With the relatively limited number of Johnson rifles (and machine guns) produced, and the current collector's market for these firearms, one ought not to be on the lookout for one of these fake "rare" Johnsons. There are about 5 Johnson Auto-Carbines out there - at least one might have a stock similar to that on the M1944 light machine gun. There are some rare Johnson rifles floating around and probably some that are waiting to be discovered: the paratroop take-down, for example. I'm not sure where these "urban legends" come from - maybe simple "logic" - but in the world of mass production of firearms, one should approach "logic" with caution. Thus, a rifle with s/n A5955 could have been produced earlier than a rifle with s/n 0597 (not true, in this example, but you get the idea).
Both of these are generally incorrect assumptions. The other "myth" surrounding Johnson rifles is that they were produced in order of the serial number: In other words a "no-prefix s/n" was produced before an "A" prefix s/n.And a rifle with s/n 2085, for example, was produced before a rifle with s/n 3224. The Johnson rifle - and light machine guns - were specifically designed to have 100% interchangeable parts, I believe one of the first firearms to be designed from this standpoint. They just weren't produced this way - the parts were numbered at the insistence of the Netherlands Purchasing Commission (I can't document this, but that is the prevalent theory).
I've seen the production log for the "no-letter-prefix" serial numbered receivers and there is NO example of any rifle being produced with parts bearing numbers that match the receiver. There was a fellow selling "rare" Johnson M1941 rifles a number of years ago: usually "matching serial number" (the numbered parts matched the receiver s/n - just ain't so!) or with Queen Wilhelmina crests on the receiver (again - faked).
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