Soley Mk.2 machine carbine









This unusual submachine gun was developed in 1938 by the Soley Arms Company. Soley Armaments was established after World War I by Cpt. John Ball, a former RFC officer who saw the lack of British arms exporters as a gap in the market. Most the British arms factories at that time served only to supply Britain's army and navy, so Ball called his company the "Soley" company to play on the fact that it was the "Sole" exporter of arms in the country. His business practice came under much scrutiny, especially in the US, where he was investigated by the Nye Committee for arms trafficking.



By the late 1930s, perhaps sensing that war was brewing, the Soley company began to produce its own designs. This SMG was one of their home-grown projects. It is derived from the Beretta 18/30 self-loading carbine, and retained the Beretta's folding spike bayonet and rear cocking ring. Interestingly, the magazine feeds though the pistol grip; it was one of the first submachine guns to do so. The buttstock is a skeleton with two hinged arms that are designed to clasp around the user's shoulder. Ergonomically, the gun was not very comfortable to hold. The Soley Model 2 was built as a prototype only and was never put into production.