinged and could be flipped up to access the two tubes for maintenance. Depending on the ammunition type, the cyclic rate was anywhere from 450 -750 rounds per minute. This could also be adjusted by changing the recoil spring.

As previously stated, the M1944 Johnson LMG is totally controllable in full auto fire. By the time the 22-inch barrel has moved back a half-inch and the bolt has been cammed back 20 degrees to allow unlocking, the bullet is four or five feet from the muzzle. This also reduces the amount of powder and gas left in the barrel that typically fouls the action once the breech is unlocked. The bolt has a long throw and a long recoil spring to spread out and absorb the recoil, this is in addition to the weight of the gun doing its part to absorb recoil. The weight of the bolt and the barrel for the half-inch of unlocking travel also counts as bolt weight during that time. The result is a steady straight rearward push instead of the normal jack hammer effect of recoil in a full-auto gun that jerks the muzzle up with each shot. Fired from the prone in full-auto with the monopod deployed, the recoil from each shot is just 1.33 pounds. By way of comparison, the M16 has seven pounds of recoil per shot. Fired from the shoulder, the M1944 is still controllable. Plus, it achieves this controllability without the use of a muzzle brake that would likely cause permanent damage to the shooter’s hearing. Combining its controllable nature, its ability to fire semi-auto from a closed bolt for precise shots, and its unsurpassed reliability, Johnson may have produced the most effective one-person operated firearm of all time in his M1944 LMG.

With the selector set at semi-auto, the cycling of the action begins when the cartridge is fired. The bolt and barrel remain locked together as the barrel recoils a half-inch back into the receiver. During this travel time, the multi-lugged bolt is rotated 20 degrees to unlock by the camming arm of the bolt sliding against the camming face of the receiver. Once the bolt is unlocked, the rearward travel of the barrel is halted while the bolt continues to the rear, compressing the long recoil spring, cocking the hammer, extracting, and then ejecting the spent cartridge case. The recoil spring now drives the bolt forward, where it locks into the barrel, and the gun is ready to fire semi-auto again. This action is just like the M1941 rifle.

When the selector is set for full-auto, the cycle begins with the bolt catch holding the bolt in the open position until it’s released by pulling the trigger. It then chambers a cartridge, closes, and locks into the barrel. At this point the automatic sear is tripped, firing the round. The gun continues to fire full-auto until it is out of ammo or the trigger is released (catching the bolt in the open position.) When the last round is fired, the bolt remains closed in either the semi-auto or full-auto setting.

While the Marine Corps wanted to replace the BAR with the M1944 Johnson, this was not approved as the Marine Corps was considered a client of the Army in weapons procurement.

After the war, Johnson continued trying to get his guns adopted, even going so far as to add gas assisted operation to the guns to please Ordnance, even though this negated one of the principal advantages of his design. These efforts were unsuccessful, and it appears Ordnance was just stringing him along to offset the criticism of their scandalous behavior on this matter. The M1944 remains the high-water mark of the Johnson LMG. There has never been another non-crew-operated firearm approaching its effectiveness.

The title of the most reliable semi-auto rifle of all time goes to the M1941 Johnson. While the M1 Garand has been known to jam just from the sand the surf imparts in an amphibious landing, one of the favorite demonstrations of Melvin Johnson was to stuff a rag in the bore of his invention (so the barrel would not get obstructed and burst), then bury the gun completely in the sand and have it come out firing when it was dug up.

The Johnson possesses one of those rare mechanisms that throws sand and dirt out of the action instead of jamming on it. I have talked to Army Ordnance men who tested the M1941 Johnson and they said that it was the ONLY gun that they ever had that they could never make jam. At the time, this made the recently adopted M1 Garand look bad. The top brass in Army Ordnance decided to lie their way out of it. They attacked Melvin Johnson’s invention in every way possible. While the Johnson’s long action soaks up almost all recoil, the M1 Garand’s action does almost nothing to mitigate recoil and has the same recoil as a bolt action rifle of the same weight. The response of the Ordnance team was to make the ridiculous claim that the soft kicking Johnson kicked so hard that it would break the soldier’s shoulder! Well, my 5-foot 2-inch, 105-pound wife never had a problem with the minuscule recoil of the Johnson.

ROTARY MAGAZINE

The first Johnson rifles used a conventional box magazine. During a test, Melvin Johnson caught Ordnance loading the cartridges in backwards, thus ruining the magazine feed lips so that magazine failure was insured. Johnson demanded they use new magazines before the test began. Ordnance haughtily refused, and when the ruined magazines failed to work properly, they put it down as the gun jamming. This brazen and open sabotage was typical of their response to the Johnson.

It is not just the Johnson rifle that was treated this way. Ordnance has a long been suspected of not seriously considering any gun outside their own little clique, no matter how superior it may be. There may be another darker reason surrounding the hostility Ordnance was alleged to have had for the Johnson rifle, however. An Ordnance officer in a position to know told me that the top brass had misappropriated one million dollars for the development of the M1 Garand and this money could only be hidden in the M1’s production run. If the Johnson had been adopted, this would have all come out and these men would have gone to prison. At any rate, Johnson saw that no box magazine could escape sabotage in Ordnance tests, so he came up with his revolutionary 10-shot rotary magazine that could be topped off with standard 5-round stripper clips (or loose ammo) at any time during use. Men in combat loved it; as, if you were careful, you would never be caught reloading an empty gun with potentially fatal consequences in close quarters battle. In contrast, at the other extreme, the M1 Garand ejects it’s en bloc clip with an audible and distinctive “PING” letting everyone around you know when you have to reload. Ordnance hated that the Johnson rifle held two rounds more than the M1 so much that when the Johnson’s intended for the Dutch came into U.S. Service in WWII they blocked as many of the magazines as they could to eight rounds. My Johnson was blocked like this and had to have the magazine fixed to hold the full 10 rounds.

HANDLING AND ACCURACY

The handling qualities of the Johnson are like a fine British shotgun. When it first came out, men demonstrated this by killing birds on the wing with it. It’s handling qualities make instinct shooting easy. I have killed deer in mid leap with the M1941 Johnson where there was no possibility of using sights fast enough. Instinct shooting made perfect shoulder shots.

Accuracy is consistent, as there is no metal-on-wood for the barrel. It is all metal on metal and there is a ventilated handguard so that, no matter how much the barrel heats up during rapid-fire, you will not burn your hand. Too bad the old BAR wasn’t so carefully laid out. You really had to be careful around the BAR’s hot exposed barrel in combat. The worst M1941 Johnson will shoot a 2 MOA group and mine does 1 MOA. Your average M1 Garand does 3 MOA while the average M1 carbine does 2 MOA. That is assuming that the M1 rifle and M1 carbine have not had cleaning rod damage to the rifling at the muzzle since you can’t use the cleaning rod from the breech end.

QUICK CHANGE BARREL

The Johnson rifle has the quick release barrel of a machine gun, making cleaning a breeze. Simply use the nose of a cartridge to depress the barrel release at the tip of the forend and now you can withdraw the barrel. You can pour water down the bore at the breech-end directly from your canteen without worrying about getting water in the rest of the gun. Since the WWII corrosive primers contain salt, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines salt is ONLY soluble in water, this is important. Since the timing of the unlocking of the action is well after the bullet leaves the barrel, there is very little powder fowling in the action. This can be a lifesaver in the heat of intense, prolonged conflict where there is simply no time to clean your gun. I am always amazed at how little fouling is in the Johnson action after extensive shooting.

