BSA Welrod

Notes: This silenced pistol was not only one of the first truly silenced firearms; it was also for a long time the standard against which other silenced firearms were measured for silence. It was developed by the British SOE during World War 2 for use by assassins and resistance fighters, and were used by the British SOE, the American OSS, and was also parachuted to some resistance groups in Denmark and France. The Welrods have been out of official service for quite a while, though rumors of its use persisted into the early 1990s; some Mk I Welrods were known to have been used by the British SAS as late as Desert Storm.

The Welrod is effectively a bolt-action weapon; when fired, the striking of the hammer is the only sound the Welrod makes. This sound, and any other sound, is muffled by the extremely effective silencer that in built into the weapon. The Welrod is cocked by turning the knob at the rear of the weapon, pulling it back, pushing it forward, and then turning the knob back again.

The Welrod was built by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, though BSA markings do not appear on any Welrods. Small numbers were also manufactured in the US by the High Standard Company, again with no markings placed on the Welrod during manufacture. The Welrods were in fact built sanitized, with no markings of any sort placed on them, and any markings on a Welrod was placed there by the receiving party after manufacture (and this was rarely done). Other than the highly-effective silencer and special mechanism, the Welrods were basic weapons with very low sights designed for short ranges. The sights, however, were painted with fluorescent paint for night use. Inside the silencer, the barrel length was a mere 3.74 inches, though the large silencer brought the total length of the Welrod to over a foot for the Mk II and over 14 inches for the Mk I.

Design work on the Welrod began in mid-1942, with the first prototypes appearing in early 1943, and "mass" production in late 1943. The first prototypes were designed for 9mm Parabellum Subsonic ammunition and designated the Mk I, but the first Welrods were in .32 ACP Subsonic and designated the Mk II. There were also many more Welrods chambered for the .32 ACP subsonic cartridge than for the 9mm Parabellum Subsonic round. The Mk Is also did not see much issue, which is why they have survived in working order much longer than the Mk IIs.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Welrod Mk I

9mm Parabellum Subsonic

1.5 kg

6

$277

Welrod Mk II

.32 ACP Subsonic

1.09 kg

8

$211

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Welrod Mk I

BA

1

Nil

2

2

Nil

8

Welrod Mk II

BA

1

Nil

2

2

Nil

8