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Welrod
The Welrod is an unusual British-designed bolt-action, integrally suppressed pistol designed for covert operations during World War 2. Designed by Major Hugh Reeves, the designer of the integral suppressor for the Sten Mk II (S), at the secret Special Operations Executive research and production factory, Station IX, located in an old mansion near Welwyn Garden City, its name takes the Wel prefix used by every device designed there, with rod coming from its shape. The weapon is known as one of the quietest ever designed, producing about 73 decibels, and even less if the gun was fired in contact with the target, something the cutaway muzzle was designed to facilitate. Effective range was given as about 25 yards, but it was generally used much closer.
Two versions were produced: confusingly, the .32ACP Mark II was the first version, while the 9x19mm Mark I was the second. The latter version featured numerous alterations in addition to firing a different round: a wire trigger guard was added to make the weapon safer to carry while ready to fire, and the front half of the integral suppressor could be unscrewed to reduce the gun's length and make it easier to conceal or smuggle. Because of the latter, the front sight was mounted halfway along the barrel rather than at the end. In both versions, concealment was made easier by having the detachable magazine serve as the weapon's pistol grip: capacity was 8 rounds for the Mark II and 6 rounds for the Mark I. Spent casings are ejected upwards though an ejection port surrounded by a large recess.
A third design could also be called a Welrod derivative, the Sleeve Gun. This was a single-shot breechloading weapon with a simple screw-in breech plug using a Welrod-derived suppressor with a trigger near the muzzle, intended to be concealed inside the user's sleeve and used in contact with the target, with a maximum effective range of about 3 yards.
Due to the nature of the pistol, there is not a lot of information on who used it or when: as well as obvious use during WW2, it is known that British Special Forces were using the weapon during the Falklands War with some evidence of use as late as Desert Storm, and CIA SOG operators are know to have used the Welrod Mark II in operations during the Vietnam War. About 2,800 Welrods are known to have been produced.
The Brügger & Thomet VP9 is heavily inspired by the Welrod, though it is marketed as a "veterinary pistol" for humanely killing animals rather than a covert ops weapon.
Specifications
(1943 - ? (possibly still in service))
Type: Handgun
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum (Mark I), .32 ACP (Mark II)
Capacity: 6 (for 9mm) or 8 (for .32)
Fire Modes: Bolt Action
The Welrod suppressed bolt-action pistol can be seen in the following films, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layer Cake | Seen on a Gun Rack | 2004 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note/Episode | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Cases of Major Zeman | Radoslav Brzobohatý | Pavel Bláha | "Konec velké šance" (S02E04) | 1977 |
| Person of Interest - Season 1 | Alan Dale | Ulrich Kohl | "Foe" (S01E08) | 2011 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsmith Cats | Natasha Radinov | Mark IIA | 1995-1996 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | Mark II | 2003 | |
| Sniper Elite V2 | Mark I | 2012 | |
| Enemy Front | "Welrod MKII" | Mark I | 2014 |
| Sniper Elite III | Mark I | 2014 | |
| Day of Infamy | Mark II | 2016 | |
| Sniper Elite 4 | Mark I | 2017 |