Stemple 76/45?

[dchi]

Anybody know anything about one? For $1600 NIB I'm thinking it must be junk.

[stymie]

dchi.... go to this search link & type in keyword stemple (click the spot for January 10, 2000+ & see what comes up!) http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/semiforum.cgi?search

[stymie]

Here's a couple of mpegs: http://1919a4.com/gca/ogc-shawn-stemple76-45.mpg & http://1919a4.com/gca/ogc-stefan-stemple76-45.mpg

[stickfam]

Do as stymie has recommended. Especially read the reviews listed by Toad. He is extremely knowledgeable on SMG's in general and is a super guy! They arent the prettiest things in the world, but ususally they work well. Full auto only, .45 acp. There is some guy that will change out the trigger groups to allow a more modern safety. I personally have one and a matching suppressor in transfer. Take a look at the vids also.
Once mine gets here I am thinking of having a wooden stock installed.


Stickfam

[stymie]

Here's a recent post by Toad______ ...on subguns.com
Crude copy of S&W76 in .45 acp

Posted By: Toad
Date: 4/22/03 17:47

In Response To: Hey, what's a stemple? and what do they cost? (curious george... no text)

They are full-auto only (no safety or selector) and they run between $1400-$2000 depending on condition/accessories/version.

I have included my standard Stemple review for your edification.

Ok, this is my canned response to people who ask about the Stemple 76/45. I would like to add that at this point, it doesn't look like Jim Burgess will be making any more Stemple 76/45s. Jim Burgess was planning on using the remaining registered/transferable tubes to build an exact clone of the S&W 76 in 9mm. I think this is pending ATF approval and also, there is pending litigation between Burgess and John Stemple-who is trying to get his tubes back.

Every so often, people ask for info on the Stemple 76/45 on various gun boards (Bowers, Sturmgewehr, etc.) and you will see various responses. On the most part, the posts are positive with regards to performance and value and somewhat negative with regard to aesthetics and ergonomics. Here is what I usually post-I have had my Stemple since around October of 1999. My Stemple is what would be considered a Burgess MK1, he is now selling the MK3. The MK3 model comes with the new, lighter trigger, the sliding wire stock and an AR-15 pistol grip and has an option of a weaver rail mounted on top of the receiver. It also uses UNMODIFIED grease gun mags-and thus has a better mag release. The MK3 mods have corrected most of the issues in this review.

My Stemple has been almost 100% reliable (mostly with lead SWC reloads). The only problem I have had was a magazine problem that was the result of a poorly converted magazine-which was 100% my fault. I cut the horizontal slot in the mag too high (or perhaps it is too wide) because that mag doesn't sit high enough in the mag well. I can hold the mag and push it up into the magwell and it works fine. All of my other mags work 100%. I have seen people complain about the wobbly stock and badly aligned sights. My gun doesn't suffer these problems-the stock is firm enough for me and my gun is fairly accurate. It could be some of the older guns had misaligned sights, but maybe Jim has fixed this with the newer guns. The gun is built quite sturdily, the bolt is a beautifully machined big hunk of steel.
A 9mm conversionis available and supposedly a .22lr conversion will be offered
sometime in the future (I'll believe it when I see it).

The gun won't win any beauty contests, that is for sure. The outward appearance is quite crude, with aluminum pop rivets and allen head button screws holding it together. The only real problem that takes some getting used to is the mag release. First of all, it is too small-it comes from the factory as just a nub (actually it is a allen head screw. I made it better by installing a longer allen head screw and securing it with some loctite(make sure you don't screw it in too far or it will bind and the mag release will not function at all. The second problem with the mag release is that it is not intuitive or ergonomic at all because you pull it back to release the mag. In order to release the mag and remove it with your hand-you need to use both hands. I solve this problem by just letting the mags drop free(I have a ton of grease gun mags-and they are tough). Somebody on Bowers board (STL Tactical, I believe) came up with an ingenious idea of a "paddle" type mag release that is actually a "L" shaped piece of aluminum the pivots on the mag well so when you push forward on the bottom piece it pushes backward on the mag release. The corner of the "L" is what is resting against the vertical plane of the magwell. It is hard to explain-the picture makes it all very clear, you can see it at:

http://home.houston.rr.com/toadspage/stemple.jpg

All in all I think the Stemple 76/45 is one of the best values in the Class 3 world-especially now with the MK3 mods-and the prices are only going up.

The Stemple also has some potential for custom projects like
installing a red dot sight on the barrel shroud or perhaps installing a CAR collapsing stock...

Of course since I wrote this review Jim Burgess has begun offering the 76/45 with a weaver rail and also a collapsing wire stock similar to a Grease Gun stock.

[Vegas SMG]

Stickfam you are correct in every way. I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting with Toad when he was in our fair city last month. He came to our monthly subgun match and made a good showing for himself and the great state of Texas. He took 1st in C open and won the team shoot as well. Great guy I'm proud to call a friend. We'd do well to have him and the knowledge he'd bring to this board. Tell him I said hello if you run into him.

[stickfam]

Just came back from the GCA memorial day shoot here in E. Texas ( it was hot out there!) I picked up my Stemple 76/45 & suppressor and shot the heck out of it. It ate everything I fed it, SWC's, FMJ's & even flat point lead reloads w/o a hitch! THe 76/45 was comfortable and easy to handle. Suppressor was excellent also. Ive heard of people post their concerns about the trigger but the one I just transferred to me was great. It was even more reliable than, dare I say it? my vector. I'll post about my vector troubles in another post!