B&T USA, based in Tampa, Fla., announced that it will be importing a new suppressed handgun design into the U.S. market from the Swiss manufacturer: the Station SIX. The Station SIX is a bolt-action suppressed pistol that bears an aesthetic and design similarity to the World War II-era British Welrod pistol. The Welrod is an integrally suppressed handgun with a simplistic bolt-action construction, in part to help reduce the sound of firing as much as possible.
The Welrod was made famous for use by members of the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, during World War II as well as SAS after the war. B&T had unveiled its own rendition of the Welrod design concept in 2014 with the Veterinary Pistol 9 mm, or VP9. The VP9 borrowed several features from the Welrod, including the bolt action operation and pistol grip acting as the detachable magazine, as a small silenced handgun.
The VP9 was designed to put down wounded or sick animals while being quiet enough to not disturb any nearby animals or residents. Due to U.S. import restrictions, the B&T VP9 never made its way into the U.S. market. That has changed with the import-legal B&T Station SIX coming this year. Like the VP9, the Station SIX borrows many features from the World War II-era Welrod pistol.
It uses a manually operated rotating-bolt action to chamber and cycle rounds, in order to avoid the extra noise and weight attributed to traditional semi-automatic handgun actions. The bottom half of the grip detaches with the magazine, much like the Welrod. The Station SIX has a 5.1" barrel and uses a threaded wipe suppressor. The use of rubber wipes in the suppressor instead of traditional metal baffles makes the suppressor self sealing and thus quieter.
While the rubber wipes are more efficient and limiting noise, they have a limited service life before they get worn out and need replacement. The pistol and suppressor are purchased as one unit and the rubber wipes can be changed out, as the suppressor is user-serviceable. A traditional baffled suppressor will also be offered as an accessory for training purposes.
The Station SIX features a button-style magazine release on the left side and has subdued non-adjustable iron sights built into the receiver. A small grip safety is incorporated into the upper section of the backstrap as well. The Station SIX will be offered in two versions, the Station SIX-9 chambered in 9 mm and the Station SIX-45 chambered in .45 ACP. Both versions use single-stack 1911 style magazines for the respective caliber.
The B&T Station SIX has an MSRP of $2,249 and the additional training suppressor has an MSRP of $400. For more information on the new B&T Station SIX suppressed handgun, visit bt-arms.com.
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