SHORT RECOIL ACTION

The Johnson utilizes a short recoil action. Like the German machine gun designers of the MG34 and MG42, Melvin Johnson realized that gas operated weapons were inherently self-jamming due to powder fouling and corrosion. I have seen a tiny bit of rust in an M1 rifle’s gas system lock the gun up so completely that even stomping the operating rod handle would not open the action. By using recoil operation, he eliminated these problems. Between the heavy barrel recoiling a ¼-inch before unlocking the bolt, the long bolt throw backed by a long spring in the buttstock, and the weight of the gun, recoil was negligible. Recovery time was sped by the fact that the stock was as straight as possible while retaining conventional sights. The result was greatly expanded rapid-fire capability. Melvin Johnson realized that effective full-auto fire requires a gun designed from the ground up as a light machine gun, as opposed to simply putting a selector on a light rifle or carbine. The rifleman would always score more hits per rounds fired with aimed rapid-fire and the Johnson excelled at this. Add to this it’s handling like a fine shotgun and you have a winning combination for combat where whoever sees and hits the enemy first wins the gunfight. You have to have been in that situation to fully appreciate how important this is.

The bolt of the M1941 Johnson has multiple locking lugs which allows both for a shorter movement to unlock and allows extra protection against locking lug cracks. Johnson remembered the U.S. Krag rifle which sometimes had cracks in the locking lugs, unlike the Norwegian Krag rifles. In later years some U.S. M1 carbines had this problem, as well.

The action is good for up to 75,000 PSI chamber pressure and the gun will continue to work reliably there. This is in sharp contrast to the M1 rifle which could not work for any length of time with the powerful 30-06 M1 ammunition adopted in WWI. They had to go back to the original 1906 load for the M1 rifle and they tried to cover this up by redesignating it “M2” ball ammo. When the war in the Pacific demanded the 30-06 AP (armor piercing) round to deal with the entrenched Japanese, there was a widespread call for its adoption and the replacement of the M2 ball ammo. The trouble was the M1 Garands were not holding up under the pounding of this more powerful round, so it was not adopted. When the M1 was replaced by the M14 (which was basically an M1 with the White gas system that Garand had rejected as less reliable when designing the M1 and a 20-round magazine) they went to the 7.62 NATO round which put even less stress on the gun. Today you can find 30-06 loads marked as “Safe for M1 Garands” because some of the more powerful sporting loads are tearing the M1 Garands up.

CHAMBERINGS

The Johnson prewar commercial guns often came with a .270 barrel, a 30-06 barrel, and a .35 Whelan barrel. The guns worked perfectly in all three calibers simply by changing the barrels. My personal M1941 has a 7mm Mauser barrel, the issue 30-06 barrel, and a 35 Whelan barrel. It shoots all calibers reliably, as well as all loads of these calibers. In addition to the Remington 35 Whelan loads, I also had Wolfgang Romey in Germany load me some 35 Whelan with bullets for the 350 Rigby and the 350 Rigby Magnum to Rigby velocities. We are talking about calibers from .270 to .35 and bullet weights from 140 grains to 310 grains. They all work just fine. Just swap out the quick-change barrels and you are good to go. Try all that with any other semi-auto ever made.

CONCLUSION

How does the Johnson stack up against today’s M4 carbine, AK74 and others? It offers accurate fire out to 1000 meters, faster, surer aimed rapid-fire, greater reliability, and more power and penetration. As previously noted, the 10-round rotary magazine can be continually topped off so that you never run out of ammo or get shot while trying to change a magazine. In short, the M1941 Johnson can be more effective than today’s assault rifles.

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 Model of 1903

The U.S. M1903 Rifle was designed and adopted to replace the Krag-Jorgensen rifle and its .30-40 cartridge. Adopted on June 19, 1903, the M1903 Rifle was chambered for the Model of 1903, .30 Government Cartridge (.30-03), which had a 220-grain round-nose projectile. The Model of 1903 Rifle was only in service a short period of time before some changes were made. One of the most prominent upgrades was the rechambering for the improved Model of 1906 cartridge, which had a lighter, spitzer-type projectile and an improved powder. A newly designed M1905 rear sight was also added. The rifles were manufactured by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1914. Production was quickly resumed during 1917 with the U.S. entry into World War I.

The M1903 Rifle in .30-06 caliber remained the standard service weapon of the U.S. until the adoption of the M1 Rifle in 1936. During World War II, production of the M1 Garand was not able to keep up with the wartime demand. Thus, Remington Arms was awarded a contract to resume manufacture of the M1903 Rifle. During production, there were many new features implemented into the original design of the ’03 rifle to speed up production. These rifles were designated as the M1903 (Modified). Subsequently, more improvements were made resulting in the M1903-A3 model, which was adopted on May 21, 1942. The 03-A3 had many stamped parts, a new receiver mounted aperture rear sight and a longer hand guard. The L.C. Smith & Corona Company was awarded a contract in February of 1942 to supplement production. The M1903 and its variants remained in service until declared obsolete on July 24, 1947.

U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904

The U.S. Maxim Model of 1904 was the first rifle caliber heavy machine gun approved for use as the standard service type by the U.S. Army in 1904. The Army was interested in the Maxim as early as 1887 and procured examples of the “World Standard” Maxim Model 1889 and Model 1900 for evaluation. After sporadic testing, the Chief of Ordnance finally gave approval for adoption in 1904. The first order for 50 guns and tripods were manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM) in England in the U.S. caliber .30-03.

The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the United States and enlisted Colt to manufacture the gun. Problems arose and it was several years before Colt could begin production. In the meantime, another forty guns were ordered from VSM. Colt finally began production in 1908. By 1908, the service cartridge had changed from the .30-03 to the .30-06. The ninety guns produced by VSM were all converted to the new service cartridge while all the Colt guns were manufactured in .30-06. Colt produced 197 guns, and with VSM’s 90 guns, total production of the Model of 1904 was 287 guns. Colt never produced any tripods. All the tripods were made by VSM and wheeled carriage mounts were produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The Model of 1904 saw a brief service life, quickly being declared obsolete by 1915, yet was widely used and saw service in such distant outposts as the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America. The gun never saw active combat service, particularly in World War I, being relegated to training purposes.

U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 is commonly referred to in the U.S. as the “Benet-Mercie.” Laurence Benet was an American engineer who worked for the Hotchkiss Company in Paris, France. He, along with another Hotchkiss engineer named Henri Mercie, collaborated to develop an air cooled, gas operated, lightweight machine gun based on the Hotchkiss Model 1900 heavy machine gun design. The Model 1909 differed from heavy machine guns in that it weighed just 30 pounds and was fitted with a wooden stock with elevation gear and a bipod. It was mechanically modified as to how the breech closed and the feedway and feed mechanism were changed. The gun also had a barrel changing ability, unique at that time. The number of parts to the gun were reduced to just twenty five.

