FP-45 Liberator repros

stencollector

stencollector

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shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
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I just noticed these on the new SARCO ad in the Shotgun News. A fairly decent copy of the Liberator pistol, except with improvements in quality control and the metals used. They also rifle the barrel, which should improve the accuracy over the smoothbore originals. They are manufactured by Vintage Ordnance Company LLC.

The company does not finish the product; it leaves the firing pin hole undrilled so they can't be liable for accidents if the gun is overused. The originals reportedly would begin to come apart after 50 rounds. They pretty much give you instructions on how to finish it, but at the same time warn you not to. Kind of like Dan Ackroyd in the movie 1941, where he tells the local civilian how NOT to fire the 40mm anti aircraft gun ("Do not place a loaded clip of ammunition in the feed tray, Do not #### the charging lever, and whatever you do, do not depress the firing actuators here, here, or here")

Shame they did not make a 4 mm longer barrel so the product could be imported into Canada. I have an original, but wouldn't mind a repro. The originals cost around $2 to make, they now sell for anywhere from $800 to US prices of $2000+. These repros cost $599. and come with the repro box, instruction sheet, and unloading dowel.
 
The philosophy behind this simple weapons design was to terrorize individual german soldiers and especially the german leadership, by letting them know that a "X' number of these, cheap, light and crude, but deadly .45 caliber weapons had been air dropped to the resistance movements, with the purpose to be used for terminating individual germans soldiers, and then capture the german soldiers "real" wearpons, for further use in the fight against the germans ?
 
Looks like all the originals in Canada have the electro pencil :(

I recall reading that most of these were destroyed and not depoyed. Most were dropped in China, but there are no records of these being dropped in the ETO. There are some accounts that some were dropped in Europe in the Yugo area, my uncle who was a Polish partisan had one, tripped over it in a feild after it was dropped, not sure if it was in Poland but it most likely was. He took out a German and traded up for an MP40, then passed it to a friend. He drew a picture of it when he told my dad all about it, then my dad found one a a gunshow and so he picked it up. Really neat piece of history.
 
Pblatzz said:
Bingo, I saw one and would not want to fire one personally. But if in dire need....
Well, bingo.
Click to expand...

As with most expedient weaponry, the most 'expedient' use is to capture more durable and reliable weapons and ammunition.

The Liberator was well-designed for this intended purpose, IMO.

-M
 
I was at a museum in France years ago and one of the displays held a couple home grown zip guns used by the Resistance. One of them had a pretty good split in it with the pistol cartridge still lodged inside. No idea if it fulfilled it's intended purpose or if the poor bugger just got bayoneted for his efforts. I'm guessing the Liberator would have been a heck of a lot easier on your hand...
 
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