I’ve found that my 1 year old son loves to watch your repair videos before falling asleep. Works every time he’s fussing I swear.

You should get PBS money. This kind of content is a national treasure and a betterment of society. Regards, Marky

I remember an old machinist guy had one 40 years ago, that I visited for some forgotten reason. He was rebarelling it and doing other reco work. Typical of gun nuts he was super friendly and said, look at this. Thanks Mark. They were great guys in that rifle club. I was a long haired 20 something kid but they didn't judge.

The only time i have enjoyed watching someone fiddle with their Johnson

I'm starting to believe in unicorns, with how much footage mark pumps out with them.

Leave it to a Navy man to go playing with another man's Johnson.

That’s a huge Johnson.

Johnson is lowkey an unsung hero of American firearm history. From introducing the multi-lug bolts that are so common today to pretty much being the man who is responsible to 5.56 development (he necked down .30 carbine to ~5mm, albeit it was not a commercial success at the time, unfortunately), he was definitely decades ahead of his time, just like the other irrational firearm designers like Korobov, though Korobov and Johnson had completely different taste and invented different things, both did not receive the praise they should have done.

I fell in love with this rifle the moment I saw it. It's far too complicated to be assembled in the field, but I love the design more than the Garand anyway. The army made the best choice with the M1, and I like it too, but the rarity and engineering of the Johnson just seems to call to me. Thank you so much for this video.

Lotsa parts . I can see why the M1 Garand came out top dog . Still wouldn't feel under gunned with one though. Thank you Mark, for taking the time to show the workings of this classic!

Always a great day when an anvil drops.

I remember seeing about 8 Johnson rifles at a gun show, there was also a large hand written sign that read "all sold", or something along those lines.

I saw one in a gun store once for $125. No one wanted it. Didn't know anything about Johnson at the time. Wish I had bought it.

Second take on the Great War- Best description I've ever heard.

As an aspiring gunsmith I appreciate how much effort you put in to these videos.

I am 60 years old and am a history lover, especially WWII. This is the first time I have ever heard of this rifle much less seen one. Very informative. Thanks.

As always, no better way to spend my morning than to watch and listen to Mr. Novak work.

Aside from the six-lug rotating bolt, the buffer tube is also a clear indicator that this rifle had quite a bit of influence on Eugene Stoner’s design of the AR-15. This is a truly underrated design and it’s great to see it being restored so beautifully. A true testament to the appreciation for quality engineering

The original bolt handle and the extractor are also designed to be used as field screwdrivers. So, with a .30 Cal Ball Round and just the easily accessible components of the rifle, you can do a complete Field Strip of the weapon without any other tools. To remove the Bolt Handle, you would use the ridge on the back of a .30 Cal case to slide up the pin in the center of the bolt handle to remove the bolt handle from the bolt. This also allows you to remove the extractor from the bolt. The Bolt Hold Open is operated by the Magazine Follower. When the follower is all the way to "Magazine Empty" the bolt holder swings up and holds the bolt open so you are able to put in a 5rd charger and fill it.

I've always found "Sailor Type Talk", or any branch really, to be preferable flinging tools around. I've worked with guys who get mad and start throwing tools and I have always found that ridiculous, or maybe even dangerous. Another fantastic presentation. Thank you for providing them. 👍

It's amazing to hear that the KNIL and the Marines first went to war in the Dutch East Indies with their Johnsons in hand.

We use to have the Johnson AR in the Dutch colonial army in Indonesia, a small number were used in the European theater of operations.

This is the only way to really see how a particular arm works. You can field strip or watch someone strip it but unless you see the arm completely disassembled and reassembled you still don't completely know. Love theses especially this one so far..

Owning a Johnson 1941 has been a dream of mine ever since I first read about them in service with the Para Marines in the Pacific. Just have to win that darned lottery first. Semper Fidelis!

In 2005 when the Cabela’s first opened up in Fort Worth we had one of these in the Gun Library. Beautiful weapon. I had never heard of a Johnson Rifle,only the Garand. I guess some Marine Raiders were issued this weapon in the Pacific and nobody else.

Great job! It was a pleasure watching you tinker with another guy's Johnson. Now I need to take a shower.