The French adopted the French made Hotchkiss gun in 8mm Lebel and the British adopted it in .303. in 1909 and was known on the Continent as the “Hotchkiss Portative.” That same year, the U.S. Army, after lengthy trials, adopted it as service issue as the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 and ordered 29 guns from Hotchkiss. The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the U.S. The rights were secured and Colt and the Springfield Armory were contracted to produce the American version in .30-06. Over the next several years, both manufacturers combined produced approximately 670 guns. The Model of 1909 was issued for service with the Model of 1908 Warner & Swasey telescopic musket sight, originally used for sharpshooter use with the Model 1903 Springfield rifle.

The Model of 1909 was issued to U.S. infantry and cavalry troops from 1909 to 1918 and saw limited tactical use in the landing at Vera Cruz in 1913, all along the Mexican border in 1916 and was used in the defense of Columbus, New Mexico against the sneak attack by Poncho Villa in 1916. Though the British and French “Hotchkiss Portative” version was widely used in World War I, the U.S. “Benet-Mercie” was relegated to training use. It was declared obsolete in 1918 and ultimately replaced by the far superior M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Model 1914 Colt Automatic Gun

Invented and designed by John Browning, the Colt Model 1895 Automatic gun was the world’s first practical gas-actuated machine gun. Using a gas-impingement system that operated against a lever that traveled downward and backward in a 170-degree arc underneath the gun, it affectionately became known as “The Potato Digger.” Colt manufactured the gun and was extremely successful in selling the gun world wide in a variety of calibers. The U.S. Navy purchased fifty guns in 1897 in 6mm Lee and another 150 guns in 1898. These guns were used as secondary armament on ships and with naval landing parties and with the U.S. Marines. The gun was also used with some degree of success in the Philippines, the Boxer Rebellion, Mexican border war and the Spanish-American War.

The U.S. Army ordered 100 guns for testing and training in .30-40 Krag. Upon the recommendation of a joint Army-Navy board of 1898 for standardizing arms and ammunition, the Navy rechambered their 6mm Lee to .30-40 Krag, and then they all were changed to .30-03 and ultimately to .30-06. Though the Army, Navy and Marines all used the Colt Model 1895; only the Navy officially adopted the weapon. The Army just continued to buy it commercially as they deemed necessary eventually buying 2,800 guns during World War I. The “Model” designation was a name used by Colt and did not represent acceptance as issue by the Army.

In 1914, Colt modified the Model of 1895 by replacing the heavy, thick permanent barrel with a finned barrel that was easily changeable and became the Model of 1914. It was this version and its variants that ultimately saw use in World War I by a number of Allied nations though relegated as secondary armament and training by the U.S. The gun was used with three types of tripods, basically differing only in height.

U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915

The U.S. began to realize how vastly under-armed in automatic weapons it was and started a new series of tests in 1913 and field trials in 1914. The new, improved version of the Maxim gun, now called the Vickers, was the clear winner. The new British Vickers was redesigned internally to maximize space within the receiver box by inverting the toggle joint and lock, and the overall weight of the gun was substantially reduced; all without sacrificing reliability. In 1915, the Board of Ordnance unanimously approved the type for the Army as the Model of 1915 chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. They immediately placed an order for 125 guns to be made by Colt and in 1916 placed an additional order for 4,000 even though the first order had not yet even been made. When the U.S. entered World War I in April, 1917, not a single Colt Vickers M1915 had been delivered due to production problems at Colt.

Colt made Vickers guns finally became available in late 1917. By mid 1918, Colt Vickers started to be shipped overseas. The first twelve divisions arriving in France were issued the French Hotchkiss Model of 1914. The next ten divisions that sailed for France in May and June of 1918 were equipped with the Colt Vickers. By August, 1918, thirteen divisions were using the Colt Vickers. In all, 12,125 Vickers Model of 1915 ground guns were produced by Colt.

At the end of World War I, the remaining inventory of Colt Vickers were put into storage and held in reserve. They were ultimately sent to Great Britain under Lend-Lease to help guard against German invasion during World War II, especially after the huge losses of equipment at Dunkirk, while British production fought to rearm the British Army. After World War II, the U.S. did not want the guns returned and the British destroyed the remaining inventory.

U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

John Browning continued to experiment with different machine gun designs after the introduction of his first machine gun, the Model of 1895 Automatic Gun. He developed a short-recoil, water-cooled gun in 1900 and patented it in 1901. There was no government interest in this prototype and he ceased work on it until 1910 when he made further modifications and improvements to it. Again, there was no governmental interest in the gun.

As the U.S. was being drawn into World War I, the Ordnance Board urgently requested designs for new machine guns. Browning took his heavy water-cooled machine gun along with his new Browning Automatic Rifle to be tested in February, 1917. Both guns tested exceptionally well and the BAR was ordered immediately. As war broke out, another official test occurred in May, 1917. The genius of John Browning shone through with the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of maintenance. Browning’s heavy machine gun was adopted as the Model of 1917 chambered for the .30-06 service cartridge and ordered into production with contracts being awarded to New England Westinghouse, Remington and Colt.

30,089 M1917 Brownings were sent to France before the war ended with 1,168 guns actually being used in the front lines. The first instance of combat usage was in September, 1918 in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne, where, in wet and muddy conditions, the new Browning guns performed exceptionally well with one company firing 10,000 rounds per gun.

The Browning M1917 was to replace the variety of machine guns in American use (British Mk I Vickers, U.S. Vickers Model of 1915 and French Hotchkiss Model of 1914) but the war ended two months later so the Browning actually saw limited use. Yet, Browning’s design was so brilliant that the M1917 and its subsequent variants soldiered on in the U.S. inventory for another fifty years.

U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

Colonel Isaac Lewis began development of the Lewis gun in 1910 based upon a previous design by Samuel McClean. Lewis presented his gun for formal testing in 1912 to the Ordnance Board, which included a “stunt” by firing the gun from an airplane – the first time a machine gun had ever been fired from an aircraft. The Ordnance Board took a dim view of the “stunt” and during the rest of the trials took particular efforts to find fault with the gun and rejected it claiming it was no better than the already approved Model of 1909 Benet-Mercie.

Lewis then went to Europe where his gun was warmly received and went into production in 1913 at Armes Automatiques Lewis in Liege, Belgium and at the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) Company in Birmingham, England. Belgium was soon overrun by Germany in 1914 and production continued at BSA who eventually produced 145, 397 Lewis guns during World War I in the British .303 caliber. The gun was widely used to great effect throughout the war.

Savage Arms Company of Utica, New York began producing Lewis guns for a Canadian contract in .303 and the U.S. Army procured 350 guns (in .303) for use in 1916 along the Mexican border. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army still harbored a grudge against Lewis and his gun that dated back to 1912. The U.S. Navy, however, held no such animosity and purchased 6,000 Lewis guns from Savage for the U.S. Marines chambered in .30-06 and it was designated as the Model of 1917. Upon arriving in France, the 5th Regiment of the Marines attached to the 2nd Division, who had been issued and trained with the Model of 1917, had their Lewis guns taken away and were issued the French Hotchkiss M1914 and Chauchat M1915 machine guns. The American .30-06 Lewis guns were turned over to the Aviation Services. The Army in due course purchased 2,500 M1917 Lewis guns but they relegated them to U.S. training. U.S. Model of 1917 Lewis guns saw little or no infantry combat during the war. After the war, the Army discarded the Lewis gun though the Navy and Marine Corps kept it in their inventory until the 1930s.

