The Johnson Semiautomatic Rifle

While the M1 Garand is the iconic US rifle of the WWII era, it had a strong competitor, the Johnson Semi-Automatic. Developed as a possible replacement for the Garand, it addressed several of the drawbacks of the M1: a larger 10-rnd magazine that could be topped up with strippers, the ability to take a vertical external magazine and had a fully automatic light machine gun version as well. This 'handbook' seems to actually be a long form promotional booklet created by Johnson to help promote and sell its virtues to various government customers about the advantages of his rifle vs. the M1 Garand. There is even a section comparing the two point by point. It covers description, a detailed explanation of functioning, operation and disassembly (with diagrams/photos). It is a terrific resource for the historian or for those with in interest in military arms. Of note, the Johnson while not adopted by the US Army was used in small numbers in the early Pacific campaigns by the US Marines, and one USMC Cap. Robert Hugo Dunlap carried one into battle on Iwo Jima, subsequently winning the Medal of Honor based on his actions. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the Johnson rifle and how it works.

Discusses a bill to provide for the adoption of the Johnson semiautomatic rifle as a standard arm of the military and naval forces which will later become known as the United States semiautomatic rifle, M2, caliber .30.

Discusses a bill to provide for the adoption of the Johnson semiautomatic rifle as a standard arm of the military and naval forces which will later become known as the United States semiautomatic rifle, M2, caliber .30.

Excerpt from Military Handbook of the Johnson Semi-Automatic Rifle With no necessity for bolt manipulation, the plane can be led as one would a flying bird with a shotgun. So intense a concentration by a number of rifles would render the tracks of vehicles and all but the heavier types of armour vulnerable. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The evolution of automatic weapons is one of the most significant developments in weapons history. While this development has been filled with disagreements, controversy, and stray hurdles, out of all of this tumult, shouting, and shooting has come the progress in firearms from the days when it was necessary to build a fire under a gun to make it go off to the “you press the button and they do the work” automatic firearms of the present day. In 1941, Melvin M. Johnson Jr. and Charles T. Haven, both well-established experts on firearms and ammunitions in their day, commemorated this development in Automatic Arms: Their History, Development and Use. The topics on which they illuminate the reader include: History and development How they work How to keep them firing How they may be employed in combat In the authors’ foreword, they state, “There has been a great deal of general discussion about various automatic weapons pro and con, and naturally there have been misunderstandings and misinterpretations.” They succeed immensely in their endeavor to clear up misunderstandings and misinterpretations with the clear, concise language they use in discussing this most notable of historical developments. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.