Sola (Société Luxembourgeoise d’Arms) was a company in Luxembourg that attempted to get into the arms business in the 1950s making simple, stamped 9mm open-bolt submachine guns. They produced two models, the Solar Super and the stripped-down Sola Leger (light). Neither one found any military or commercial buyers, and instead the company became embroiled in a scheme to smuggle arms to the FLN in Algeria. The plot was discovered by authorities in 1957 and the factory was shut down, with the Luxembourg police keeping 50 examples of the guns for study and destroying the other 2,260 complete and 2,350 partial examples.
Many thanks to the French National Forensic Police Department for allowing me access to film these two examples for you!
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