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knob at the rear that serves as the bolt handle, which unlocks when rotated 90 degrees. The magazine doubles as the grip and can be removed for ease of hiding. The exclusion of a pistol grip was apparently done to help conceal the weapon's purpose and in some groups it was called a "bicycle pump" due
487:
In 2002, Small Arms Review tested the Welrod (in .32 ACP) and found a 34-decibel noise reduction compared to a control pistol with a same length (3.25 inch) barrel for a final 122.8 decibel value. Earlier sound measurements did not meet the standards in place in 2002. According to Small Arms Review,
483:
The pistol is manually operated using a rotary bolt, locking with two lugs. Loading is performed with a pull/push action using the round knurled knob to the rear of the weapon. The trigger is single stage with a simple safety at the back of the magazine housing. The detachable single stack magazine
446:
The Welrod takes the form of a 1.25-inch-diameter (32 mm) cylinder, about 12 in (300 mm) long. The rear section of the cylinder contains the bolt, the middle section, the vented (16–20 ports) barrel and expansion chamber for the barrel and the front section, the baffles and (rubber)
471:). The metal baffles and rubber wipes that follow the barrel serve to further slow the gases of firing, releasing them over a longer period of time and avoiding the sharp explosion that occurs when high pressure powder gases are suddenly released to the atmosphere.
455:
The Welrod is provided with sights marked with luminescent paint for use in low-light conditions. The Mk I manual states: "It is accurate up to 30 yd (27 m) in daylight or 20 yd (18 m) on a fairly light night but is most effective when fired
492:
pellet pistol, with Philip H. Dater calling it "Hollywood quiet". The Welrod's sound is almost imperceptible at 15 feet in a quiet environment and it would be inaudible to the operator in a noisy environment where the muzzle is in contact with the target.
474:
The Welrod uses a bolt-action design because it is simple, reliable and quiet. The bolt-action has only the noise of the firing pin hitting the primer, and the bolt can be cycled quietly. Magazines of six and eight rounds were produced.
354:, gave the Welrod its unusual name, being derived from "Wel" from "Welwyn" (a prefix used by covert equipment designed by Station IX) and "rod", gangland slang for gun, as a way to obscure its purpose.
415:
The Welrod was a "sanitised" weapon, meaning that it had no markings indicating its manufacturer or country of origin; it was marked only with a serial number and some inscrutable symbols and letters.
463:
The ported barrel of the Welrod serves two purposes, it releases the powder gases gradually into the rear of the suppressor, reducing the sound of firing and it reduces the velocity of the bullet to
555:
419:(BSA) confirmed that they manufactured some Welrod pistols but that they put no markings at all on them, so it is likely that any markings were added by the British military after delivery.
488:
the lower earlier measurements were "Undoubtedly a function of the available measuring equipment (including excessive meter rise time)". A fully refurbished Welrod sounds quieter than a CO
460:". The muzzle end of the gun is ground slightly concave to minimise noise during a contact shot; this may have also improved grip against the target, decreasing the chance of missing.
365:, the Welrod is an extremely quiet gun thanks to its integrated suppressor. Approximately 2,800 were made in wartime and perhaps 14,000 in total when post-war examples are included.
907:
519:
forces. In the wake of his assassination, an estimated 13,000 civilians were arrested and interrogated, 5,000 civilians murdered in German reprisal killings and the villages of
1114:
930:
393:. A document produced towards the end of the war ensured that the right people were properly credited for their inventions at Station IX. This document identifies Major
422:
The original Mk1 Welrod was a bolt-action design. While 500 were ordered, its not clear if it ever got beyond the prototype stage. The Welrod Mk II, chambered for
879:
894:
Zum ersten Mal berichtet ein
Mitglied der geheimen BND-Partisanentruppe "Stay behind" über seinen Auftrag im Kalten Krieg. "Dieter Gerlach", so sein Deckname
1119:
507:(SS) and Gestapo officers and soldiers within a one-month period by resistance units. This plan was possibly delayed or called off in the aftermath of
530:
The Welrod was used in
Denmark during the war as well as being dropped in several other countries and is reported to have been used during the 1982
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contains six or eight rounds (depending on calibre) and serves as a pistol grip with the bottom part enclosed by the plastic cover.
