The Welrod pistol is manually operated firearm that uses rotary bolt locking with dual locking lugs. 32 / 7.65mm were also purchased and later manufactured in USA, apparently to complement more fast-firing but certainly more noisy and less effective Hi-Standard ADM silenced pistols. During the same period, Welrod pistols in. The latter model survived for a quite long time, and some 9mm Welrod Mk.I pistols were apparently still in operational use by British Special Operations forces as late as in 1991, during the operation Desert Storm.ĭuring WW2, some Welrod pistols were also air-dropped to european resistance groups, most notable to Denmark. Production of the larger, more powerful and more effective 9mm Welrod Mk.I commenced in 1944, on request of the British Special operations forces. Total number produced is unknown, but some sources stated that at about 14 000 of Welrod Mk.II pistols were produced. Mass production of the 7.65mm Welrod pistol, officially known as Welrod pistol, Mark II, commenced in late 1943, and Birmingham Smal Arms Co, Ltd (BSA). Early prototypes of the new silenced weapon were developed during second half of the 1942, with first prototypes tested in early 1943, in 9×19 Luger and 7.65×17 Browning calibers. To solve this problem, British engineers decided to use manually operated action for the proposed gun. The ordinary silencers for semi-automatic pistols were well known and well developed by the WW2, but there still was the sound of the reciprocating slide during the discharge of the pistol, which was quite audible at night or in other ‘quiet’ environments.
Most of such operations were clandestine by nature and required special equipment, including special weapons.
Welrod pistol was developed in UK by Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.), a government organisation which was tasked with intellegence, diversions and other special operations as well as support of the various anti-Hitler resistance movements in occupied Europe. 32 caliber Welrod Mk.II pistol with magazine removed abd bolt opened. 32 caliber Mark II and bottom later 9mm Mark I.