Melvin M. Johnson Jr. was born in Boston in 1909. He became a member of the Marine Corps Reserve in 1933 while studying at Harvard Law School. While in law school, he became deeply involved in the research, study, and design of firearms, and, in 1935, he designed the M1941 Johnson rifle. He is also the coauthor of For Permanent Victory and Ammunition: Its History, Development and Use, 1600 to 1943—.22 BB Cap to 40 mm. Shell. He died in 1965. Charles T. Haven was the coauthor of For Permanent Victory and Ammunition: Its History, Development and Use, 1600 to 1943—.22 BB Cap to 40 mm. Shell and author of Instruction Manual of the Johnson Light Machine Gun, Type H. He was also a regular contributor to gun magazines and annuals such as Gun Digest.