Great video, thanks! I believe the hole in the bottom of the recoil spring plug is there to allow lubrication of the buffer assembly, which cannot otherwise be accessed.

I've never even heard of the Johnson Automatic Rifle. It's an absolute BEAUTY. Many Thanks.

I knew a old gunsmith years ago that repaired his cracked/broken toilet bowl wirh Acra Glass. I swear that between Acra Glass and Cerrosafe a fellow could probably cure erectile dis function! The best products on earth.

Don't recall how many times I had to take this thing apart to learn this same stuff, but it was plenty. If you need a new bolt handle, look around for one off a Remington Model 81.

There’s nothing like the unwinding to the sounds of a true artisan bringing this time capsule back to life. The soft tapping of a hammer, the low hum of a torch kissing the strong ancient steel, and the sturdy, positive locking of the huge reciprocating action really takes me to another place. I love this content and I really feel lucky to be able to experience this amazing work. Keep up the awesome content, Mark. We appreciate the valuable work that you bring to the historical and firearms community. It’s a labor of love, and we certainly can feel it. Keep it up my friend!

OK, this is a beauty of a gun. No doubt. But, what's more of interest for me is your well made explanations and lessons. I really appreciate the way you get into to the functionality of these guns and let us take part of your perceptions. Thumb up, and waiting for the next story...

It's such a profound joy to see these pieces of history being brought back to life and conserved for the future generations, even though I'll personally never get to actually see them. Well done once again Mark!

Friday, Anvil and a couple fingers scotch!! Nice lead into the weekend. Thank you Mark and crew.

You have no idea how much I enjoy these videos, Now that IV8888 just does short showcases and off the cuff Gripes this helps fill the gaps :)

The butt tube slides through this hole, and it's a tight fit. - Mark Novak

Mark is a gracious host. Thank you for letting us join you on these adventures in weaponry.

Looking at those parts and manufacturing marks it looks similar to piston spring air rifles of the 1920-30s era - great work Mr. Novak.

Absolutely amazing video. Just found your channel and am stunned how educational, knowledgeable, and thorough this was.

It’s amazing to me the ingenuity and creativity that people possess

I bought mine when I was a teenager. Paid $50.00 for it! Owned it for 40 years and love to shoot it. In college we’d buy a full can of Ball ammo and shoot up the range. I wonder what it’s worth today.

Mark sure know how to handle a Johnson.

I feel fortunate never to have had to disassemble my JSAR. All it ever seems to need for cleaning is the removal of barrel and bolt and a wipe down. Very accurate, very pleasant to shoot. It's heresy, but in some ways I prefer it to a Garand.

I plan on buying a Johnson rifle after I retire from my first career job as a gift to myself. It and an MP44 are the two guns I love most.

"Hey bro you got that new BAR?" "Nah fam we have the JAR"

Liver pudding, fried eggs, gentleman jack, and a 40+ minute anvil vid on a Friday night. Does it get any better?

Neat old rifle Thank you for letting us follow along with you

Remember as a kid seeing them sell for $40.00 in the fifties

"That's quite a mechanical contraption" said the gentleman.

Learning something new every time I watch your work. I loved the intermission to explain the missing component behind the recoil spring. It made me laugh for sure.

Mark, Thank you! Always outstanding to see some history come through the shop and go out in operating conditions and better 99.9999% of the time. Always a pleasure to see your content and information.

It’s weird to see mark working on his Johnson on camera

Mark, the Anvil Etsy store is all out of your custom Cerrosafe crucibles. Let us know when they are back in stock. TIA!!

It’s so awesome the attention to detail you put into these videos. Also being able to make the buffer is so cool. Very cool rifle and great video as always

All the Rube Goldberg stuff in this gun confirms to me that the Army made the right choice on the Garand. Extra capacity and all the other doodads in the world don't mean beans if the gun breaks or jams and can't be fixed quickly.

Definitely the AR-15 's grandpappy

I had a chance to buy one of these. Money was the issue, of course. But I would have been totally at-sea with this design if I had. I am quite impressed that Melvin Johnson got that rotary magazine working in such a short time.

Great work Mark, in bringing it back from the dead!!

Impressive Johnson you've got there, really.

Still waiting on our shipment of Johnson rifles here in The Netherlands.....

Thank you very for working hard on the focus and giving us the best possible angles.

