Was there more than one Eric Johnson, barrel maker & noted small-bore shooter? I thought he lived in New Haven, CT and worked for Winchester as his day job. His shop records are in the ASSRA archives. IIRC, C.S. Landis mentions Eric Johnson & New Haven in his 1932 book on smallbore rifle shooting.

I shoot an Eric Johnson Ballard as my smallbore offhand rifle. It's a dandy.