Welrod

The Welrod was a British bolt action, magazine fed, suppressed (silenced) pistol devised during World War Two at - the Inter Services Research Bureau (later Station IX) - based near Welwyn Garden City, UK, for use by irregular forces and resistance groups. It was not a mass produced weapon, only around 2,800 being made.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was used primarily by the British SOE but was also used by the American OSS.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Welrod was extremely quiet, being almost inaudible when fired. Examples were made in 9 x 19 mm Parabellum and .32 ACP, with capacities of 5 rounds in the magazine (more rounds could be loaded, but it was not recommended). The Welrod took the form of a 1.25 inch diameter cylinder about 12 inches long. The rear of the cylinder contained the bolt, the middle the ported barrel and expansion chamber of the suppressor, and the front the baffles and wipes of the suppressor. There is a knurled knob at the rear that serves as the bolt handle, and the magazine forms the pistol grip. The Welrod was provided with sights marked with fluorescent paint for use in low light conditions. Although it had a maximum range of 25 yards, it was intended for use far closer - up to point blank. The muzzle end of the gun was cut away so that it could be fired in direct contact with the target. This would reduce the sound levels even further, and removed the chance of missing.

British: The word British has several different uses. See the article on Britain for more details on the development and use of the word Britain....

Bolt action: A bolt-action firearm is typically a rifle that is manually operated (i.e. by hand), specifically that the opening and closing of the breech is controlled manually by a bolt. The term "action" references the means by which a firearm operates....

Suppressed: REDIRECT Suppression...