Johnson M1941 Rifle

The Johnson M1941 LMG, developed by Melvin Johnson, was a unique WWII firearm featuring a short recoil operating system and a quick-change barrel. Despite its advanced design and reliability, it saw limited production and service, primarily with US Marine Paramarines and the FSSF. Its innovative features, like a 25-round capacity and flexible fire modes, made it a capable weapon in the Pacific and Italian campaigns.

The M1941 Johnson rifle, developed by Melvin Johnson, was intended as a 'substitute standard' alongside the M1 Garand. It features a unique 10-round rotary magazine, allowing for continuous topping off, and an 8-lug rotating bolt that inspired the AR-15 design. While innovative, its enclosed receiver made malfunction clearing difficult, a drawback in harsh combat conditions.

This Forgotten Weapons video explores a mysterious Winchester prototype rifle, potentially linked to Melvin Johnson and Project SALVO. The rifle features a gas-operated, rotating bolt action with six lugs, reminiscent of Johnson's designs, and appears to be chambered in .30 caliber. Its green furniture and potential use of shotgun tooling suggest experimental ammunition or production methods were being tested.

This video provides a book review of Bruce Canfield's "Johnson Rifles and Machine Guns." The reviewer discusses the M1941 Johnson semiautomatic rifle and its competition with the M1 Garand for US service rifle in WWII. The book also delves into the life and other projects of Melvin Johnson, both pre and post-war. The review highlights the historical significance and the often-overlooked aspects of Johnson's firearm designs and contributions.

The M1941 Johnson rifle features a unique 10-round rotary magazine and a short recoil operation. Its quick-change barrel was advantageous for paratroopers. In a run-and-gun drill, the rifle achieved 28 hits out of 30 shots, demonstrating good accuracy and a decent trigger, though the speaker preferred the M1 Garand's combat loading system.

The Johnson Model R prototype, developed by Melvin Johnson, showcases an early iteration of his semi-automatic rifle design, featuring a unique rotary magazine to address reliability issues encountered in trials. Despite its innovative short-recoil action and attempts to meet military bayonet requirements with a reciprocating handguard, the Model R ultimately failed to secure a military contract, paving the way for the later M1941 Johnson rifle.

This video details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.