Welrod Silent Gun
Probably, it will not be a secret to anyone that the war, despite all the negative aspects that it brings with it, is the most powerful catalyst in the development of science and technology. Naturally, the prioritization in such a situation is quite specific and, despite the fact that, in principle, all industries are developing, the military industry, including firearms, is developing the most. weapon. In addition to the very rapid modernization of those models that already exist, new ones appear, sometimes radically different not only in their design, but also in the specifics of their application from generally accepted samples. A striking example of this is the Welrod silent pistol, which lasted in service with the British army from the middle of World War II until the end of the twentieth century.
At the beginning of the fortieth year, the command of the British army was forced to reconsider its views on the conduct of hostilities. Now preference began to be given to sabotage operations, which showed much greater effectiveness than a frontal attack. But it is not enough just to change the views on the conduct of war, in addition to this, there was a need for equipment and weapons that would be suitable for performing certain tasks. If there were no special problems with the equipment, then there were actually no special weapons with which small detachments should be armed to conduct operations in enemy territory. In particular, for such operations, a completely silent weapon was required, which would not betray the shooter either by the operation of automation or, of course, by the sound of the shot itself. Already existing samples were immediately discarded, since even when equipped with silent firing devices, they were not completely silent. The arrow gave out the sound of the weapon mechanisms, and most of the non-self-loading samples were simply inconvenient for transportation or were capricious in adverse operating conditions. The creation of a completely silent weapon for the British army was entrusted to a design bureau known as the "ninth department". Giving preference to small dimensions and weight, it was decided to make an absolutely silent non-self-loading pistol.
It should be noted that the Welrod silent pistol is the final result of the development, the Model-1 pistol was created before it, which, due to certain flaws in the design, never gained distribution. So the most important difference between the two models was that the end result had a detachable handle, which was a regular magazine covered in rubber for a more comfortable hold. During transportation, the magazine handle was detached, and the weapon could be easily carried without creating absolutely no inconvenience. The weapon controls have also undergone changes, so if the Model-1 had a rather unusual trigger system (the trigger lever was on the left side of the weapon), then the Welrod became closer to the classic models. To be honest, Model-1 and Welrod differ only in the redesigned trigger mechanism and bolt handle, otherwise, up to the design of the silent firing device, the pistols are identical.
By itself, the Welrod pistol is a steel cylinder that splits into two parts. One of them is a silent shooting device, but about it a little later, for now, let's take a closer look at the gun itself. A barrel of a weapon is installed in the body-steel tube, while the barrel has rows of holes that are designed to remove powder gases into the first of the chambers of the silent firing device. This made it possible to significantly reduce both the dimensions of the pistol and increase the efficiency of reducing the sound of a shot, however, it had a negative effect on the speed of the bullet. On the back of the body tube is the bolt, which is a modernized version of the Mauser, so often used in rifles. By the way, if the Model-1 pistol used a bolt handle similar to rifle ones, then it was removed in the Welrod pistol, instead of it, there is a small rotary knob with notches on the back of the pistol. This made it possible not only to reduce the dimensions of the weapon, but also to make reloading more convenient for the shooter, in addition, now it became possible to use the weapon both with the right and left hand, which could not be said about the Model-1 - the shutter handle interfered. Reloading was quite simple and fast. After the shot, without removing the holding hand from the pistol handle, it was necessary to turn the bolt handle counterclockwise, pull it back, removing the spent cartridge case and cocking the trigger mechanism, and then push the bolt forward and turn already clockwise. With a certain skill, the shooter could fire at a fairly high pace, which, combined with almost complete silence, was a big plus for the weapon.
And everything would be great in this pistol if it were not for the silent shooting device. The fact is that, for the sake of higher efficiency, the designers sacrificed its resource, so one could not even dream of a durable silent weapon. However, the Welrod pistol's silent firing device did not lose its qualities for 15 shots, and this was most often enough to complete one operation. In addition, the PBS could be updated by the shooter himself, since its wear was due to the wear of the rubber gaskets inside the silent firing device, and given a fairly simple weapon design, replacing them did not take much time or effort. The Welrod silent firing device itself can be divided into two parts. One of them is a large chamber into which powder gases enter from the holes in the barrel, it is connected to the second part of the PBS using a metal washer with holes. The second part is divided into several chambers using metal washers and rubber gaskets. The most interesting thing is that there was no standard set of gaskets, they could alternate in a wide variety of sequences, perhaps the only constant point was the presence of rubber gaskets at the muzzle of the pistol and directly at the very exit from the silent firing device. As noted above, such a design was short-lived, for this reason, along with the pistol, the fighter also had a spare set of gaskets for PBS, which were most often already assembled in a certain sequence and mounted on a steel pin for ease of replacement.