Marlin Machine Gun Model of 1917/18

As World War I heated up, orders for the Colt M1914 increased as well. Colt entered into an agreement with Marlin Arms Company on manufacturing the M1914. Marlin’s designer, Carl Swebilius, worked out an improvement to the operating system that changed Browning’s original “Gas Hammer” style lever action to a straight piston arrangement. The Marlin guns, with the exception of a small run of M1917 trainers, were no longer “Diggers,” the piston in tube arrangement ran along the bottom of the barrel and applied the energy to the bolt system.

This change made Browning’s system easier to adapt into aircraft and vehicles; thus, the M1917 and M1918 Marlin Aircraft Machine Gun designations, and the M1917 Marlin Tank Machine Gun designation. Unfortunately, changing to a straight line piston changed the impulse time and energy, and the early guns had trouble in extraction tearing case rims. Adjustments were made to the design, but not before negative publicity occurred. Marlin had taken the position that the ammunition the Army had did not have strong enough cases and the Army said that the Marlin guns had to work with ammunition that was fielded. In the end, the Marlin M1917 type guns were relegated to aircraft use where there was more control on ammunition quality. Some of the Marlin guns had aluminum radiators on the barrels similar to the Lewis M1917, but most had a bare barrel.

The Marlin M1917 and M1918 machine guns did see combat in U.S. use. During World War II, may were shipped to England for their naval defense.

There were an additional 2,816 of the Marlin Model 1917 that are virtually identical to the Model of 1914 “Potato Digger” made by Colt. These were for training in the U.S. Army, and the main difference was in the location of the belt feed opening.

U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917

The U.S M1917 rifle was originally produced as the Pattern 14, .303 caliber “Enfield” for the British. Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I, the British negotiated several contracts with the U.S. firms of Remington, Winchester and Eddystone (a Remington subsidiary), to produce the P14. Collectively, 1.2 million of the Pattern 14 rifles were made from 1916 to 1917.

Upon the United States’ entry into World War I, the U.S. Army faced a service rifle shortage. With the British contracts completed, instead of having the companies retool for the M1903 rifle, the War Department decided to make a few design changes and rechamber the P14 to the U.S. M1906 rimless .30-06 round and the new rifle was ready for production. The U.S. M1917 rifle was officially adopted in April 1917. There were over 2.4 million manufactured from 1917 to 1919 at a cost of $26.00 per weapon.

When World War I ended, the M1917 rifles were prudently placed into storage, after having been rebuilt by various U.S. arsenals. When World War II broke out in Europe, the U.S. and her Allies again faced critical shortages of small arms. The M1917 rifles were pulled from storage and issued to rear echelon soldiers and for training. After the war in October, 1945, the U.S. Army declared the M1917 rifle obsolete. While the U.S. M1917 rifle was more utilitarian then glamorous, it did everything it was intended to do.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

As the U.S. was being drawn into the First World War, the Ordnance Board met in May, 1917 to consider for adoption designs for light machine guns and automatic rifles. John Browning had been previously working on a gas-operated, magazine fed, true automatic rifle design and submitted it to the board. It was unanimously accepted by the Ordnance Board and requested that production begin immediately at Colt who had secured the rights. However, Colt was already at peak production and requested approval from the Board for delay in production while they built a new facility in Meriden, Connecticut. Due to the immediate need, the request was denied and the lead manufacturer became the Winchester Company.

The initial contract with Winchester called for 25,000 BARs. They were in full production by June, 1918 delivering 4,000 guns and in July were turning out 9,000 BARs. Colt and Marlin-Rockwell also began production shortly after Winchester got into full production.

By July of 1918, the BAR began to arrive in France and the first unit to receive them was the U.S. Army’s 79th Division and they immediately exchanged their woefully inadequate French M1915 Chauchat machine rifles with the new BAR and began training. In the September 1918 battle of the Meuse-Argonne, the BAR was used extensively. World War I only lasted another two months before ending in November, 1918. Thus, while the BAR was the state-of the-art weapon, it saw limited combat service. Nevertheless, the M1918 BAR was such a fine weapon that it remained as the standard U.S. service automatic rifle after the war and production continued after the war. Of the total 102,125 M1918 BARs produced, Winchester made 47,123, Marlin-Rockwell 39,002 and Colt 16,000.

U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

The U.S. was ill-equipped when it entered World War I in 1917 and was particularly lacking in automatic weapons. With less than 1,100 automatic weapons in inventory, consisting of four types in two different calibers, these guns were needed in the U.S. for training the new army. When U.S. divisions arrived in France, they had no automatic weapons.

The French, at war since 1914, had an arms industry in full force. Thus, U.S. troops in eighteen divisions were issued the French Model 1914 Hotchkiss heavy machine gun and the Model 1915 Chauchat automatic rifle: both chambered in 8mm Lebel. The French quickly developed the Chauchat to fill the immediate wartime need of France and consisted of fabricated steel tubing of standard sizes and stampings. The only parts requiring extensive machining were the barrel and bolt. The long-recoil operation, cheap materials, unorthodox enclosed design and hurried production produced a gun that had poor reliability and worse accuracy. But, it was all that was available.

To help alleviate a two-cartridge supply nightmare, the U.S. asked the French manufacturer, C.S.R.G., to produce the gun in .30-06. Good idea, bad execution. The gun was simple in its design and conversion was easy: change the barrel, replace the semicircular magazine with a detachable box magazine, change the angle of the bipod and change the graduations on the rear sight. However, the already poor reliability of the gun went from bad to worse.

The more powerful, straight cased, rimless .30-06 cartridge was very difficult to extract. With its violent action, the M1918 Chauchat tore the cartridges instead of extracting them and the more powerful .30-06 caused major stress on all the working parts causing failures. Additionally, the gun heated up very quickly causing the action to freeze until it had cooled. Due to the enclosed design, clearing stoppages and jams was almost impossible. The gun, in a single word, was awful.

The U.S. nevertheless quickly adopted it as the Chauchat Model of 1918 and bought and paid for 25,000; taking delivery of 19,241. There is no record of M1918s being used in combat and were relegated to training use. They were so bad, that immediately after the war, the U.S. ordered them to be destroyed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1

In the rush to supply American troops in World War I, deficiencies in design and manufacturing methods of the Model of 1917 manifested itself quickly in operational use. Many of the problems stemmed from the lack of, or improper heat treating of, key internal parts that included the bolt, barrel extension, accelerator, firing pin, trigger and extractor. Inaccurate manufacturing tolerances also contributed to leaking water jackets at the muzzle cap. The most severe problem was due to the pounding of the breech lock on the breech lock cam causing cracks in the receiver side and bottom plates.

