POTD: Well Shhhhh – The World War II SOE Welrod Pistol
Sam.S 07.30.22
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! This one is not entirely unheard of and thanks to video games and youtube videos, the special operations Welrod pistol from World War Two it has found its own place in pop culture and in history books. The Welrod was a product of clandestine operations intended by the SOE. The Welrod was designed to look unassuming and as un-gun-like as possible. At face value without the magazine/grip attached it simply appears as a tube or pipe. Speaking of the magazine, it is a Colt 32 ACP magazine with a molded grip over the top of it. The Welrod operates on a simple bolt action design to minimize sound produced by the functioning of the gun itself. The barrel/suppressor is integral and beyond typical baffles has a series of rubber “wipes” that close up after a bullet passes through them. This makes this 32 ACP spy gun extremely quiet for around 10 shots. The pistol features a dovetail windage adjustable rear sight and grip safety.
“Welrods are believed to have been used in the Falklands, Ireland, and by Special Forces units deployed for Desert Storm in the early 90s. The main body is cylindrical, with most of the length taken up by the silencer, a set of fixed sights, and a manually rotated bolt mechanism. The grip section consists of the magazine well and the magazine, the latter bulked up with black plastic, and the latter also serving as the mounting point for the trigger and a grip safety. This arrangement allowed the overall profile of the pistol to be altered for concealment or storage. The underside of the silencer bears appropriate registration marks, with the serial number behind the grip safety.”
Lot 460: Welrod Mark II Clandestine Pistol with Integral Silencer – Very Scarce British Welrod Mark II Bolt Action Clandestine Pistol with Class III/NFA Registered Integral Silencer [Photograph found in Auction Catalog #78, Rock Island Auction Company]. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/78/460/welrod-mark-ii-clandestine-pistol-with-integral-silencer
