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Contributing Member
Caliber conversion...
Hi All,
After seeing numerous other flavors of '06 rifles undergo this, has anyone ever seen a Johnson 1941 converted to 7.62 x 51? Not sure how the rotary mag would feel about rounds 1/2" shorter...
Just doing what old guys are most capable of now, speculating and dreaming! 
Russ
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08-07-2023 05:56 PM
# ADS
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
RASelkirk
Hi All,
After seeing numerous other flavors of '06 rifles undergo this, has anyone ever seen a Johnson 1941 converted to 7.62 x 51? Not sure how the rotary mag would feel about rounds 1/2" shorter...
Just doing what old guys are most capable of now, speculating and dreaming!
Russ
Hypothetically I bet it would handle the 1/2" shorter rounds fairly well being a rotary magazine. The main spot I would be concerned about issues is since it is a recoil operated rifle messing with the caliber might make some weird cycling issues.
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Legacy Member
Years ago Winfield Arms offered the Johnson in both 7x57mm and 270 Win
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Contributing Member
I was thinking with 7.62 NATO still relatively cheap, a conversion would be sweet. Not sure if a convert could be restored back to original, the Johnson barrel (I think) is field swappable so if that's the only conversion part...
Russ
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Contributing Member
Yes, the M1941 barrel is extremely easy to remove and replace without any tools.
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
RASelkirk
Hi All,
After seeing numerous other flavors of '06 rifles undergo this, has anyone ever seen a Johnson 1941 converted to 7.62 x 51? Not sure how the rotary mag would feel about rounds 1/2" shorter...
Just doing what old guys are most capable of now, speculating and dreaming!
Russ
Russ-- The Winfield Johnson came out in the early 1953's with .30-06, 7mm Mauser and .270 Winchester in both the rotary and box magazine. At the time, 7.62mm NATO was just being thought of with commercial guns not really coming out until the early 1960's with the .308 Winchester, also just not quite a 7.62mm NATO cartridge, I imagine that a 7.62mm NATO is possible but why destroy a collector's gun. The original price of a Winfield with a scope was $129.95 in 1953. Today that does not seem a lot but in 1953 that was a small fortune. An US Army private was $36.00 per month at the time.
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Contributing Member
Simply trying to determine if a conversion to 7.62 is not only feasible, but reversible as well. I'd not even ask if I knew it would alter the rifle to the point of no return. And I'd never heard of Winfield, thanks for that. 
Russ
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Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
RASelkirk
Simply trying to determine if a conversion to 7.62 is not only feasible, but reversible as well.
Considering I've done an M1
to 7.62 with a chamber insert, I think a Johnston would function OK with a conversion to 7.62 as well. I doubt you need to alter the rotary mag. I did have to chamber ream the M1 rifle to make it function perfectly and headspace correctly. That meant no reversing the insert but I couldn't get it out anyway. I think you could make a barrel from a .308 blank and the round supports that fit inside the jacket could be turned out as well. I guess you'd need to find a spare barrel extension to screw onto the barrel. You have one to work from after all. Your front sight would be another thing...and I think it'll work fine. You'd then have a spare barrel in .308 along the lines of Winfield and no harm is done to the rifle.
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