As early as 1919, steps were taken to remedy these problems; the most obvious being welding or riveting a “U” stirrup under the bottom plate and extending up each side of the receiver to strengthen the receiver box. A program was initiated by Rock Island Arsenal in 1936 to covert all Model of 1917 guns with upgrades. Changes included a large, new-manufactured reinforced bottom plate that extended up the sides of the receiver and riveted in place, a new belt feed lever, an improved top cover latch that also incorporated a hold open feature and a new rear sight graduated in yards for the M1 ball cartridge (original Model of 1917 sights were in meters). This improved version of the Model of 1917 was designated as the M1917A1. (The “Model of” designation for U.S. arms was dropped in 1939 and replaced with the letter “M”.)

During World War II, more changes occurred to the M1917A1 that included an improved bolt, the bronze end cap and trunnion replaced by steel, the steam tube assembly was strengthened and the rear leaf sight graduated for the now standard M2 ball cartridge. While almost all Model of 1917s were ultimately converted to the A1 specifications, production resumed from 1936 to 1945 with 55,859 M1917A1s being produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The M1917A1 was used extensively in both theaters of operation during World War II and continued service throughout the Korean War and the beginning stages of Vietnam.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2

During the interwar period, many attempts were made to improve on the M1918 BAR. The M1918A1 and the M1922 were made in very small quantity, with the basic addition of a bipod being the most obvious change. In 1938-39, serious work was begun on what became the Browning Automatic Rifle, Model of 1918A2. The initial experiments with the bipod were expanded upon, and the bipod placement was moved to the front of the barrel utilizing a new flash hider to secure it. The bipod allowed full rotation of the barrel, which made up somewhat for the loss of traverse due to the forward location.

A second addition was that of a pistol grip which extends slightly below the trigger. The method of firing was changed from select fire, (semiautomatic and fully automatic) in the Model of 1918, to dual rate of fire in the Model of 1918A2. This rate reducing mechanism was initially based on the Belgian FN-D BAR trigger group but was later adapted to a US design. Magazine guides were also added to the front of the trigger guard. The fore end was shortened and a heat shield was added, all to help the cooling process. There was a hinged buttplate to add support from the operator’s shoulder, and the new buttstock design allowed for a monopod stock rest.

Production of the M1918A2 was initially performed by upgrading M1918 and M1918A1 BARs. M1918A2 new manufacturing was started in January of 1943. The M1918A2 BAR served in the US military forces throughout World War II, Korea, and well into the Vietnam War. M1918A2s are still seen in various inventories around the world, obsolete though they are.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4

The success of John Browning’s designs is evident in the proliferation of Browning machine guns used by U.S. and other forces around the world. The end of World War I and the advent of more mobile military forces led firearms designers to confront new problems of portability, and the use of tanks and aircraft compounded this. Browning’s basic design for the M1917 series had morphed from water-cooled to air-cooled as early as 1918, and the first models of 1919 Browning machine guns were basically for aircraft use.

The most prolific of the air-cooled Browning machine guns in rifle caliber was the M1919A4. This final variant was designed as either a flexible mount unit for tank use, or for mounting on the M2 tripod with traverse & elevation mechanism and pintle. Production began with the adoption of the M1919A4 in 1935. At that time, all M1919A2 and other earlier variants were started onto a rebuild program to have the longer 24 inch heavy barrel as well as other modifications. By 1939 the elongated slots in the barrel jacket were changed to the quickly recognizable pattern of 5/8 inch diameter holes.

The M1919A4 served well into the Vietnam War for U.S. forces and is still in use today in various armies around the world, primarily in South and Central America and Africa, although most have been replaced with more modern weapons. The M1919A4 was fielded in .30-06, but it has been issued to various armies in 8mm Mauser, 7.62×51 NATO, 7.65 Argentine, and others.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6

The Browning M1919A6 was conceived as a stop-gap measure to fill a void between the M1919A4 and the BAR. The BAR, while relatively light and portable, did not have the capability of sustained firepower. The M1919A4, while perfectly adequate, lacked the ability to be quickly set up and employed and still required the use of a tripod for stability.

The Infantry Board in 1942 investigated many light machine guns of the time, including the German MG42. While a number of designs were submitted, wartime shortages, production constraints and immediate need precluded the design and production of a superior weapon versus modifying a current production weapon to fill the need. (A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.) Reminiscent of Germany’s decision in World War I to develop a light machine gun from an already existing production gun (the MG08/15 from the MG08), the Infantry Board decided to make modifications to the Browning M1919A4 machine gun.

Beginning in 1943, the gun was standardized as the M1919A6 and featured a removable shoulder stock, a lighter barrel with a different barrel bushing to accommodate a bipod and was fitted with a carrying handle. The gun weighed 12.5 pounds lighter than the M1919A4 mounted on its M2 tripod, and was easily transportable and set up by one man. Other than these relatively minor modifications, the gun was mechanically identical to the M1919A4.

Production of the M1919A6 was by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors, who produced 43,479 M1919A6s. A number of M1919A4s were also converted to the M1919A6 configuration. The gun saw wide service in the last two years of World War II and continued to see service through the Korean War and the early years of Vietnam.

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

Development of the M1 rifle began in 1919. Limited funds and the conflicting ideas of many of those involved caused the program to drag on until 1936, when a suitable prototype finally emerged. Original prototype rifles were chambered for a .276 caliber cartridge. However, the weapons were soon changed over to the existing, standard U.S. 30-06 round by order of General Douglas MacArthur. The decision was due in part to the large stockpiles of the ammunition that remained from the First World War. The basic M1 design was continually refined until 1940 when large-scale production finally began.

The gas operated, semiautomatic M1 rifle was the inspiration of John C. Garand, who designed the weapon while employed by the Springfield Armory. During World War II, the M1 rifle was manufactured by Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Approximately 4,040,802 M1 rifles were manufactured from 1937 to 1945. The remarkable M1 design was to have a service life extending long past the conclusion of World War II.

In 1950, the outbreak of hostilities in Korea brought the World War II M1 out of pending retirement. A dwindling supply of rifles dictated that additional M1s would be needed and production resumed. During the Korean Conflict M1 rifles were manufactured by International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and the Springfield Armory. During the1950s era, approximately 1,427,970 additional M1 rifles were produced, and many more WWII era rifles refurbished. The last M1 rifle was manufactured in 1957.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2

Immediately following World War I, experiments began on making a high speed air-cooled Browning machine gun variant for aircraft use. The original high speed guns were designed by Colt, and these included the M1918, M1918A1, M1919, and MG40. Each model had its problems, leading to the next variant. Part of the problem was that in going to the newer more powerful M2 .30-06 service cartridge, the cyclic rates went up by percentages in the 20% range. At 1,000 rpm, problem occurrences were magnified.

The final variant of the high speed Browning machine gun is commonly referred to as the “Aircraft Gun” or the “M2”. The prefix “AN” simply stands for “Army-Navy.” There were two basic models of the M2: Fixed or Flexible. The M2 Fixed gun was forward firing only, mounted in the wings or cowling, for remote firing by the pilot on an aircraft. The M2 Flexible gun had a spade grip assembly and was mounted so that an air gunner could engage targets within his traverse area.

The M2 guns were designed so that they could be switched out for feeding from either the right or left sides. This also allowed for the use of a twin mount. Twin M2 Browning machine guns firing at 1,200 rpm each made for a very impressive increase in hit probability in air battles.

