Page 304 - Auction84-Book2

LOT 1591
World War II Johnson Model 1941 Semi-
Automatic Rifle with U.S.M.C. 1st Parachute Regiment Attributed Modified Sights
- Serial no. 5487, 30-06 Springfield cal., 22 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This Johnson Model 1941 rifle has U.S. Marine Corps attributed modifications performed to the sights in which the front sight has had its protective ears removed, and a large modified open V notch cut has been performed on the rear sight which was originally a closed
peep; both of which are attributed as work performed by the 1st Parachute Regiment as a means of making the sight picture similar to the M1903 Springfield rifle then in service and also to improve visibility in low light conditions. Only approximately 750 Johnson Model 1941 rifles are said to have been procured by the Marines in total, and most, if not all, of the Marine issued examples would have seen hard use in the most important battles of the World War II Pacific Theater with very few known surviving Marine issued examples today; with these sight modifications considered to be a possible tell-tale feature linking a rifle to being a Marine issued example. Information and related pictures of the
modified sights on these U.S.M.C. attributed Johnson M1941 rifles can be found on pages 140-144 of the book “Johnson’s Rifles and Machine Guns” by Bruce Canfield in which it states on
page 143, “It should be noted that many, if not most, of the USMC Johnson rifles actually issued to the 1st Parachute Regiment had the protective ‘ears’ removed from the front sight.” The
1st Marine Parachute Regiment is known to have participated in a parachute drop into France as part of an OSS team to support the French Resistance. The 1st Marine Parachute Regiment
is famously known for participating in the Guadalcanal campaign (August 7th, 1942-February 9th, 1943) in the Pacific theater of World War II. On August 7th, 1942, the 1st Marine Parachute
Regiment conducted an amphibious assault on the island of Gavutu, later seizing the island of Tanambogo with other Marine units. In the writing “Silk Chutes and Hard Fighting: U.S. Marine
Corp Parachute Units in World War II” by Lieutenant Colonel Jon T. Hoffman, it recalls the amphibious assault on Gavutu in which it states on page 19, “Platoon Sergeant Harry M. Tully used
his marksmanship skill and Johnson rifle to pick off a number of Japanese snipers.” The 1st Parachute Regiment fought alongside the 1st Marine Raiders in the Tasimboko Raid and the
Battle of Edson’s Ridge between September 12th-14th, 1942. The 1st Parachute Regiment was involved in the Bougainville campaign, with initial landings on November 1st, 1943 and several ensuing tough fought battles against the Japanese forces. This example is wearing serial number “5487” on top of the receiver and the bolt is numbered “5904” (numbered components on Johnson rifles did not match). The face of the barrel collar is stamped with the caliber “.30 06” above the barrel and “41” below it. The top of the receiver is roll-stamped: “CAL. 30-’06 SEMI-AUTO./”JOHNSON AUTOMATICS”/MODEL OF 1941/MADE IN PROVIDENCE, R.I., U.S.A.” in four lines above the serial number. The patent markings are stamped in five lines between the factory legend and the rear sight. “CRANSTON/ARMS /CO.” is stamped in an inverted triangle on the right rear of the receiver below a five-pointed Dutch star as commonly seen on Johnson rifles, as they would have been transferred from the Netherlands Purchasing Commission to Johnson Automatics, Inc. before being delivered to the Marines.
CONDITION: Very fine, retaining 80% original parkerized finish with scattered moderate freckling overall. Wood is also fine with scattered light scratches, a re-glued sectioned behind the forearm screw, small chips around the edge of the grip, and a few scattered scuffs. Mechanically excellent. As a Johnson semi-automatic rifle with U.S.M.C. attributed modifications and the desirable slightly “salty” look indicative of Marine use in the Pacific Theater of World War II, this would make an excellent addition to any U.S. Military arms collection!
Estimate: 8,500 - 13,000
LOT 1592
Very Scarce U.S. Marine Corps Colt Model 1909
Double Action Revolver - Serial no. 25069, 45 LC cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish,
checkered walnut grips. This is a rare example of one of the 1,400 Colt Model 1909 Revolvers purchased by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1909. These revolvers were very similar to the Model
1909 revolvers ordered by the Army and Navy, and in turn also similar to the later Model 1917; however, the Marine Corps had a few requests that set these rare revolvers apart. The most noticeable difference is the markings on the butt, which in this case are “ U.S./M.C./No/581”. These revolvers
were also ordered with a round butt grip frame profile rather than the square butt of their Army/
Navy counterparts, and fitted with checkered walnut grips rather than the smooth grips found on Army/
Navy M1909s. The standard two-line address and patent dates are on top of the barrel with the caliber marking on the right, the Rampant Colt with stylized “C” on the left of the frame, serial number “25069” on the yoke and partial “5069” on the cylinder latch, and the previously mentioned Marine Corps markings on the butt along with a lanyard ring.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 60% plus of the original high polish blue finish and 50% of the original nitre blue with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey-brown patina, most noticeably on the grip straps, and a light cylinder drag line. The grips are very good with some scattered minor handling marks and slightly worn but well-defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000
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