Naturally, the gun itself is far from all that is of interest in a silent weapon, the ammunition that is used is also important. In this case, the designers did not reinvent the wheel and, saving state money, made their weapons in two versions - chambered for 7,65x17 and 9x19. True, there is usually a little confusion here. The fact is that initially the Welrod pistol was created chambered for 9x19, respectively, having received the designation Mk.I, and only after that did the Mk.II chambered for 7,65x17 cartridges appear. The pistols were put into service in the reverse order, which is why they are constantly confused. Outwardly, both models differ primarily in dimensions, in addition, the version for 9x19 cartridges has a safety bracket.
The Welrod Mk.I pistol weighs 1,5 kilograms and is 360 millimeters long. Its single-row magazine holds only 6 rounds of 9x19. The length of the "leaky" pistol barrel is 95 millimeters, while the bullet speed is 305 meters per second.
The Welrod Mk.II pistol has a more modest weight and dimensions. So its weight is 1,09 kilograms, with a length of 310 millimeters, the barrel length remains the same - 95 millimeters, the bullet of the 7,65x17 cartridge has a speed of 215 meters per second when it leaves the silent firing device, but the weapon magazine already holds 8 rounds. Despite the significantly lower efficiency of the ammunition used, which has already decreased due to a decrease in the speed of movement, this sample attracted more attention from officials, which is not surprising in view of its lower weight, dimensions and larger magazine capacity. However, practice has shown that this model is effective at a very short distance and already at a distance of 10 meters cannot guarantee a confident defeat of the enemy. It was also noteworthy that there were cases when a bullet fired from this pistol could not penetrate the hard Aryan forehead. This was the main reason for the adoption of an older model. Subsequently, it was slightly modernized, the sights, the window for ejecting spent cartridges, etc., changed, that is, the gun underwent cosmetic changes, after which the letter “A” was added to its name.
But these two models of pistols are far from all the useful that the designers of the 9th department could squeeze out of their development. On the basis of the second model, a single-shot silent firing device chambered for 7,65 millimeters was created - the Sleeve Gun. This device was the same Welrod pistol, but no longer had a magazine, and fire control was carried out by means of a swinging lever in the place where the front sight was located at the pistol. As conceived by the developers, this device was supposed to be mounted in the sleeve of the shooter's clothing, which, provided that it was used silently, made it an absolutely invisible weapon. The targets of this device were to be senior military officials of Nazi Germany. Officially, this shooting object was not adopted for service, nor is there any mention of its combat use, which can be trusted in view of the individual features of such weapons. The fact is that in order to reload the device, it was necessary to unscrew the bolt of the weapon, get a spent cartridge case, install a new cartridge and screw the bolt, which took a very long time. In addition, aimed shooting was out of the question, in view of the fact that the shooter literally shot at a glance, although with a certain amount of training, such shooting could well be of use. If you dream up a little and add a laser target designator to this device, then, of course, it would be much more widespread, but, unfortunately, at that time no one thought of making a compact flashlight with a reduced beam of light.
The use of Welrod pistols was not at all limited to the Second World War, they were successfully used after, in addition, these pistols attracted the attention of the armies of other countries. So the most famous fact of the use of this weapon is its use in the 70s in Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam. This pistol also lit up in hostilities for control of the Falkland Islands. The last of the military operations where this weapon was officially used was Operation Desert Storm. And almost everywhere, these models of pistols were noted as one of the most reliable and trouble-free images of silent weapons, which is understandable by its structure to everyone, and its maintenance takes a few minutes.
Based on all of the above, it should be noted that sometimes the key to success for a weapon is its simplicity and high reliability in a variety of conditions. On the other hand, this rule has recently been violated. Designers create more and more complex devices, manufacturers produce them, and the end user has no choice but to put up with what he was given in his hands. There are already plenty of examples that a weapon operating under ideal conditions and undergoing a reliability test, in which every grain of sand that gets into it is calculated, in reality fails after every tenth shot due to the same sand or dirt. In principle, there is nothing wrong with the fact that many samples can only be used with perfect cleanliness, after all, they can be used both in urban areas and inside buildings. But if the weapon is planned to be used in a desert or swampy area, then it would be more reasonable to sacrifice its combat characteristics for the sake of greater reliability, because a shot, even if it misses, is in many situations much better than no shot at all.