The M1941 Johnson Rifle

Designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., the M1941 Johnson was unique for a rifle caliber semiautomatic weapon because it was recoil operated rather than the more commonly used gas operating system. This unique feature made the Johnson rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured a 10 round rotary magazine that could be topped off with additional rounds. The nomenclature M1941 was a commercial designation as there were no Johnson rifles manufactured under U.S. contracts.

The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapon at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Approximately 30,000 Johnson Rifles were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943.

Although the Marine Corps had chosen the M1 Garand, few M1 rifles were available as wartime demand far exceeded the supply. One feature of the Johnson rifle that the Marines liked was it could be easily broken down. This was considered an asset for their newly formed “Paramarine” battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifles for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942.

Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun

Invented and designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., it was his intent that the M1941 Johnson LMG replace the BAR. Despite the light machine gun designation, it really was an automatic rifle like the BAR. Notwithstanding the name game, the M1941 LMG had many unique features. Chambered for the M2 .30-06 cartridge, it had a straight line stock which decreased muzzle rise during full automatic fire; necessitating a high front sight. It was light weight at only about 13 pounds and was very accurate in the semiautomatic mode as it fired from a closed bolt, yet in full automatic mode, fired from an open bolt to assist in cooling and preventing cook-offs from a hot barrel. The magazine well was also unique in that the 20-round box magazine could be topped-off by the addition of single rounds through the right side of the receiver or by five round stripper clips. Additionally, the feed lips were a machined part of the receiver rather than being part of the magazine and thus not subject to deformation. The M1941 LMG also employed a quick change barrel.

The M1941 Johnson light machine gun was never officially adopted by the U.S. but was used by selected units of the Marines and Army. Because BARs were in short supply, the U.S. Marines obtained a small quantity of M1941 LMGs primarily intended for use by airborne units and Marine Raiders which saw combat use in the South Pacific. The Army also acquired some M1941 LMGs for issue to the Army’s First Special Service Force, the OSS and there are unconfirmed reports that they were also used by some Army Rangers.

Though some 10,000 M1941 LMGs were produced by Cranston Arms Company, only a relative few (less than 3 percent) were used by the U.S. with the bulk originally ordered by the Dutch for use in the Dutch East Indies. At the fall of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the remaining guns of the contract were embargoed so as not to fall into Japanese hands and is the reason a number of guns were available to the U.S. as needed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37

The .30 caliber M37 machine gun was a post World War II machine gun variation designed as a secondary weapon for use on combat vehicles and tanks. The M37 differed from the M1919A4 in that it could be fed from either the right or left side by repositioning of a few parts. The top cover also had a new type latch that could be opened from either side. The M37 was generally used as a fixed tank weapon, but was also utilized in the flexible role, primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps. When used in the flexible role, rear sights were added and the weapon was used on the M2 tripod. Among other improvements, the M37 featured a chromed trunnion block, barrel and booster. Many of the parts of the M37 were redesigned and not readily interchangeable with the M1919A4 machine gun. Rock Island Arsenal and Saco-Lowell Shops manufactured the M37 machine gun from 1953 to 1969. The M37C variation was similar to the M37, but used an electric solenoid to fire the weapon, and rather than manually charged, it used a hydraulic system to perform the task. The M37C was used in early helicopter applications, as well as being fitted in the U.S. M48 and M60 tanks.

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt action
Overall length: 43.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist right hand 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 8.69 pounds
Magazine: Integral, 5 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade.
Rear: M1903 ladder type, M1903-A3 stamped, aperture type .
Production: Pre-WWII approximately 1,704,779. During WWII 1,415,593
Manufacturers:
    World War I: (M1903) Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal.
    World War II: (M1903-A4) Remington Arms, L.C. Smith & Corona

Model: U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: 30 lbs.
Overall length: 48.5 inches
Barrel length: 25.1 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 30-round metal feed strip
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,800 yards Warner & Swasey M1908 telescopic sight
Production: 670
Manufacturer: Colt, Springfield Armory

Model: U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs. Tripod: 50 lbs.
Overall length: 43 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 12,125
Manufacturer: Colt

Model: U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1904
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 57.5 lbs. Tripod: 80 lbs.
Overall length: 44 inches
Barrel length: 28.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 287
Manufacturer: Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Colt

Model: M1914 Colt Automatic Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas impingement system
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 35 lbs. Tripod: 56 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 25,000
Manufacturer: Colt, Marlin-Rockwell

Model: U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 25.5 lbs. Bipod: 3 lbs.
Overall length: 51 inches
Barrel length: 26.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 47-round rotating pan magazine
Sights: Front: Blade protected by ears.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,100 yards
Production: 8,500
Manufacturer: Savage Arms Co.

Model: U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 30 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,800 meters
Production: Approximately 72,000. Wartime 42,750
Manufacturer: New England Westinghouse, Remington, Colt.

Model: U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt-action
Overall length: 46.25 inches
Barrel length: 26 inches, twist: left hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.187 pounds
Magazine: 5 rounds integral box type
Sights: Front: protected blade
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable ladder sight
Production: Approximately 2.4 million
Manufacturers: Remington, Winchester, Eddystone

Model: U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, long-recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19 lbs.
Overall length: 45.5 inches
Barrel length: 17 inches
Cyclic rate: 300 rounds per minute
Feed: 16-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: V-notch tangent
Production: 19,241
Manufacturer: C.S.R.G. (Chauchat, Sutter, Ribeyrolle & Gladiator

Model: Marlin Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917/18
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated straight piston
Cooled: Air
Weight: 25.0 lbs.
Overall length: 40 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 600 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front and rear sights varied by model and application. Ground guns had similar sights to theColt M1914. Other mountings used a variety of aircraft and anti-aircraft sights.
Production: 1917 (Navy): 1,605; 1917/18
Aircraft: 38,000
Manufacturer: Marlin Arms Corporation, Marlin-RockwellCompany

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30,Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 15.5 lbs.
Overall length: 47 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 102,125
Manufacturer: Winchester, Marlin-Rockwell, Colt

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 33 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 55,859
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19.4 lbs.
Overall length: 47.8 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 300-450/ 500-650 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 249,380 total new production as A2
Manufacturer: New England Small Arms (NESA), 168,363; IBM Corporation, 20,017; Royal Typewriter Company, 61,000

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs.
Overall length: 53 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 43,479
Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2 Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 23.0 lbs
Overall length: 39.9 inches
Barrel length: 23.9 inches
Cyclic rate: 1,200 rounds per minute
Feed: disintegrating links Sights: Varied according to mounting
Production: Brown-Lipe-Chapin 33,311; Buffalo
Arms Co. 96,822; Savage 14,800; Colt 49,681
Manufacturer: Brown-Lipe-Chapin Div. General Motors, Buffalo Arms Company, Savage Arms, Corporation. Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg.

