Welrod Hand Firing Device Schematic Poster
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Now available is a reproduction schematic poster of the famed Welrod Mk IIA suppressed pistol from Birmingham Small Arms, Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
The Welrod also referred to in official documentation as the Hand Firing Device, was produced in .32 ACP and 9mm and saw extensive deployment and use in the European theater during World War II.
Due to its covert nature, paper records were deliberately kept to a minimum, and to this day, BSA cannot confirm exactly how many Welrods they produced for the Special Operations Executive. Serial numbers exist up into the 14,000 range, but it is not clear if they were all sequentially manufactured.
From the outset, the Welrod was both designed for and intended to be used as a contact-distance weapon. The official manual described the .32ACP version as accurate up to 25 yards, and the 9mm version up to 30 yards. But the pistol's nose cap is hollow to specifically facilitate contact-distance use. Ideally the operative would get close enough to the target to press the muzzle directly into them before pulling the trigger.
The Welrod was designed by Major Hugh Quentin Alleyne Reeves, one of the British government's most talented and creative engineers during World War II. He is also credited with designing the original Sten gun's suppressor, and development of the "Sleeping Beauty" one-man submersible canoe.
Welrods were used operationally in Denmark on many occasions, according to research conducted by Anders Thygesen. It was used by the Danish resistance for killing informants among the Danish population who were working for the occupying German forces.
In December 1943, the Welrod was used by SOE agent Svend Nielsen to dispatch a German sentry on duty at the Kastrup Airport. Nielsen's mission was to infiltrate the airport and steal a newly developed bombsight from a parked German aircraft. Nielsen was discovered but was able to escape, although his partner on the mission was killed.
These posters are 11" by 17" and printed on heavy 65-lb paper for a memorable texture and durability. All printed posters are sourced from a small, local family-owned business. Each poster is shipped via USPS Media Mail in a 12" x 2" cardboard shipping tube.