Known for innovative firearms of their own, Swiss manufacturer Brügger & Thomet — now B&T AG — developed the Veterinary Pistol 9mm (VP9) in 2014. Bearing a strong resemblance to the SOE Welrod, the modern reproduction pistol was built in response to a need to put down sick or wounded livestock and game without disturbing nearby animals or residences. Unfortunately, due to U.S. import restrictions, it never found its way stateside. Luckily, thanks to B&T USA, the VP9’s importable successors are coming in 2021.
Codenamed the Station SIX-9 (9mm) and Station SIX-45 (.45 ACP), the pistols trace their roots back to the Welrod and more modern VP9. Non-descript in appearance, the integrally suppressed pistols feature new upgrades while still offering the whisper-quiet sound signature and unique rotating bolt operation of the original design.
New to the Station SIX models, the pistols are fed by standard 9mm and .45 ACP 1911 magazines inserted into the grip, unlike the Welrod and VP9 whose magazines were embedded into the bottom half of the removable grip. A small grip safety and simplistic trigger with thin trigger guard round out the lower.
B&T Station SIX Pistols Pay Homage to WWII Welrod
Based on the Welrod and VP9, the B&T Station SIX-9 is an integrally-suppressed, bolt-action pistol.
Throughout WWII, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) operated as a secretive British organization responsible for conducting espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe. Within SOE, Station IX developed and produced specialized weapons and vehicles to be used by agents, including the Welrod.
A combination of the sub-organization’s location in Welwyn, just north of London, and an attempt to obscure its true purpose, the Welrod was a bolt-action, magazine-fed, suppressed pistol chambered in .32 ACP, and later, 9mm. Due to its unique design, the pistol was extremely quiet, making it the ideal firearm for clandestine operations. Since 1942, an estimated 14,000 Welrod pistols have been produced, with reports of their continued use within the last few decades.
The new Station SIX pistols are a further improvement upon B&T's Veterinary Pistol 9mm.
On top, the Station SIX-9 and -45 fire from 5.1” barrels composed of a short barrel and threaded wipe suppressor. Quieter than traditional baffle stack silencers, rubber wipes are self-sealing, providing maximum sound suppression until they need replaced. Purchased as one unit, the wipe suppressor is user-serviceable, though a training baffle suppressor will also be offered as an add-on accessory.
Unconventional to pistol shooters, operating the Station SIX requires turning a knob 90-degrees on the back of the pistol and pulling back on the small bolt to load/extract a round. Simply reverse the process to secure two rear locking lugs and prepare the pistol for firing. Fixed front and rear sights offer adequate accuracy for a pistol intended for short-range use.
While not be the most practical shooters, if you’ve ever wanted to play James Bond or own a modern reproduction of a storied firearm, MSRP for the Station SIX-9 and -45 is $2,249, with the training suppressor costing an additional $400.
For more info: bt-arms.com