Outstanding. An amazing piece of equipment. Always fun to try and figure these older weapons out and easy to see why so many have been damaged over time from people not knowing. Thanks very much for sharing.

Rare bird. Thanks for keeping it running, sir.

I planned time to watch this. Wonderful. thank you for the time and effort.

One of my favorite weapons. Took me 20 years to afford one. Every time I had enough they went up in price. Got to love the predecessor and design inspiration of the AR15. The AR's father!

Always love your work Mark. Unfortunate that more of your work doesn't make it on KZfaq. Bravo Sir!

Mark is truly an artist! I enjoy all of his videos.

Still used by the Royal Dutch Marines in the Netherlands in the 1950s. Must have come from that original batch that the Dutch government ordered in 1941. This Johnson M1941 Rifle was really saved by you!

Great video, fun and informative. Yours is the first gun channel I've subscribed to in years!

Thank you for bringing to light a lesser known firearm. Great video Mr. Novak.

Had the good luck in the early 1980's to meet a person who had a Johnson Automatic Rifle at a local rifle range. We took turns shooting the rifle at 100 yds.. Seemed to me at the time it didn't kick as much as the M1 did. You must be a firearm genius to be able to disassemble and reassemble this firearm..

Another fascinating video, amazing detail as usual, thanks.

I had a chance to buy one about 30 years ago from a guy at work along with a PIAT. Man…..

Man you’re a genius and I fell in love with that rifle , it’s the first one I’ve seen on any of the utube videos

Awesome bit of kit. Great job Mark.

"I'm not entirely sure this was designed to come apart but it did," XD

This is my Johnson this is my Gun, this is for fight and this is for fun!

That mag is Farquhar Hill levels of insane.

The stock repairs look brilliant Mark. Great job.

Beautiful work on that stock! Really like the explanation of the forces put on that round wedge.

The 12-year old boy in me giggled a bit for the "wedging action" -term!

Wow! Thank you for this video. Just outstanding!!!

Such a great combo of interesting design features and ability to top off the mag at any time. Very cool gun!

I have 3 of these he is good at what he has done. But he make it look hard to assemble. It’s really easy to assemble if you take your time. I can field strip and assemble in 25 seconds. And strip down to the degree he did and assemble in about 10 minutes.

My mate had a Johnson before the Government here in Australia seized all Military semi-autos, and he and I spent ages discovering how it worked. We decided it was a Nightmare, considering that Siminov produced his rifle only a few years later, and Kalashnikov only two years after that ! But very interesting, all the same !!

Thank you, once again, for sharing. The entertainment and education, are top notch.

You are awesome Mark !

Fantastic videos, please keep them coming.

A slip of the tongue on the butt tube was caught later one, nice! I'd like to note that my Johnson has a different retainer for the magazine to the front of the receiver, it's a second assembly pin like the one in the back. Mine does have the washers on the front foregrip as well though. My Bolt catch does function, kind of a pain to disengage because you have to push the follower down and release the bolt. Which with that.. interesting magazine design is an easy way to get Johnson Thumb :P Great work, love to see content on the Johnson!

Thank you for the detailed trigger group segment. I find triggers groups Highly fascinating!

Wow that rifle is my kind of beautiful. Thanks so much, Mark.

I love this series so much

The love given to that rifle is in such stark contrast to the abomination on gunbroker

As someone who opened a shop earlier this month. I’d love to have a chat with Mark.

It yeets that brass out with authority

I’d be scared to death to detail strip a gun that complicated that was that rare and I didn’t know about! I guess that’s how you get guns in boxes lol.

your videos drive me further towards gunsmithing as a compliment to aircraft structures. thank you.

So I noticed on the final firing there that your bolt hold open did it's job. There is a striking similarity between the bolt lugs on the Johnson and the bolt lugs on an Armalite style rifle... What's old is new again? It's an interesting device. There are stories of these being issued to Marines in the Pacific. I need to add one to the collection, but they are a bit out of my price range... Thank you for going down the Rabbit hole on this beautiful machine for us.

Another awesome video thank you Mark

Oh lord, I think I'm in love... I need to get my hands on a Johnson, now. Go ahead, make your dirty comments, I don't care... I just need one of those rifles.