The Golden Boy 

canklecat

Iver Johnson also began as a bicycle and arms manufacturer, later phasing out the bicycles. One of my M1 Carbines was made by Iver Johnson.

dpd3672

Iver Johnson, for what it's worth, didn't actually make arms for the US government.

They produced M1 Carbines (among many other things) for the civilian market, after WW2. They (and another company, Universal) purchased in bulk large lots of military surplus gun parts, and fabricated receivers to build into complete guns with the surplus parts. It was highy profitable, as there was a great demand for the guns and the cost was very low because the parts were purchased for a fraction of what it would cost to produce them new.

For that reason, early production guns were nearly 100% made from surplus parts (other than the receiver), but as production went on, and supplies of surplus parts dried up, they began to fabricate their own parts to keep production going. Quality is generally considered high with the early guns, using mostly surplus parts, but tended to decline as production went on. Military parts are generally made to very high quality, but at a great cost (since they have no reason to worry about turning a profit), especially during wartime, but items made to be sold for profit must compromise a bit on quality at times. So forged parts were replaced in production by stamped or cast parts, some finishing was left rougher to save costs, walnut stocks and furniture was replaced by birch, or stamped metal, etc.

I'm a collector of antique guns, mostly military, and find the M1 Carbine fascinating. The story about its design, production, and use really are an example of ingenuity, practicality, and both competition and collaboration. For those of you not familiar with this particular gun, it's probably best known from "Band of Brothers," as one variation was specifically designed for paratroopers.

I didn't realize Iver Johnson was a bike manufacturer, though, very interesting...you've led me to yet another historical rabbit hole, lol. Thanks.

canklecat

Right you are. I was dredging up faulty memories from about 30 years ago when I got into collecting during the 1990s, a second golden era for many of us, as the Sen. Dole sponsored act helped repatriate US made firearms and opened the door to other stuff that interested me even more, particularly the Swedish Mausers. It wasn't until I bought my first Swedish Mauser that I discovered Husqvarna didn't only make motorcycles and other equipment, but their origin was in firearms.

Hard to believe now -- considering the inflated prices -- how cheap that stuff was during the 1990s, when repatriated long guns often sold for well under $200, sometimes less than $100 for stuff that was considered clunky, unfashionable or outdated, such as Mosin Nagants and SKSs. I undervalued my collection, by contemporary standards, when I transferred most of it to a family member who was younger and in better health. With age and injuries from being hit by cars twice in 20 years, I just wasn't using that stuff anymore and wasn't really even checking it at least once a year to be sure it was in good condition. And while I grossly undervalued it, I didn't lose money either if I don't account for inflation. But it's in good hands with folks who are responsible and have generations of offspring to appreciate and enjoy it.

Anyway, yup, it's interesting the manufacturing crossovers between various companies that, at one time or another, also made two-wheeled vehicles, bicycles and/or motorcycles.

dpd3672

Those Swedish Mausers were freakishly accurate for mass produced military arms, I had one as well.

This conversation actually has me curious about the overlap between various hobbies. I've always been into cars, guns, cameras, wristwatches, and most recently, bicycyles. I guess if it's got a lot of moving parts and an interesting design, I'm in love, lol.

And the 90s were a great time for collecting surplus guns. I had just started then, and fondly remember the crates full of surplus (and commercial) stuff coming in from China and the Eastern Bloc. As investments, they've done quite well, and I wish I'd have stocked up on more. I remember $39 Mosin Nagants if you bought the whole crate, and $79 SKS if you bought a crate of those...it didn't seem like it would ever run out, but of course, it did. Norinco 1911s for $180, Polytech M-14 for ~$500, Mauser C96 and Lugers for $200 if you could overlook the fact the Russians siezed them after WW2 and refinished them by dipping them in black paint, lol. Lots of cool history there.