OK lets talk S&W model 76

[Squarebutt]

My sons (13 and 11 at the time) and I were plinking at our club one afternoon when one of the guys started putting a 76 through its paces. We wandered over to watch, and long story short, he let each of the boys fire a mag full, with him at the kid's left elbow and me at the right. They fired short bursts as they were told, and chewed up the target. Those smiles lasted for a while, and it was a memorable afternoon for all three of us.

 

[ordnanceguy]

SOFMatchstaff got it right. These are very cool little guns, and in my experience very reliable. Like anything else if you use good ammo and keep it clean it will shoot from now till the cows come home. And oh, by the way, it is a Smith & Wesson and not some junky gun like a MAC that looks and shoots like it was made by a 10th grade metal shop class. Some few of the M76s were purchased by the Navy (it even had an FSN assigned to it) but the VN war ended the need for the M76 and the bulk of them ended up in law enforcement roles.

I have never seen anyone fire a Model 76 without a huge smile on their face.

 

[koz5614]

Am I misremembering, or was the M-76 offered in .45 ACP as well as 9mm?

Maybe you were thinking of the Madsen M/50 subgun - I believe they made a 45ACP version for Brazil.

The S&W 76 was the first subgun I even shot. In the 1970s, the Willingboro, NJ Police Dept. had one. My father took his then five year old son (me) out to the Delran range, and started a young boy's lifelong fascination with firearms. He propped it under my arm and helped me steady it while I shot a few magazines out of it. Over thirty five years later, I still remember it. I've used many other full-autos, but the S&W will always be the most significant, because I did it with my dad.

 

[ACP230]

Classic "30 round grin" in post 22.

 

[Ross3914]

Am I misremembering, or was the M-76 offered in .45 ACP as well as 9mm?

There was a "76/45" sorta clone that took Grease Gun mags. That's probably what you're thinking of.

I've shot both a S&W and MK Arms 76 a few times and they were fun. I like the gun.

 

[KML]

Ok I have one. Over 8,000 rounds through it with no FTF or FTE . When I got mine I was told to only run hot 9mm in it . It will runaway on remington 9mm ,bolts too heavy .S&W mags were and still are over $100, thank god for the soumi mags and a file. It has a heavy trigger pull that for some reason never bothered me. On semi it's very accurate ,I have out shot several MP-5's,but you have to be careful with the stock it can fold on you while shooting. Only around 6,000 made.

I have shot the MP-5,Madson50,Uzi ,Thompson,Sten,Mac's,M-3,MP-40 and this is my limited list of what I liked
1)MP-5
2)S&W 76
3) UZI
For just combat not knowing where or conditions the UZI is King .

 

[BriMac]

I had mine since 1994 or so and it a fun gun.But after a few years of owning it other subguns have taken its place. I dont think it been out of the back of the safe in 7 or 8 years. The letter that I have says it was sold on Aug. 14,1973 to Law Enforcement Ordnance Co.,Atlanta GA. The gun is crudely marked MCPD 70. I find now that .22 Smith revolvers more fun right now with ammo prices

 

[da gimp]

Mr. KML.. I urge you to try an old original USGI M1A1 Thompson & a decent M3 to try out..........both are very reliable if in good condition and are much more affordable than the early Thompsons.......Parts for the most part.. (grins) are easier to find than those for the S&W76 & the HK......

 

[wheelgun28]

There is a book on the development of the 76.

The man that designed it and made it work wrote the book.

It was a good little read, I bought it here on the forum from the author a few years back.

I will need to look more for my copy and let you know what it is.

 

[ironhead7544]

I know someone who had one of the clones, MK760, for many years. I shot it extensively. The magazines were a problem if they did not fit. The S&W mags worked fine but the MK mags were returned. The new ones that came back worked fine. Side to side play was OK, but back and forth play would make them jam. Some time ago I heard that putting electrical tape around the top of the mag to tighten it will help but never tried.

If you dont have the tool, the mags can be loaded by pushing them down over the round on a hard surface like a bench.

I used all kinds of ammo in this gun with no problems once the mags were sorted out. Handloads with a number of hollow points worked well.

Before 1986, the clones were pretty cheap. I remember seeing some for around $450.00 used. The S&W version was around $600.00 and up from there depending on condition.

I liked this gun and wish there was no ban. One nice feature is that you can take the barrel off to make a smaller package for storage. Probably a good starter gun if you have the money today to get into full auto.

 

[just jim]

If you live in a state still part of America and you are legal to own one here is a collector. Be careful when you buy and make sure it is really there.

NFA Firearms Ads

nice looking gun, but true happiness only comes from one that runs good.