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 31 lbs. Tripod: 14 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt or disintegrating links
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 31,596; Saginaw 367,853; Buffalo 38,300. Total production of all M1919A4 variants from 1939 to 1945: 441,494.
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors, Buffalo Arms Co

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, gas operated
Overall length: 43.6-inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist: right hand, 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Magazine: 8 round enbloc clip
Sights: Front: Blade with protective ears
Rear: Aperture
Production: Approximately 5,468,772
Manufacturers: World War II: Springfield Armory, Winchester Korean War era: Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester, Springfield Armory

Model: M1941 Johnson Rifle
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 45.87 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Feed: Internal rotary type, 10 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 30,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full Automatic, semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 42 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 13 pounds
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Magazine: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: Folding aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 10,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 31 lbs.
Overall length: 41.75 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-550 rounds per minute
Feed: Disintegrating links
Sights: Added for C Front: Folding blade
Added for C Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 7,340; Saco, unknown
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saco-Lowell Shops

As with his rifle, Melvin Johnson’s LMG was only used by the United States military in limited numbers. While the M1941 semi-automatic rifle had the M1 Garand as its main adversary, the LMG competed against the legendary BAR. Unfortunately, development of both Johnson’s weapons were untimely, becoming available only after the Garand and BAR had already been placed in mass production for WWII. The Marine Corps adopted Johnson’s weapons only when the BAR and Garand were not being produced in sufficient numbers to fulfill the wartime demand. The Johnson LMG, like the M1941 semi-automatic rifles, were manufactured for Johnson Automatics by a subcontractor, Cranston Arms of Rhode Island.

In reality the Johnson design had many modern and innovative features. The 1941 Model was much lighter than the BAR at 14.2 pounds with the bipod. Another very important feature, especially for a weapon of its type, was a removable barrel that could be easily replaced in the field. The weapon was select-fire, and fired from a closed bolt in the semi-automatic mode, and fired from an open bolt when in full-auto. The modes of operation: safe-fire and automatic were controlled by a single “change lever”. The overall length of the weapon was 42 inches, while the standard barrel was 22 inches in length. The barrel featured a 4-groove 1 in 10” twist, and according to the operator’s manual, could be replaced “in 5 to 6 seconds.” Mr. Johnson preferred that his weapon be referred to as an “automatic rifle” or “light machine rifle” rather than a “light machine gun.” He often compared his weapon to the 8mm German paratrooper automatic weapon, the FG-42 that could, and often was, fired from the shoulder like a rifle. Johnson wanted to convey that his weapons were not simply “light machine guns” but rather versatile “automatic rifles” that could easily be fired from the shoulder when necessary.

The rear sight on the LMG is a flip up aperture style, calibrated in yards, the sight featured two apertures, the upper one for up to 1,000 yard range and the other (placed 49 MOA lower) designed for barrage fire up to 1500 yards. The adjustable rear sights were supplied to Johnson Automatics by either the Lyman or Marbles Company. The blade style front sight is unusually high, (similar to that of the M16 rifle) because of the “straight line” configuration of the stock. The twenty round capacity, single feed box-style magazine is also unique, as there are no feed lips. The feed lips are machined into the receiver. Also located inside of the receiver is a rotary magazine mechanism similar to that of the Johnson semi-automatic rifle. The box magazine is inserted into the left side of the receiver. The magazine release lever also serves as a cartridge-retaining device to keep the loaded rounds from flying out of the magazine in the absence of conventional feed lips. When the magazine is inserted into the weapon, the magazine support guide hook cams upward on a ramp and releases the cartridges in the magazine. The magazine spring then locks onto a shoulder on the ramp and locks the magazine into place. The cartridges are then fed into the integral magazine inside of the receiver. An additional five rounds could be loaded into the receiver making the total capacity of the weapon 25 rounds. The magazine could be easily recharged while in the weapon via the M1903 rifle stripper clips. The magazine was overly long because of its single stack/single feed design. The magazine body was also easily damaged.

A detachable folding bipod was also featured on the Model 1941 LMG. The bipod is placed well back from the muzzle, allowing the weapon to be traversed over a wide area very quickly. The M1907 sling was often issued with the weapon, as well as a web style sling. A tan color bag type magazine pouch was designed for issue with the Johnson, for carrying the long, curved Johnson magazines. The pouches are extremely rare today.

It has often been reported that 10,000 of the Johnson M1941 Light Machine Guns were manufactured, but the actual number of weapons produced was much less. These were adopted and used during World War Two by U.S. Marine paratroopers and the Marine Raiders in the Pacific Theater, as well as the U.S./Canadian Army First Special Service Force in Italy and North Africa. The Netherlands also ordered a substantial number, but few were delivered before the Dutch East Indies fell into Japanese hands. A few of the light machine guns were believed to be procured and used by the French. Generally the weapon’s performance was acceptable, although there were a few reports that it was too fragile for extreme combat conditions. The long leaf spring extractor was especially prone to failure under extended combat use.

An improved model was introduced in 1944. This version was known as the Model 1944 Johnson Light Machine Gun. Problems and experience from the first design generated the improvements that were incorporated in the 1944 Model. The receiver was redesigned for more positive feed to prevent jamming. A redesigned tubular buttstock was manufactured from Micarta, and the pistol grips were made of plastic, no wood furniture was used on the M1944. A cleaning kit was stored in the lower portion of the stock. The bipod of the earlier model was replaced by an adjustable nine position, folding 1.7 pound integral monopod. When the weapon was fired from the shoulder the folded monopod served as a forearm for the support hand. The weapon weighed a total of 14.7 pounds. The M1944 operator’s manual states that the cyclic rate is variable from 350 to 750 rounds per minute by changing the buffer springs in the stock. The only tool required for field stripping the weapon is a standard 30’06 cartridge. A special 20-inch barrel was offered as an option for cavalry or paratrooper use. The Johnson Light Machine Guns shared many of the same parts used in the M1941 semi-automatic rifle.

Both the Johnson rifle and the light machine gun saw limited service during WWII with the Office of Strategic Services. The OSS found that the Johnson weapons when disassembled were easily concealed and offered a lot of large caliber firepower. Fidel Castro’s troops also used Johnson’s weapons in his revolution against Cuba’s Batista government in 1958-59. Ironically anti-Communist Cuban Guerrillas also used Johnson weapons against Castro in the ill-fated struggle to reclaim their homeland.

Development of the Johnson Light Machine Gun concept continued after WWII, resulting in a Model of 1945 LMG. There was little post war interest and the light machine gun development program was terminated in 1947. In the 1950s the Israelis manufactured a close copy of the Johnson design called the Dror. The Israeli version was chambered in 8mm Mauser and .303 British. Like the Johnson before it the Dror was only manufactured in limited quantities.

Melvin Johnson continued in the firearms business after the war ended. His company specialized in converting military rifles into sporters for hunting. He also offered his M1941 rifles in both sporter and military configurations. Melvin Johnson died in 1965 at the age of 55.

By Frank Iannamico

There were many factors that contributed to the Allies’ eventual triumph over the Axis powers in WWII. One very important and often overlooked element was the Allie’s ability to develop and manufacture tremendous quantities of weapons. This was especially true for the United States, which had the distinct advantage of having its factories located far from the range of enemy bombers. The United States would become known as the “Arsenal of Democracy” for the amount of weapons supplied to friendly forces for the war effort. One other advantage the United States held was a large pool of designers and engineers. These talented men and women helped the allied forces field some of the best weapons of the war, and just as importantly, in the quantities needed.

