Hello, I'm new to this site and have a few questions about this rifle that I recently bought. I sent an inquiry to JC Johnson about it and I have a few general questions I would like to post here. It is a Winchester High Wall with a heavy bull barrel that has M-BEE stamped on the barrel. The second line says CC Johnson in smaller letters. Is it correct to believe that the rifle is chambered for the Mashburn Bee?
The woodworking on the rifle is unique and I would not want to replace it, but would I devalue the rifle if I had it worked on to give it a better fit and finish? Right now woodwork doesn't come close to matching the metal work quality. I'm not sure yet what can be done. I bought this rifle because I liked the look of it and  want to keep it period correct. I'm new to collecting anything like this and I'm not sure how important originally is on a custom rifle from a renown gunsmith. Originality is important to me and I don't want to compromise it, but the woodwork is crude and I think it detracts from the rifle. What do you guys think?
I also would like to find out more about CC Johnson and the rifles he built. Were the rifles totally custom order or were they made up customized actions and then made to fit the buyer? I was thinking it would be interesting to see if there were other rifles made like this one.
Thanks for your thoughts and responses!

welcome. lots of info here, and great people too.

CC Johnson rifles are not common but Ohio probably has more than most areas.  A friend has two, Lo-Wall and Hi-Wall,  beautifully stocked in classic style.  My Lo-Wall Hornet has 4-groove cut rifled barrel, very heavy most likely by Charlie Diller, and very accurate.  The rifle has straight grain walnut in varmint style, probably Fajen.  Metal work superb.  Wood is plain and well fitted.  I'm using a 2 inch 12X Unertl Ultra-Varmint, calibrated head and get a lot of interest when I get to the range.

Thanks guys for the welcome.
I have read online that the woodworking on CC Johnson rifles was noticeably inferior to the metal work. Maybe CC Johnson sold barreled actions and the stocking could be done by the customer. The metal work was prepared for the stock that is on it. I will try to get some pictures.

Thanks again

Tualatin area

fullchoke wrote on Jun 19^th, 2017 at 6:29pm:


Reaching back into memory of articles I've read about Johnson, I have the impression that he did not do any woodwork himself.  Either farmed it out or left it to the customer.   

Charles Landis in his book "Twenty Two Caliber Varmint Rifles" mentions that, in the heyday of the .22 Lovell, he was putting out over 200 barrel jobs a year, so I'm inclined to think that he would not have had time to do wood as well.

There is a number under the forearm. It includes numbers and letters. I sent that to JC Johnson. I was thinking it might be a date code of some sort. I don't see a serial # on the rifle. The number is normally on the lower tang on a High Wall, but that area was worked on and I don't see a complete number.
I'm glad the stock was not part of his work as I want that worked on or replaced.

Thanks

C. C. Johnson from Halp's website;