thedrifter
01-04-06, 11:38 AM
January 09, 2006
The Lore of the Corps: Marine’s weaponry challenged standard
By Charles A. Jones
Special to the Times
During World War II, a Marine reservist developed and introduced weaponry that challenged the military’s use of its standard small arms.
Melvin Johnson entered the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1934. He was assigned to evaluate development and testing of two rifles, including the Garand, which were competing for acceptance as the military’s standard service rifle.
The Army adopted the Garand in 1936, but in 1938, Johnson introduced his own competing design, which carried his last name. This led to direct comparison testing of the Johnson and Garand rifles at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Aberdeen testing revealed deficiencies in Johnson’s rifle, which led him to modify his design.
Johnson changed the feeding mechanism from a vertical-feed magazine to an interior rotary magazine that held 10 rounds, which were loaded by inserting cartridges into an opening on the rifle’s side. The magazine could be loaded or refilled easily at any time, even with its bolt forward on a chambered round, by inserting single cartridges or by using stripper clips.
The improved Johnson had a rotary magazine superior to the Garand’s feeding system, which used an eight-round clip that could not be refilled without removing the clip from the rifle. The Johnson’s straight-line stock helped control recoil, as well.
The Army tested the improved Johnson in 1940 and found it could not function reliably with a bayonet, since its barrel moved back and forth during firing. The Army kept the Garand as its service rifle.
After public criticism of the Garand, Congress compared the two rifles informally in 1940 and was satisfied with both. Because production had already been prepared for Garands, however, the Army stayed with the Garand, which its own Ordnance Department had developed and approved.
Next, Johnson approached his own service. Marine Corps tests in 1940 showed Garands to be superior to Johnsons, but the Corps did not feel that either design warranted replacing the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle used by Marines.
The Corps adopted the Garand in 1941 but issued Johnsons for the 1st Parachute Battalion and some Marine Corps Raiders because of a shortage of Garands.
Eventually, Garands completely replaced Johnsons.
Johnson also invented the Model 1941 light machine gun. Like the Browning Automatic Rifle, it was actually an automatic rifle.
Although some liked the Johnson, others objected to its side-mounted magazine, which caused problems with balance, and the tendency of the magazine and high front sight to catch on jungle vegetation.
Johnson developed an improved version in 1944, but the Corps never adopted the weapon for widespread use.
The writer is a lawyer and Marine Corps Reserve colonel in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie
The Lore of the Corps: Marine’s weaponry challenged standard
By Charles A. Jones
Special to the Times
During World War II, a Marine reservist developed and introduced weaponry that challenged the military’s use of its standard small arms.
Melvin Johnson entered the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1934. He was assigned to evaluate development and testing of two rifles, including the Garand, which were competing for acceptance as the military’s standard service rifle.
The Army adopted the Garand in 1936, but in 1938, Johnson introduced his own competing design, which carried his last name. This led to direct comparison testing of the Johnson and Garand rifles at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Aberdeen testing revealed deficiencies in Johnson’s rifle, which led him to modify his design.
Johnson changed the feeding mechanism from a vertical-feed magazine to an interior rotary magazine that held 10 rounds, which were loaded by inserting cartridges into an opening on the rifle’s side. The magazine could be loaded or refilled easily at any time, even with its bolt forward on a chambered round, by inserting single cartridges or by using stripper clips.
The improved Johnson had a rotary magazine superior to the Garand’s feeding system, which used an eight-round clip that could not be refilled without removing the clip from the rifle. The Johnson’s straight-line stock helped control recoil, as well.
The Army tested the improved Johnson in 1940 and found it could not function reliably with a bayonet, since its barrel moved back and forth during firing. The Army kept the Garand as its service rifle.
After public criticism of the Garand, Congress compared the two rifles informally in 1940 and was satisfied with both. Because production had already been prepared for Garands, however, the Army stayed with the Garand, which its own Ordnance Department had developed and approved.
Next, Johnson approached his own service. Marine Corps tests in 1940 showed Garands to be superior to Johnsons, but the Corps did not feel that either design warranted replacing the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle used by Marines.
The Corps adopted the Garand in 1941 but issued Johnsons for the 1st Parachute Battalion and some Marine Corps Raiders because of a shortage of Garands.
Eventually, Garands completely replaced Johnsons.
Johnson also invented the Model 1941 light machine gun. Like the Browning Automatic Rifle, it was actually an automatic rifle.
Although some liked the Johnson, others objected to its side-mounted magazine, which caused problems with balance, and the tendency of the magazine and high front sight to catch on jungle vegetation.
Johnson developed an improved version in 1944, but the Corps never adopted the weapon for widespread use.
The writer is a lawyer and Marine Corps Reserve colonel in Norfolk, Va.
Ellie