Because of its manufacturing and designing capabilities, the United States was able to equip its troops with one of the few successful semi-automatic service rifles of the era, the M1 Garand. In addition to the Garand, the U.S. produced the semi-automatic M1 carbine in even greater numbers. There was a third semi-automatic weapon fielded by the United States, that although it saw very limited use, was believed by many to be superior to the Garand. That weapon was the 30’06 M1941 Johnson Rifle.

The Johnson rifle was designed by Marine Reserve Captain Melvin M. Johnson Jr., a Harvard educated attorney. Captain Johnson’s idea was “To place in the hands of the individual the maximum power or force which can be easily be operated, controlled and transported by one man one two feet.” Melvin Johnson was assigned to the Springfield Armory as an observer during the development and testing of the M1 rifle. It was during this duty that Captain Johnson saw the problems and shortcomings of the M1 design and difficulties encountered in its manufacture. In 1935 Johnson began work on his own service rifle concept.

Johnson had several prototypes that all shared a similar recoil operated action. In 1937, with assistance from the Marlin Arms Company, Johnson’s design was nearly perfected. A demonstration was given at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1938 to several ordnance officers. The unofficial test was successful enough to warrant further testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The Aberdeen testing only proved that the Johnson rifle was not superior to the Garand that already was in production.

In 1940 a few minor serviceability problems with the M1 Garand began to surface. These problems quickly became very controversial, especially after the Ordnance Department denied that any problems existed. This controversy gave the Johnson rifle a second opportunity to prove that it was the better weapon. A head to head test was scheduled to compare the Johnson rifle against the Garand. The testing proved that both rifles were capable, but since the M1 Garand was already in production, it would remain the service rifle of the United States Army.

The Johnson design was unique for a major caliber rifle because it was recoil operated. This eliminated the need for a conventional gas system, making the rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured an integral 10 round rotary magazine that could be easily topped off with additional rounds even while the weapon had a cartridge in the chamber. The magazine could be quickly recharged using the same stripper clips as the M1903 rifle. Some earlier prototypes of the Johnson rifle were designed for a conventional box style magazine. The Garand was handicapped with an eight round enbloc clip that could not be replenished unless the clip was removed from the weapon. In addition, the ejection of the Garand’s 8 round spring steel clip made a rather loud, unique noise signaling to the enemy that the soldier firing the rifle had to reload.

The Johnson however, also had a few undesirable features. One of the characteristics the Ordnance Department didn’t like about the Johnson was it could not mount an effective bayonet, because of the recoiling barrel. Too large of a bayonet interfered with barrel recoil, hampering the weapon’s operation. The second problem was that a bayonet thrust at a target could unlock the action, rendering the weapon momentarily unable to fire. The exposed portion of the barrel also caused some concern. It was feared that an overheated barrel could possibly burn the operator.

The first attempt to address the bayonet problem was by using a long 17-inch sword type bayonet. The .9 pound bayonet was attached to the forearm of the stock. The barrel offered only lateral support, and the barrel moved freely while the bayonet remained stationary. This design was eventually discarded. A small, light bayonet that attached to a lug on the barrel was used. The bayonet was extremely light at .35 pounds and had a triangular 8” blade. The small bayonet allowed the Johnson rifle to function without any problems, and was offered as an accessory.

After several unsuccessful attempts to interest the U.S. military in the Johnson rifle, Johnson’s company began seeking foreign contracts. In 1941 the Netherlands ordered 70,000 of the M1941 Johnson semi-auto rifles for the Dutch East Indies Defense Force. In order to fill such a large order a new manufacturing facility would be needed. The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapons at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Soon after the weapons were in mass production the Japanese overran the Dutch East Indies and the order was terminated. It is believed that only 30,000 Johnsons were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943. The only other sizable foreign order for the M1941 rifle was from Chile in the early 1940s. A small lot of 1,000 rifles were purchased. Chile ordered the rifles chambered for the 7mm Mauser cartridge. A subcontractor in Mexico manufactured the 7mm barrels for Cranston Arms Co.

The Marine Corps had begun testing semi-automatic rifles in late 1940. Although the Marines had also chosen the M1 Garand over the Johnson rifle in 1941, few M1s were available as demand far exceeded the supply. This caused the Marine Corps to take a second look at the Johnson. One feature that the Marines liked about the Johnson was that the weapon could be easily broken down for transporting. The Marines felt that this would be an asset for their newly formed paratrooper battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifle for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942. It is believed that the Johnson rifles obtained by the Marine Corps were those remaining from the canceled Dutch contract. The Johnson rifles used by the Paramarines can sometimes be identified by the front sight protection ears, which were often filed down. The purpose was to create a better sight picture, and keep the long sight ears from snagging on their jump cases.

A few years after the war ended, the Winfield Arms Company of Canada purchased all of the embargoed Dutch contract guns. Most of the remaining Johnson spare parts were purchased by Numrich Arms (Gun Parts Corporation.). Many of these parts were eventually purchased by Winfield Arms and used to build or repair the rifles obtained from the Dutch contract. The company sporterized many of the Johnsons and sold them as hunting rifles. They were offered in several configurations that included the original 30’06, as well as 7mm and .270 calibers.

The semi-automatic Johnson rifles today have far surpassed the average M1 Garand in price. An original military configuration Johnson rifle today is a highly prized collector’s item. All of the military Johnsons had a Parkerized finish, except for the bolt, which was left in the white. The aperture style rear sight is adjustable and graduated in meters. There are no military or U.S. Ordnance markings to distinguish a Marine Corps issued rifle. All the weapons are marked on the right side of the receiver “ Cranston Arms Co.” inside of an inverted triangle, and “Johnson Automatics Model of 1941” on top of the receiver. The first block of serial numbers of the rifles ascends up to 9,999. Subsequent number blocks begin with a letter A or B prefix. As previously mentioned, it is believed that fewer than 30,000 of the rifles were made. Although many of the parts on the M1941 Johnson rifles are numbered, an “all matching rifle” is quite a rarity. Original Johnson bayonets and leather sheaths are especially rare, as are original manuals. Both items command a premium when they can be located.

The recoil action of the Johnson is a very interesting design. When the weapon is fired, the barrel moves rearward approximately one-half inch. The barrel is supported only by the receiver. A rotary bolt moves rearward, locked to the barrel until it is unlocked by being rotated 20 degrees by a camming action between the receiver and bolt. The barrel’s rearward movement is stopped by a shoulder in the receiver, while the bolt continues rearward far enough to pick up a fresh round from the magazine before being pushed forward by the recoil spring. The rotating bolt head is locked to the barrel by eight lugs. The recoil spring and buffer are located in the stock.

There was also a Model 1941 and a Model 1944 Johnson light machine gun produced, which featured a similar recoil operated action. The Marine Corps used the magazine fed weapon in limited numbers during WWII. The weapon had a few advantages over the BAR, it was lighter and the barrel could be easily replaced in the field. An improved model, the 1944 LMG, was later introduced and manufactured in limited numbers. Special thanks to Jim Pullen. Jim has an excellent web site on the Johnson Rifle at www.johnsonautomatics.com.

Next: The Johnson Light Machine Guns…