The S&W M76.

[AugustusMcCrae]

Is there a semi-auto version for us civilians? If yes, how much do they cost? I looked at the official S&W website & didn't see anything but handguns.

 

[andyjason]

not s&w

its not an s&w, but its close.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=76128016

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Beautiful. Are they good quality? Are they difficult to break down & reassemble? Are they reliable like an AK or do they need to be constantly cleaned? Are they fairly accurate at close range?

I just know about the gun from "Omega Man". I'd just be using it for plinking & HD.

I'd gladly pay $201 for it if I had a credit card & FFL. I usually use cash. I'll see if there's one at the Greensboro gunshow.

 

[LittleLebowski]

Gus, they are picky about mags but they can be tweaked to work. Love the name!

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

What do you mean by "tweaked"? I'm not good with building things* so home gunsmithing is out of my field of expertise.

*Lego's not counting.

EDIT: Thanks about the name.

 

[kBob]

Augustus,

Just to tease you:

My first experience with a gun mounted light was in the late 1970's when a buddy that owned a S&W 76 and I notched two wooden blocks and used duct tape to attach them and a Ray-o-Vac two D cell Flashlight to the Barrel shroud.

It was a hoot, but it sort of put me off the idea of lights on guns until I recently used a more modern design light in a couple of classes.

The folding stock on M76s tened to get sort of floppy about staying exteneded or folded after a lot of use, don't know if the same applies to the other folks' closed bolt semi auto carbine.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

I wasn't planning on mounting a light on it. I've got a pretty good little SF light my dad bought for me & it works pretty well. I can hold it with one hand & the gun with the other.

I also like the folding stock, barrell shroud, pistol grip & high capacity magazine. All the wonderful features the anti's hate.

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Are they good quality? Are they difficult to break down & reassemble? Are they reliable like an AK or do they need to be constantly cleaned? Are they fairly accurate at close range?

I saw another website where they go for $450 NIB.

http://www.williamsandsonarms.com/page9-rifles.htm

Is that fair? If that's good for a NIB version, what should I pay for a used model?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

The clone is by Special Weapons. Do a search here and on Arfcom before you buy.

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

I did a search here & got 2 results which mainly talked about the NFA version.

The AR15 search doesn't work for me. It says nothing found.

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Bump. The gunshow is this Saturday.

Anyone else have any advice?

 

[LittleLebowski]

Accurate at 100 yards or less, reliable if your mags are good, and easy to break down.

 

[armoredman]

Weren't those the ones SOG was carrying awhile ago?

 

[buzz_knox]

The M76 was developed in response to the Swedes prohibiting sales of the Carl Gustav M45 SMG to the US. We are a nasty combatant in Vietnam and so they wouldn't sell to us. They did, however, sell to the North Vietnamese as they weren't involved in the "civil war" within Vietnam. Go figure.

Anyway, the M45 (particularly the suppressed version of the Swedish K) was a much beloved weapon of SOG, the CIA, and the special operator community in general. So, S&W essentially copied it.

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Accurate at 100 yards or less, reliable if your mags are good, and easy to break down.

Where do you get good magazines?

 

[Trebor]

You realize that a semi-auto version would have to have a 16" barrel to be legal, right? That tends to throw off the whole balance of the weapon and definately spoils the looks. (You could pay the $200 tax and later shorten the barrel, if your state allows that, of course.)

 

[Trebor]

The Special Weapons made guns may have problems. Do some research on the guns and the owner of that company before you buy one.

The older clones, like the MK760 are going to be more expensive, but may have better quality control.

You're probably going to pay at least $425 for a SW gun and a couple hundred more for a MK 760.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Yeah I too have heard of people problem and gun problems from them.

 

[W.Va.Glassman]

My little brother was issued the 76 when he was in the Navy[70-74].What little I remember about him talking about it,he loved it. They had a holster sewed into the flight suit also could strap it to their forearm and fire it.

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Thanks for all the info.

I probably won't buy one. I can't afford the full auto version & most folks have complained about the other. Thanks again anyway.