Ryan: I am aware that when Johnson didn't receive large goverment contracts on his Military Automatics, he attempted to sell them as a sporting arm on a limited and temporary basis, 2 to 3 years. The numbers sold were very limited and when seen as Sporters, are rare. The Mauser in the photo you show, was one of a series of rifles Johnson made starting in approx. 1961 and shown in Shooters Bibles. They appear to have been built in 2 grades [checkered and uncheckered], on WWII Surplus 98 Mauser actions with Johnson Automatic Barrels. The stocks were either Bishop or Fajens and the guns were drilled and tapped and had forged bolt handled and Williams sights. To put it plainly, these rifles were exactly the same rifles as were being made in every gunshop in America at that time, SPORTERIZED 98 MAUSERS! I have seen several up close and the workmanship while good is nothing to write home about! HTH WARMEST REGARDS Jerry
