SOE Sleeve Gun Mk I
Inter-Services Research Bureau (SOE Station IX) · Pistol · Prototype · 1943
Also known as: Sleeve Gun, SOE Sleeve Gun, Station IX Sleeve Gun
Overview
The SOE Sleeve Gun Mk I is a British single-shot, integrally suppressed clandestine pistol developed during World War II by Major Hugh Reeves and the covert-weapons team at Station IX (Inter-Services Research Bureau) of the Special Operations Executive. Chambered in subsonic .32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning SR), it was essentially a version of the noise-suppressed Welrod stripped of its pistol grip and magazine, reduced to a slim cylindrical tube that could be concealed up an agent's sleeve and pressed against a target for a near-silent contact shot. As a single-shot weapon it had to be manually opened and reloaded at the breech after every round, trading self-loading capability and capacity for extreme concealment and quietness. The Mk I was the initial design of the sleeve gun concept; sources indicate it was worked out on the drawing board and superseded by the refined Mk II, of which only around 150 to 200 examples were manufactured, almost certainly by the Birmingham Small Arms Company.
Specifications
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 5 m (5 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning, .32 Automatic, 7.65mm Auto
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Manual Load
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Breech Operation
- Features: Integral Suppressor, Single Shot, No Pistol Grip, Designed For Sleeve Concealment, Contact Shot Weapon, No External Markings, No Serial Numbers, Subsonic Ammunition Only, Manually Loaded Breech
Variants
- SOE Sleeve Gun Mk II - Production Model
Service history
Operators
- Special Operations Executive · adopted 1943 · as Sleeve Gun
Conflicts
- World War II (1943-1945)
Production
Production years: 1943-1945
The Mk I was the initial design iteration and it is unclear whether it was produced in quantity or only reached the drawing board before the Mk II. Between roughly 150 and 200 Sleeve Guns in total (predominantly the Mk II) were manufactured, almost certainly by the Birmingham Small Arms Company under SOE contract. No serial numbers or markings were applied, making exact figures unverifiable.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Major Hugh Reeves (SOE Station IX / Inter-Services Research Bureau)
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The Sleeve Gun family was intended as a last-ditch assassination and escape tool for SOE agents operating in occupied Europe. Like the Welrod it was derived from, it bore no manufacturer markings or serial numbers to preserve operator deniability if captured, and used only subsonic .32 ACP so the suppressor was not defeated by a supersonic crack. The Mk I is poorly documented and it is unclear whether it progressed beyond the design stage before the improved Mk II entered limited production; Mk I-specific physical dimensions and ballistics are therefore recorded as unknown rather than estimated.
Background
The Sleeve Gun was designed to do exactly what its name suggests - hide inside a coat sleeve so an SOE agent could shake hands or brush past a target and fire a single silenced round at point-blank range. It was a Welrod with the pistol grip and magazine amputated, distilling the world's quietest assassination pistol down to a bare tube meant to be used once and discarded.