GCA-Newsletter_04_12.. - Gun Club of America

The Liberator Pistol
By Robert Dunn
AGI/GCA Video Producer,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Charter Member
are between $2,000 and $5,000 depending on the condition
and what other accessories still accompany the gun. For
instance, a top dollar Liberator can be purchased with its
original paraffin coated box, the wooden dowel for unloading
and an instruction sheet (the originals are watermarked).
I love firearms that have a rich history or a good story behind
them. The Liberator pistol sure meets those qualifications!
These one-shot pistols were produced during WWII and were
dropped in mass quantities into occupied/enemy territory.
The idea was that resistance fighters and civilians (who were
disarmed) could use them to put one well placed shot into the
dome of an enemy soldier. The soldier's weapons could then
be "liberated."
This type of concealable insurgent weapon was used to good
effect against the Axis forces both tactically and psychologically.
With this concept in mind, it is no wonder that the
pistol's conception came by way of the US Army Joint
Psychological Committee.
The Liberator was designed by the Inland Guide Lamp
Manufacturing division of General Motors in 1942, and was
designated the FP-45 (Flare Projector Caliber .45). The reason
for calling it a Flare Projector was to mask the true intention
of this ominous little firearm while it was being manufactured.
With such cunning part names as the yoke (the trigger), the
control rod (the firing pin), and the tube (the barrel) special
agents and spies were baffled when these guns didn't fire a
flare but packed the punch of the .45 ACP cartridge. Just
three hundred workers from a manufacturing plant in
Anderson, Indiana cranked out over a million of these pistols
in a mere six months!
Though some of these guns were used in France, most of the
pistols were used by the Chinese and sent to the Philippines.
The original Liberators can still be found online and the prices
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It is not recommended that you fire one of these olds guns.
For one thing it is a historical relic and there simply aren't that
many of these veterans around. Another reason is that the
chamber is of a conical design, which is not well suited for
the pressures of the .45 ACP round.
Many of the original
guns have excessive
headspace as well.
You never know how
many rounds have been fired out of one of these guns. There
were an unknown number of test shots fired at the factory as
well as the shots fired by previous owners. If you add up all of
the above factors, it's best to let these old guys rest and be
appreciated for the time they have already served. If you really
want to fire an FP-45, buy a replica from Vintage Ordnance
Company. http://www.vintageordnance.com
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