Knowing something about the old days of AATC at the West Palm Beach P&W Factory when the S-76's were first coming online, I can clear some things up maybe.
The Sikorsky Autopilot system, Hamilton Standard, went through Phase I and II very quickly but had some issues getting Phase III installed.
Sperry with its Helipilot system became the preferred system and was installed at Conroe, Texas.
Air Log, now the Bristow picked their 76A's up with just a bare VFR panel with no Stability system of any kind. Some went to the Sperry factory for installs but most went to work in the Gulf of Mexico doing Revenue Flights for quite some time before making it to the Sperry facility.
The Hamilton Standard system in time could have been a very nice setup but Sperry won the market.
Anyone that thinks a 76A is impossible to fly with just "bare knuckles" does not know what they are talking about or as has been said, should not be flying a helicopter.
The 76 is "slick" and "greasy" to handle with no Stability system but with a bit of practice is no worse than a great many other helicopters. The 76 is particularly quick in roll and does not like to decelerate being a helicopter that likes to go fast.