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LOT 1359
Very Scarce and Excellent Winchester Reference Collection Documented World War II U.S. Johnson
Automatics Model 1941 Light Machine Gun, Class III/NFA C&R Fully Transferable Machine Gun, with
Extra Magazines and Accessories - Serial no. 2881, 30-06 cal., 22 inch round bbl., parkerized finish, walnut stock.
Developed to act as a squad automatic counterpart for the Johnson semi-automatic rifle, the 1941 machine gun shares
a number of the rifle’s distinctive features, particularly the short-recoiling barrel assembly installed inside a ventilated
heat shield. The rotary magazine has been changed out for a side-mounted magazine well, with the loading door
and clip guide retained to preserve the ability to “top off” the detachable magazines from clips. The front handguard
has been shortened to make room for a quick detach metal bipod (bipod included), with the quick release barrel
catch/accelerator still in place. The action has been changed from a pure closed bolt semi-auto to a dual function
mechanism, firing from closed bolt in semi-auto mode and switching to open bolt operation in full auto mode; in
operation, this permits controlled and accurate aimed semi-automatic fire while also providing improved cooling and
reduced risk of “cook off” during strings of heavy automatic fire. Finally, the stock and grip assembly are reconfigured
to accept the new fire control mechanism and provide increased comfort when firing prone off the bipod. Taken as
a whole, the Johnson machine gun shows a number of virtues as a squad automatic weapon; light weight, good
maneuverability, provision for barrel swapping, and (especially in conjunction with the Johnson rifle) the ability to
share ammo and parts with squad mates.