POTD: Would You Rather Use a Pointed Stick? – The Liberator Pistol
Sam.S 04.16.21

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! I mean who has not heard of the little palm buster? Okay, maybe it is not a commonly known thing, but in WWII the FP-45 Liberator were extremely cheap, simple pistols dropped into enemy-occupied zones with the intention of allied rebellious forces getting a hold of them and using them on the enemy. They were “chambered” for .45 ACP and the recoil was known to be very aggressive given its rather small stature.
The liberator pistol was the invention of George Hyde. That name may be recognizable if anyone out there knows the history of the M2 Hyde submachinegun and the M3 Grease Gun. The Liberator pistol would be operated by grabbing hold of the cocking piece, pulling it back, and tilting it to the side. From there you would slide the breach upward to load or unload a cartridge and then slide it back down, cock it, and then it was ready to fire with a fixed firing pin. The Liberator Pistol only cost $2.10 in 1942 (roughly $35 dollars in 2021).
“Liberator .45 ACP single shot pistol, with box and instructions. Made by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors during WWII to drop into occupied territories.
-Rock Island Auction Company”
Liberator Pistol [Photograph found on Cody Firearms Museam Facebook]. (2020, May 1). Retrieved April 9, 2021, from https://www.facebook.com/CodyFirearmsMuseum/photos/3234580113432812