No, not the movie prop...
This is NOT the sleeve gun I'm talking about!
The Sleeve Gun was an experimental device developed for the British Army during World War II by Station IX of the Special Operations Executive, essentially a noise-suppressed Welrod pistol minus the pistol grip.
Made in both .32 ACP and 9mmP, it was essentially a simple suppressor, with a barrel and breech, fitted at the rear. In use, it was intended to be placed in direct contact with the intended target to minimize noise. Accuracy and range would depend greatly on the skill of the shooter, though effectiveness dropped rapidly with increased range. As with the conventional Welrod, performance degraded quickly as the internal leather and rubber wipes degraded.
This IS the sleeve gun I'm talking about!
From a Danish site on the WWII/SOE...
SLEEVE GUN
I’ll just briefly mention another variant of the Welrod equally developed at station IX; the so called “Sleeve Gun”. It is best described as a Welrod Mk II without the magazine grip and is also produced in two versions, Mk I and Mk II. The primary difference is that on the Mk I, the trigger housing consists of a separate tube running on the outside of the suppressor tube in the full length of the suppressor. This trait makes it appear clumsy contrary to the Mk II that has but the trigger rod on the outside of the suppressor tube. It is a single shot weapon in .32 ACP with the suppressor designed exactly as the Welrod Mk II. It is a “one shot, one kill” weapon, as the reloading process is extremely elaborate. In a tight spot it had an additional use as a truncheon. The idea was to carry the gun up the sleeve of ones coat. At the end of the suppressor tube is a little lanyard-hole to attach one end of a rubber band. The other end is attached to the arm right above the elbow, allowing the operator to discreetly go about his business and yet be able to produce the weapon at moments notice. The trigger, a device resembling the switch of a flashlight, is mounted close to the muzzle of the gun and doubles as a safety. To fire the gun, the knurled switch/trigger must first be slid backwards and then forwards. Having fired the gun one simply lets go of it to let it slide unnoticed back up the sleeve.
In the S.O.E. catalogue: Descriptive Catalogue Of Special Devices And Supplies, Product No. N 254 under DESCRIPTION the following can be read:
The gun is intended for use in contact with the target, but may be used at ranges up to about three yards; the silencing element cannot be removed for replacement since the gun is not intended for prolonged use.
The “Sleeve Gun” was tested by OSS on February 11, 1944 and again in January 1945 but was never adopted. It was produced by the B.S.A. because the drawings are clearly marked B.S.A. GUNS LTD, England, and drawn by B.J.R. Yates. The only three that I have knowledge of are property of the National Firearms Centre (NFC) in Leeds, England and they bear the serial numbers 01 and 11 respectively, and one is located at the Bergenhus Festningsmuseeum in Norway and it carry serial number 8. None of them are stamped with either the star or square.
The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. and it´s trigger. Note the serial number 8. (Photo - Per Ove Bø)
Top - The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP. (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries.
Bottom - The Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP about to be loaded. (Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries)
The business end of the Sleeve Gun Mk.II.
A slot is cut in the face of the end cap to assist easy dismantling.
(Photo - Anders Thygesen courtesy of the Royal Armouries)
Cross section of the Sleeve Gun Mk.II. caliber .32ACP.
(Illustration: Joe M. Ramos - Canada)
From the actual S.O.E. catalogue:
Photo from Mark Seeman's book: Secret Agent's Handbook of Special Devices.
Here's a PDF of the catalog photo: The Sleeve Gun MkI & MkII
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Take Care and Stay Safe,
Joe Doakes
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