Sleeve gun

Small firearm

Sleeve gun / Wrist gun is a generic term for a small firearm designed to be concealed under a long-sleeved coat or jacket—in fictional examples there is often a device with a mechanism to extend it out into the hand to fire.

Real examples

The "sleeve gun" was developed during World War II by Station IX of the Special Operations Executive. The design was by Hugh Reeves.^[1] It was essentially a version of the noise-suppressed Welrod pistol, minus the pistol grip, and produced in both .32 ACP and 9×19mm.^[2]^[3] Between 150 and 200 of the guns were manufactured almost certainly by Birmingham Small Arms Company.^[4]^[5] A Mark 1 version was designed but its unclear if it ever made it off the drawing board.^[6]

Fictional examples

Though designs vary, most fictional sleeve guns involve a small conventional pistol on a sliding or telescoping rail, which quickly releases the weapon into the hand for firing,^[7] either by a trigger mechanism, or just the sudden movement of the forearm. Such sleeve guns have appeared in multiple media.

In comics

The Punisher Back to School Special (1992-1994)^[8]
Blade of the Phantom Master (2001-2007)

In film and television

Film

Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939)
Taxi Driver (1976)^[9]
Blood Debts (1985)
Red Heat (1988)
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992)
Maverick (1994)
Desperado (1995)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Equilibrium (2002)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Django Unchained (2012)^[10]

Television

The Wild Wild West (1965–1969)^[11]
Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
Jumanji (TV series) (1996)
Archer (2009)
Hetty in NCIS: Los Angeles carries one (2009 to present)
Justified (2010)
The Walking Dead (TV series) (2011)^[12]
Fargo (2014)
Timeless (TV series) (2016)
Vice Principals (2017)
Gotham (TV series) (2017)
Warrior (TV series) (2019)
Walker (TV series) (2021)

References

^ Jonathan Ferguson (15 Jun 2022). The silenced, concealable stripped back Welrod, with weapons and firearms expert, Jonathan Ferguson. Royal Armouries. Event occurs at 1:40-1:50. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
^ "Sleeve Gun". Timelapse. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
^ Fredric Boyce and Douglas Everett. SOE The Scientific Secrets.
^ Jonathan Ferguson (15 Jun 2022). The silenced, concealable stripped back Welrod, with weapons and firearms expert, Jonathan Ferguson. Royal Armouries. Event occurs at 9:10-9:30. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
^ Jonathan Ferguson (15 Jun 2022). The silenced, concealable stripped back Welrod, with weapons and firearms expert, Jonathan Ferguson. Royal Armouries. Event occurs at 10:30-11:00. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
^ Jonathan Ferguson (15 Jun 2022). The silenced, concealable stripped back Welrod, with weapons and firearms expert, Jonathan Ferguson. Royal Armouries. Event occurs at 2:25-2:40. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
^ Wolfgang Michel: Britische Schalldämpferwaffen 1939–1945: Entwicklung, Technik, Wirkung. ISBN 978-3-8370-2149-3
^ Punisher Back to School Special "Sorry, My Mistake", vol. 1, #2 October, 1993
^ Leigh, Danny. "Why we are locked in the back of Taxi Driver's mind". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
^ Steinberg, Don (14 December 2012). "Tarantino Tackles Slavery". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
^ "Jim West's Sleeve Gun (Wild Wild West)". Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
^ "East (The Walking Dead)", Wikipedia, 2021-10-19, retrieved 2021-12-27