BRITISH SOE CAPT P. MASON'S .22 CALIBER WELWAND

Updated August 7, 2026

Exceptionally scarce WWII British SOE Royal Ordnance Factory Enfield Model Welwand silenced single use .22 caliber assassin’s firearm. This lot represents a rare opportunity for military and SOE/SAS collectors to obtain a one of a kind firearm from the collection of famed British Capt. Peter Mason. With an estimated initial production of less than 100, only two examples of early .22 caliber Welwands are known to the market today: the one offered here and another currently housed in a British museum. The ROF Enfield Welwand was a single use silenced .22 caliber firearm designed to allow SOE operatives to covertly dispatch a target without drawing attention. Also known as a sleeve gun, the Welwand could be easily concealed, and once ready, the projectile was fired via a simple spring tensioned firing pin. This example has already been fired. Measuring 10” overall, the outer tube is crimped onto the barrel and receiver and cannot be removed or reloaded. The 3” barrel is attached to the silencer that includes 5 built-in baffles as well as sound dampening material. The cocking rod is serialized 32 and stamped EN. An 18 inch elastic strap is tied around the tube underneath the cocking rod. Included in this lot is the original 1990 Canadian Air Mail shipping sleeve used by Mason to send the Welwand to Minard Smith of Watkins, Iowa for display in his small museum. The sleeve is signed Capt. P Mason in the senders box. The Consignor purchased this in 2025 when the estate collection of Minard Smith was sold through auction. In WWII Captain Peter Mason served in both the British SOE and the SAS. After the war Mason was assigned to a Baker Team and tasked with tracking down and eliminating fleeing Nazi war criminals. Mason, along with his wife Prudence, continued to serve the United Kingdom by working with the British Secret Service (MI6) until retiring in the 1970s. Mason recounts much of his career in his autobiography "Official Assassin." Mason's exploits are also partially retold, albeit through fictionalized espionage fantasy, by his friend and fellow author, Ian Fleming. After retirement, Mason and his wife moved to the US and eventually settled in Alberta, Canada. Accompanying this lot is a copy of the 2026 US DOJ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives TISB letter exempting this example of the Welwand from the NFA and allowing transfer as a GCA Curio & Relic collectible firearm. Caliber / Gauge: 22 Barrel Length: 3" Serial Number: 32 Classification: C&R / FFL Condition: Light finish loss with light scuffs and scratches. One loose baffle in silencer.

More lots in this auction

• SWEDISH HUSQVARNA MODEL 1907 .380 CALIBER PISTOL
• 1914 US COLT NAVY 1911 .45 ACP CALIBER PISTOL
• SPANISH AIR FORCE STAR THIRD MODEL A 9mm PISTOL
• 1918 US COLT MODEL 1911 .45 ACP CALIBER PISTOL
• WWII GERMAN ASTRA MODEL 600 9x19mm CALIBER PISTOL
• BRITISH CONTRACT COLT 1911 GOVERNMENT MODEL PISTOL
• WWII GERMAN ASTRA MODEL 300 9mm CALIBER PISTOL
• WWI US COLT MODEL 1911 .45 ACP CALIBER PISTOL

See all lots in Firearm - Military, Class 3 Machine Gun, & Firearm Accs →