At the beginning of the fortieth year, the command of the British army was forced to reconsider its views on the conduct of hostilities. Now preference began to be given to sabotage operations, which showed much greater effectiveness than a frontal attack. But it is not enough just to change the views on the conduct of war, in addition to this, there was a need for equipment and weapons that would be suitable for performing certain tasks. If there were no special problems with the equipment, then there were actually no special weapons with which small detachments should be armed to conduct operations in enemy territory. In particular, for such operations, a completely silent weapon was required, which would not betray the shooter either by the operation of automation or, of course, by the sound of the shot itself. Already existing samples were immediately discarded, since even when equipped with silent firing devices, they were not completely silent. The arrow gave out the sound of the weapon mechanisms, and most of the non-self-loading samples were simply inconvenient for transportation or were capricious in adverse operating conditions. The creation of a completely silent weapon for the British army was entrusted to a design bureau known as the "ninth department". Giving preference to small dimensions and weight, it was decided to make an absolutely silent non-self-loading pistol.It should be noted that the Welrod silent pistol is the final result of the development, the Model-1 pistol was created before it, which, due to certain flaws in the design, never gained distribution. So the most important difference between the two models was that the end result had a detachable handle, which was a regular magazine covered in rubber for a more comfortable hold. During transportation, the magazine handle was detached, and the weapon could be easily carried without creating absolutely no inconvenience. The weapon controls have also undergone changes, so if the Model-1 had a rather unusual trigger system (the trigger lever was on the left side of the weapon), then the Welrod became closer to the classic models. To be honest, Model-1 and Welrod differ only in the redesigned trigger mechanism and bolt handle, otherwise, up to the design of the silent firing device, the pistols are identical.By itself, the Welrod pistol is a steel cylinder that splits into two parts. One of them is a silent shooting device, but about it a little later, for now, let's take a closer look at the gun itself. A barrel of a weapon is installed in the body-steel tube, while the barrel has rows of holes that are designed to remove powder gases into the first of the chambers of the silent firing device. This made it possible to significantly reduce both the dimensions of the pistol and increase the efficiency of reducing the sound of a shot, however, it had a negative effect on the speed of the bullet. On the back of the body tube is the bolt, which is a modernized version of the Mauser, so often used in rifles. By the way, if the Model-1 pistol used a bolt handle similar to rifle ones, then it was removed in the Welrod pistol, instead of it, there is a small rotary knob with notches on the back of the pistol. This made it possible not only to reduce the dimensions of the weapon, but also to make reloading more convenient for the shooter, in addition, now it became possible to use the weapon both with the right and left hand, which could not be said about the Model-1 - the shutter handle interfered. Reloading was quite simple and fast. After the shot, without removing the holding hand from the pistol handle, it was necessary to turn the bolt handle counterclockwise, pull it back, removing the spent cartridge case and cocking the trigger mechanism, and then push the bolt forward and turn already clockwise. With a certain skill, the shooter could fire at a fairly high pace, which, combined with almost complete silence, was a big plus for the weapon.And everything would be great in this pistol if it were not for the silent shooting device. The fact is that, for the sake of higher efficiency, the designers sacrificed its resource, so one could not even dream of a durable silent weapon. However, the Welrod pistol's silent firing device did not lose its qualities for 15 shots, and this was most often enough to complete one operation. In addition, the PBS could be updated by the shooter himself, since its wear was due to the wear of the rubber gaskets inside the silent firing device, and given a fairly simple weapon design, replacing them did not take much time or effort. The Welrod silent firing device itself can be divided into two parts. One of them is a large chamber into which powder gases enter from the holes in the barrel, it is connected to the second part of the PBS using a metal washer with holes. The second part is divided into several chambers using metal washers and rubber gaskets. The most interesting thing is that there was no standard set of gaskets, they could alternate in a wide variety of sequences, perhaps the only constant point was the presence of rubber gaskets at the muzzle of the pistol and directly at the very exit from the silent firing device. As noted above, such a design was short-lived, for this reason, along with the pistol, the fighter also had a spare set of gaskets for PBS, which were most often already assembled in a certain sequence and mounted on a steel pin for ease of replacement. Naturally, the gun itself is far from all that is of interest in a silent weapon, the ammunition that is used is also important. In this case, the designers did not reinvent the wheel and, saving state money, made their weapons in two versions - chambered for 7,65x17 and 9x19. True, there is usually a little confusion here. The fact is that initially the Welrod pistol was created chambered for 9x19, respectively, having received the designation Mk.I, and only after that did the Mk.II chambered for 7,65x17 cartridges appear. The pistols were put into service in the reverse order, which is why they are constantly confused. Outwardly, both models differ primarily in dimensions, in addition, the version for 9x19 cartridges has a safety bracket.The Welrod Mk.I pistol weighs 1,5 kilograms and is 360 millimeters long. Its single-row magazine holds only 6 rounds of 9x19. The length of the "leaky" pistol barrel is 95 millimeters, while the bullet speed is 305 meters per second.