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comes from the custom of naming all clandestine equipment devised at
Station IX in Welwyn starting with
501:
There was a plan in 1943 to drop
Welrods into German-occupied territories for the mass assassination of
75:
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was the primary model. Due to poor field results, the Welrod 9mm Mk I was subsequently developed using
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57:
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as the inventor of the Welrod. He was also responsible for other important designs, including the
722:
634:
42:
35:
551:
467:
speeds (especially important in the 9 mm version since the standard 9 mm loading is
685:"Centrefire single-shot bolt-action suppressed pistol - Welrod .32 in. Mk.I Prototype - 1943"
684:
508:
427:
284:
8:
328:
401:, which was similar to the Welrod, though single shot and made to conceal up a sleeve.
358:
931:"An Official Journal Of The NRA | Behind Enemy Lines: Guns of Vietnam's SOG Warriors"
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Britische
Schalldämpferwaffen 1939–1945: Entwicklung, Technik, Wirkung
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soldiers assigned to
Detachment 'A' Berlin during the Cold War and by
964:
A Danish site with research into the production and use of the Welrod
24:
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826:(1. Aufl., Korr. Nachdr ed.). Norderstedt: Books on Demand.
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to its innocuous look with the magazine/grip removed.
546:. Welrod guns were also found in weapons caches from
1115:
World War II infantry weapons of the United
Kingdom
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
998:
1086:
715:"B&T VP9 Silenced Pistol: A Modern Welrod"
984:
576: – British integrally suppressed firearm
404:The Welrod was used primarily by the British
346:at the Inter-Services Research Bureau (later
655:
582: – Soviet integrally suppressed firearm
854:
991:
977:
570: – Swiss integrally suppressed pistol
1120:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1942
742:
740:
656:Boyce, Fredric; Everett, Douglas (2004).
538:in Northern Ireland and during operation
417:The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
905:
790:
624:
437:
408:(SOE) but was also used by the American
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447:wipes of the suppressor. There is a
297:7–8 yd (6.4–7.3 m) (Night)
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
16:British integrally suppressed pistol
914:. American Rifleman. Archived from
13:
857:"SAR Tests the .32 caliber Welrod"
848:
791:Thygesen, Anders (15 March 2013).
762:
703:
674:
627:"Silent But Deadly: Welrod Mk IIA"
625:McCollum, Ian (27 December 2016).
14:
1131:
957:
906:Stejskal, James (December 2017).
593:
772:. Timelapse.Dk. 12 February 1945
292:Effective firing range
131:
23:
922:
899:
888:]. ZDF Info. Archived from
878:Stoll, Ulrich (25 March 2014).
871:
750:. Timelapse.Dk. 25 October 1955
34:needs additional citations for
935:An Official Journal Of The NRA
815:
649:
550:. The Welrod was also used by
368:
350:). Station IX, being based in
235:
200:Inter-Services Research Bureau
1:
1100:Pistols of the United Kingdom
929:Association, National Rifle.
586:
412:(OSS) and Resistance forces.
219:; unnamed other manufacturers
1110:Special Operations Executive
881:Die Schattenkrieger der NATO
478:
410:Office of Strategic Services
406:Special Operations Executive
295:25 yd (23 m) (Day)
7:
1041:Motorised Submersible Canoe
886:The shadow warriors of NATO
658:SOE: The Scientific Secrets
561:
10:
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458:in contact with the target
249:Welrod Mk I; Welrod Mk IIA
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822:Michel, Wolfgang (2009).
