Top Secret WWII Machine Guns: The Norm and Welgun
Eric Norman was one of the small arms designers at Special Operations Executive Station IX during the Second World War. The Norm Gun and Welgun were two of his designs that although never reached serial production, are interesting in their own right day, if anything due to their simplicity of mechanics and operation. Essentially both of these submachine guns almost slam fired rounds by way of a protruding pin that allowed the firing pin to push forward from the bolt only when that bolt face was fully pressed up against the chamber.
The same operating system was utilized with the Welgun, which was really a modification of the Norm Gun with a folding buttstock, an included safety, and a cover above the chamber and magazine that at least provided some protection against the elements.
Although the Welgun probably fared a much better chance at being adopted or at least put into production, both of these submachine guns never pushed past the trials stage in their development, being consigned to history.
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Infantry Marine, based in the Midwest. Specifically interested in small arms history, development, and usage within the MENA region and Central Asia. To that end, I run Silah Report, a website dedicated to analyzing small arms history and news out of MENA and Central Asia.Please feel free to get in touch with me about something I can add to a post, an error I've made, or if you just want to talk guns. I can be reached at miles@tfb.tv
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Welgun actually reminds me a lot of the Carl Gustav m/45 with a more open receiver tube.
Hello,
As the Royal Armouries still was named the Patern Room, based in Notthingham I visited it a few times. Herbie explained that the front grip on the right side was ment to be. You put the gun on your left front arm holding your fingers down and then grasp the grip bending your pulse up. Try it with your AR ,changing your front grip on your Picantiny to the right ,and you wil be amazed that when you take aim you will be directly on target because of the tension you create on your left arm. There are a few more XM guns in the collection that have that feature. The reason it is never adapted is that it is an extra item sticking out. And yes, they were working with the Patchet already which had the magazine on the left and a pistolgrip...
So this is the reason for me having the front grip on the right side. I worked then for SOE and still does.