Question about S&W M76 receiver tube

[MagnumForce73]

I've been doing some research on the Smith & Wesson M76 SMG, and according to one source I read, the receiver tube for the M76 is the same size as the one for the Sten gun. Is this true?

 

[quikdraw67]

Not sure on the Sten connection.

IIRC the Model 76 was pretty much a copy of the Swedish K submachine gun.

 

[mattallamerican]

i have been looking have not found any info yet good question

 

[Greyman50]

Copy of Swedish K, but not as good. IMHO the K is the best sub gun in 9 mm.

 

[18robert]

p/u a k in nam. s f guys got it in a vc cache.

 

[John Adams]

Model 76 and Swedish K

My Model 76 and my Swedish K never jam. I have one magazine for my 76 and I believe a good magazine is the key to its good functioning. I have a pile of K mags and all work fine.The K will also work with Soumi drums. I think the drums hold around 70 rounds. Unfortunately K and 76 mags do not interchange. It is difficult to find 76 mags whereas K mags are plentiful.
Here is my 76.
I am away from these guns now but when I return from my travel I will measure the tubes for you and post a photo of the K.
A friend has had a 76 since 1970.He said when these sub guns came out the list price was lower than for a Model 10. The $200 transfer tax was a much larger burden half a century ago then now.

 

[quikdraw67]

Copy of Swedish K, but not as good. IMHO the K is the best sub gun in 9 mm.

Yeah the 76 ended up being the answer to a question no one asked.

The Swedish K was in demand by SF types in SEA, but the Swedes didn't want to sell to a nation at war. My understanding is that the ones that USSF had were sanitized.

By the time S&W had made the 76, US involvement in the war was beginning to wind down, plus the advent of the XM177E1 gave the SF a weapon with the same mags and ammo as the M16A1, as well as a lot of parts commonality.

So the government contracts never materialized, neither did US police purchases.

Had the 76 came out in 1964, perhaps it would have had a different story.

 

[Glashaus]

I have shot a 76 and really enjoyed it. I wish that pre 86 I had lived in a country that the CLEO would have signed off on a regular citizen owning a Class III. I remember that MAC 10's were about $189 + the stamp and M76's were going for $250-300 + the stamp.

 

[Greyman50]

Yea, back in 70's friend had all the MAC's, local class 3 guy had a few 76's, even the MAC in the brief case with suppressor, they would come out to the farm to shoot just about anything, good times.

 

[burneyr]

I've been doing some research on the Smith & Wesson M76 SMG, and according to one source I read, the receiver tube for the M76 is the same size as the one for the Sten gun. Is this true?

Depends on which Sten model (Mk1-Mk3 or the Mk4 which was a folded design)- if you are talking an original or a domestically made tube gun. Non original tube guns had different wall diameters so they will vary a bit.

The biggest difference you will find between the two is the ID dimension. The S&W 76 is internally fluted where the Sten is not.

1.5 inch OD is a common DOM size so you will see it used a lot. If you can be more specific I can help with a better answer.

 

[CALREB]

Had the opportunity to shoot some 76s at a S.W armorer school back in the early 90s. We had a MAC10 at work that we used to shoot way fun with the silencer. Would be fun to own either. Not me, I was taking the photo.

 

[Greyman50]

Who's the guy with all the hair?????LOL

 

[Baxter6551]

My police dept had two 76s and two Thompson's. They were traded for M16s for the SWAT team.

 

[KEN L]

My Model 76 and my Swedish K never jam. I have one magazine for my 76 and I believe a good magazine is the key to its good functioning. I have a pile of K mags and all work fine.The K will also work with Soumi drums. I think the drums hold around 70 rounds. Unfortunately K and 76 mags do not interchange. It is difficult to find 76 mags whereas K mags are plentiful.
Here is my 76.
I am away from these guns now but when I return from my travel I will measure the tubes for you and post a photo of the K.
A friend has had a 76 since 1970.He said when these sub guns came out the list price was lower than for a Model 10. The $200 transfer tax was a much larger burden half a century ago then now.

The listed retail price for the M76, when it went out of production, was $115.00
I paid the princely sum of $1,000.00 for mine when I bought it. Wish I still had it.l

 

[GCSO584]

The tube sizes are quite different. I do not have mine in front of me right now but, I remember they are different, the S&W bolt being a smaller diameter. here are a couple of pics of mine along with a friends K.

 

[GCSO584]

Pics of S&W 76 and a K.

 

[StakeOut]

The NYPD bought the S&W M76 and replaced the Thompson on the Emergency Service Trucks with them somewhere around 1968?
I didn't like the M76 at all.Loved shooting the Thompson.
It was fun to watch the reaction of police brass when you came out of the truck with a submachine gun in hand.