By: Friedrich Seiltgen

The B&T Station Six-9 Suppressed pistol can trace its roots all the way back to the WWII-era Welrod pistol.

The Welrod was a British-designed, bolt-action, magazine-fed, suppressed pistol designed for resistance groups and covert operations. The Welrod was designed by British Major Hugh Reeves at the Inter – Services Research Bureau (Secret Squirrel Lab), later known as Station IX.

As station IX was located near Welwyn Garden City, England, the pistol was named “Wel” after the local town, and “Rod,” which was gangster slang for a firearm at the time. There were approximately 14,000 produced. The pistol saw service in WWII with the British Special Operations Executive, the Falklands War, Northern Ireland, and Desert Storm. There were also reports of use by the British S.A.S. (Special Air Service) as well as U.S. Special Forces Operators using the Welrod while stationed in Cold War Berlin The pistol was extremely quiet, developing only 73 decibels when fired.

The Welrod was chambered for .32 caliber, operated manually using a rotary bolt with locking lugs, and loaded by way of a push and pull action using the knob on at the rear of the weapon as you would a bolt-action rifle.

A few years back, our friends at B&T introduced their version of the Welrod. The B&T VP9 was designed for veterinarian use and billed as the “World’s most quiet 9mm suppressed pistol for animal control.” Unfortunately, the VP9 was not available in the U.S. Now B&T has updated the VP9 design using modern technology, a new grip, standard 1911 style magazines, all in a package that’s now produced and available in the U.S.A! With its Integral Suppressor, the pistol is described as “Hollywood Quiet.”

SPECIFICATIONS

Action Type: manually operated rotating bolt

Caliber: .45 ACP & 9mm

Magazine capacity: 6

Sights: fixed sights

Barrel Length: 5.1”

Overall Length: N/A

Weight: N/A

MSRP: $2,249

This Neo Welrod pistol is definitely cool, and if you have the money to spare, it would definitely be worth it. Apparently, many shooters also think so, as it was out of stock at every dealer I searched. If you’re looking for a new toy, and cost is no object, get on the waiting list and pick up a Station Six-9!

That’s all for now folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s be careful out there.”

Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms, First Aid, Active Shooter Response, and Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations in Florida. His writing has appeared in The Counter Terrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected].

Photo courtesy of https://bt-arms.com/products/station-six-9/