The Welrod Mk.II pistol has a more modest weight and dimensions. So its weight is 1,09 kilograms, with a length of 310 millimeters, the barrel length remains the same - 95 millimeters, the bullet of the 7,65x17 cartridge has a speed of 215 meters per second when it leaves the silent firing device, but the weapon magazine already holds 8 rounds. Despite the significantly lower efficiency of the ammunition used, which has already decreased due to a decrease in the speed of movement, this sample attracted more attention from officials, which is not surprising in view of its lower weight, dimensions and larger magazine capacity. However, practice has shown that this model is effective at a very short distance and already at a distance of 10 meters cannot guarantee a confident defeat of the enemy. It was also noteworthy that there were cases when a bullet fired from this pistol could not penetrate the hard Aryan forehead. This was the main reason for the adoption of an older model. Subsequently, it was slightly modernized, the sights, the window for ejecting spent cartridges, etc., changed, that is, the gun underwent cosmetic changes, after which the letter “A” was added to its name.But these two models of pistols are far from all the useful that the designers of the 9th department could squeeze out of their development. On the basis of the second model, a single-shot silent firing device chambered for 7,65 millimeters was created - the Sleeve Gun. This device was the same Welrod pistol, but no longer had a magazine, and fire control was carried out by means of a swinging lever in the place where the front sight was located at the pistol. As conceived by the developers, this device was supposed to be mounted in the sleeve of the shooter's clothing, which, provided that it was used silently, made it an absolutely invisible weapon. The targets of this device were to be senior military officials of Nazi Germany. Officially, this shooting object was not adopted for service, nor is there any mention of its combat use, which can be trusted in view of the individual features of such weapons. The fact is that in order to reload the device, it was necessary to unscrew the bolt of the weapon, get a spent cartridge case, install a new cartridge and screw the bolt, which took a very long time. In addition, aimed shooting was out of the question, in view of the fact that the shooter literally shot at a glance, although with a certain amount of training, such shooting could well be of use. If you dream up a little and add a laser target designator to this device, then, of course, it would be much more widespread, but, unfortunately, at that time no one thought of making a compact flashlight with a reduced beam of light.The use of Welrod pistols was not at all limited to the Second World War, they were successfully used after, in addition, these pistols attracted the attention of the armies of other countries. So the most famous fact of the use of this weapon is its use in the 70s in Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam. This pistol also lit up in hostilities for control of the Falkland Islands. The last of the military operations where this weapon was officially used was Operation Desert Storm. And almost everywhere, these models of pistols were noted as one of the most reliable and trouble-free images of silent weapons, which is understandable by its structure to everyone, and its maintenance takes a few minutes.Based on all of the above, it should be noted that sometimes the key to success for a weapon is its simplicity and high reliability in a variety of conditions. On the other hand, this rule has recently been violated. Designers create more and more complex devices, manufacturers produce them, and the end user has no choice but to put up with what he was given in his hands. There are already plenty of examples that a weapon operating under ideal conditions and undergoing a reliability test, in which every grain of sand that gets into it is calculated, in reality fails after every tenth shot due to the same sand or dirt. In principle, there is nothing wrong with the fact that many samples can only be used with perfect cleanliness, after all, they can be used both in urban areas and inside buildings. But if the weapon is planned to be used in a desert or swampy area, then it would be more reasonable to sacrifice its combat characteristics for the sake of greater reliability, because a shot, even if it misses, is in many situations much better than no shot at all.
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