M1941 Johnson Rifle - .30-06
- Not to be confused with the M1941 Johnson machine gun.
The Johnson rifle was developed in 1939 by Melvin Johnson, promoted the weapon design to the US Army prior to World War II. Variants of the rifle were delivered to the US Marines fighting in the Pacific, however, the overall design for a semi-automatic infantry rifle went to (and stayed with) the M1 Garand, which had been formally adopted in 1937. The Johnson was formally adopted in small numbers in 1941, thus the rifle was then called the M1941 Johnson Rifle. It has a unique rotary 10-round magazine loaded via 5-round M1903 Springfield stripper clips, however the recoil operation (versus the gas operation of the Garand) required a moving barrel, which made it unsuitable for bayonet usage and also made the weapon a bit more fragile than the sturdy Garand. Later in life, Johnson would go on to work for ArmaLite and Colt's Manufacturing Company, where the rotating bolt used by the Johnson rifle went on to inspire the bolt of the AR-10 and AR-15.
Specifications
- Weight: 9.5 lb (4.31 kg)
- Length: 45.9 in (116.6 cm)
- Barrel length: 22 in (55.9 cm)
- Cartridge: .30-06 Springfield, 7x57mm Mauser
- Action: Short-recoil, rotating bolt
- Muzzle velocity: 2,840 ft/s (866 m/s)
- Feed system: 10 round cylindrical magazine
- Sights: Adjustable Iron Sights
The M1941 Johnson rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
Video Game