The Smith & Wesson Model 76 Submachine Gun

In 1966, the Department of the Navy contacted Smith & Wesson about the possibility of the com-pany designing and manufacturing a weapon that would be similar in con-cept and operation to the Swedish-K that was currently in service with U.S. Navy SEAL teams operating in Vietnam. The Swedish government refused to sell or support the Swed-ish-K submachine guns, due to their outspoken protest of U.S. involve-ment in the Vietnam War. In the fall of 1966, the Development Section of Smith & Wesson received an official written request from the Department of the Navy for the development of a new 9mm submachine gun. Corporation officials met with SEAL Team One at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, in San Diego, California, to discuss the project. The company issued 76 as the model designation for the project, simply as a control number, having no other significance. The S&W Model 76 went into series production in 1968.