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265:3.25 in (83 mm)
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153:Place of origin
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568:Brügger & Thomet VP9
861:www.smallarmsreview.com
511:, the assassination of
182:Northern Irish Troubles
552:US Army Special Forces
496:
443:
721:. Forgotten Weapons.
633:. Forgotten Weapons.
441:
509:Operation Anthropoid
357:Designed for use by
43:improve this article
999:Devices created at
908:"Cold War Warriors"
793:"The Welrod Pistol"
338:devised during the
892:on 28 March 2016.
689:royalarmouries.org
660:. Stroud: Sutton.
444:
192:Production history
1105:Silenced firearms
1080:
1079:
918:on 30 March 2023.
912:American Rifleman
867:on 27 March 2022.
855:Philip H. Dater.
833:978-3-8370-2149-3
797:Small Arms Review
691:. Royal Armouries
667:978-0-7509-4005-4
580:PSS silent pistol
513:Reinhard Heydrich
428:9×19mm Parabellum
363:resistance groups
317:
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285:9×19mm Parabellum
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937:. Archived from
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863:. Archived from
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803:on 27 March 2022
799:. Archived from
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770:"The Suppressor"
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748:"Misinformation"
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548:Operation Gladio
517:Czech resistance
340:Second World War
302:Feed system
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307:9x19 Parabellum
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161:Service history
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137:Welrod 9mm Mk I
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504:Schutzstaffel
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
48:
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38:
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32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1082:
1051:Welfreighter
1019:
943:. Retrieved
939:the original
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924:
916:the original
911:
901:
893:
890:the original
885:
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865:the original
860:
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805:. Retrieved
801:the original
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786:
774:. Retrieved
764:
752:. Retrieved
727:. Retrieved
718:
693:. Retrieved
688:
657:
651:
639:. Retrieved
630:
540:Desert Storm
536:The Troubles
529:
502:
500:
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329:magazine-fed
320:
318:
309:); 8-round (
262: length
228:World War II
213:Manufacturer
186:Desert Storm
170:World War II
105:
99:October 2017
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
729:15 December
641:12 December
542:by British
527:destroyed.
395:Hugh Reeves
369:Development
361:forces and
344:Hugh Reeves
325:bolt-action
238: built
230:and onwards
174:Vietnam War
1089:Categories
1015:Sleeve gun
1001:Station IX
945:18 October
695:3 December
587:References
469:supersonic
399:sleeve gun
348:Station IX
333:suppressed
283:(Mk II) /
69:newspapers
842:705505671
776:24 August
754:24 August
479:Operation
373:The name
359:irregular
342:by Major
305:6-round (
1034:Vehicles
723:Archived
635:Archived
562:See also
465:subsonic
430:rounds.
381:, e.g.,
246:Variants
224:Produced
205:Designed
197:Designer
58:"Welrod"
1095:Pistols
1046:Welbike
1008:Weapons
719:Youtube
631:Youtube
556:MACVSOG
449:knurled
424:.32 ACP
384:Welbike
311:.32 ACP
281:.32 ACP
276:Calibre
125:Welrod
83:scholar
1072:Welbum
1025:Welgun
1020:Welrod
840:
830:
807:31 May
664:
525:Ležáky
521:Lidice
434:Design
390:Welman
375:Welrod
352:Welwyn
336:pistol
321:Welrod
287:(Mk I)
260:Barrel
147:Pistol
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
1065:Other
884:[
90:JSTOR
76:books
947:2022
838:OCLC
828:ISBN
809:2019
778:2012
756:2012
731:2018
697:2023
662:ISBN
643:2018
523:and
319:The
208:1942
166:Wars
143:Type
62:news
515:by
497:Use
379:Wel
236:No.
217:BSA
45:by
1091::
933:.
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859:.
836:.
795:.
739:^
717:.
705:^
687:.
676:^
629:.
595:^
558:.
387:,
331:,
327:,
184:,
180:,
176:,
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978:v
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699:.
670:.
645:.
490:2
313:)
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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