Make: General Motors Guide Lamp Division

Model: FP-45 Liberator

Serial Number: None.

Year of Manufacture: 1942

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Shot, Manual Cocking Breech Loading Pistol

Barrel Length: 4"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade integral to the trigger guard assembly. The rear sight is notch in the sliding breech.

Type of Finish: In the white.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The smooth bore shows minor erosion. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.

Overall Condition: The steel surfaces have some scattered surface oxidation and minor erosion. The left of the frame has had "AEW" or "HEW" hand-scribed, the right of the frame has what appears to be "II" stamped at the bottom-rear. There are some light nicks and scratches. Overall, this handgun rates in Good-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions properly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a reproduction FP-45 box, instructions and wood ejector dowel.

Our Assessment: Everyone wants a Liberator, and this one is real, with all features confirming originality, poor welding on the top of the breech, lack of manufacturers markings, lack of serial number, poorly cast cocking piece, and .450 bore diameter. The FP-45 Liberator was a pistol manufactured by the United States military during World War II for use by resistance forces in occupied territories. The Liberator was never issued to American or Allied troops and there is no documented instance of the weapon being used for their intended purpose. Many of the FP-45 pistols were not distributed and were destroyed by Allied forces after the war; most of those distributed were lost or disposed of without any combat use.

The concept was suggested by a Polish military attache in 1942. The project was assigned to the US Army Joint Psychological Warfare Committee and was designed two months later by the Inland Manufacturing Division of General Motors Corporation. Production was undertaken by GM's Guide Lamp Division to avoid conflicting with Inland Division production of the M1 carbine. The army designated the weapon the Flare Projector Caliber .45 to disguise the fact that a pistol was being mass produced. The proposed intent was to drop these weapons at concentration camps where internees would pick up these weapons, overcome Guards and hopefully liberate the camp. The original engineering drawings label the barrel as "tube", the trigger as "yoke", the firing pin as "control rod", and the trigger guard as "spanner". Approximately one million were produced. The Liberator project took about 6 months from conception to end of production with about 11 weeks of actual manufacturing time, done by 300 workers.

The Liberator would be dropped with 10 rounds of .45 ACP ammunition, a dowel to remove the empty cases, and an instruction sheet in comic strip form. Extra rounds of ammunition could be stored in the grip. While a crude and clumsy weapon, it was never intended for front line service. A resistance fighter was to recover the weapon, kill or incapacitate an Axis occupier and retrieve his weapons. It was valued as much for its psychological warfare effect as actual field performance with a devastating effect on the morale of occupying troops. The weapon could be dropped in such great quantities that it would be impossible to recover all the weapons.

General Eisenhower’s staff felt different, authorizing distribution of fewer than 25,000 FP-45 pistols for the French resistance. Generals Joseph Stillwell and Douglas MacArthur were similarly unenthusiastic about the other pistols scheduled for shipment to the Pacific, 450,000 Liberators were turned over to the OSS. Resistance fighters in both theaters were supplied with more effective weapons whenever possible, and French use of the FP-45 remains undocumented. 100,000 were shipped to China in 1943, but the number actually distributed is unknown.

This example is starting to show its age, but would be a great addition to any WWII small arms collection, and will display well with its reproduction box, instructions and ejector dowel. Please see our photos and good luck!