Melvin Johnson

Lore & Background

Born into an affluent Boston, Massachusetts, family, Johnson was commissioned into the Marine Corps Reserve in 1933 as a Second Lieutenant and completed Harvard Law School in 1934. While serving as an observer at the Army's Springfield Armory in 1935, he designed a recoil-operated rifle that became the M1941 Johnson rifle. He received four U.S. patents on various design features and later derived the Johnson Light Machine Gun from the rifle, as well as the M1947 Johnson auto carbine.

Johnson co-authored the 1943 book Weapons for the Future with Army Ordnance Corps member Charles T. Haven. Throughout World War II, he worked to promote his machine gun and rifle. In 1949, he transferred to the Army Ordnance Corps Reserve, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Winchester purchased some of Johnson's patents and briefly hired him, but the Johnson Automatics corporation was dissolved.

Johnson was appointed weapons consultant to the Secretary of Defense in 1951. He was hired by Armalite as a consultant, though claims that his patents were used on the AR-10, AR-15, and M16 are overstated or unsubstantiated. He also developed the 5.7mm MMJ cartridge for the M1 Carbine, unsuccessfully submitting it to the U.S. Ordnance Department. In 1963, he started Johnson Arms, Inc. to make, sell, convert, and promote M1 Carbines using his cartridge. He died of a heart attack in 1965 while on a business trip to New York City and is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reader's Guide

Melvin Johnson's significance lies in his innovative recoil-operated rifle and machine gun designs, which saw limited use during World War II. His M1941 Johnson rifle and light machine gun offered alternatives to the standard-issue firearms of the era, though they were not widely adopted. More enduringly, his patented bolt design was incorporated into the Armalite AR-10 and AR-15, and later the M16 rifle, influencing the development of modern military firearms. Johnson's later work on the 5.7mm MMJ cartridge for the M1 Carbine demonstrated his continued interest in improving existing weapons, though the cartridge was not adopted by the U.S. Ordnance Department. His career as a lawyer, Marine officer, and firearms designer reflects a multifaceted contribution to military technology.

Did You Know?

• Johnson gave all his weapons 'pet' nicknames, including 'Betsy' for the M1941 rifle and 'Emma' for the M1941 light machine gun.
• He developed the 5.7mm MMJ cartridge for the M1 Carbine, which is a different cartridge from the .22 Spitfire.