![Atop Empire State- in construction; Chrysler Bldg & [Daily] News in middle foreground. (1931)](../../../img/Atop-Empire-State-in-construction-Chrysler-Bldg-Daily-News-in-middle-foreground.-1931--199x123.jpg "Balancing on the Empire State")
‘The FP-45 Liberator was designed for the United States Army in 1942 by General Motors. It was originally intended as an insurgency weapon to be mass dropped behind enemy lines to resistance fighters in occupied territory. A million were assembled. It was believed that if vast quantities of these weapons could be delivered into Axis occupied territory, it would have a devastating effect on the morale of occupying troops.
‘Only a handful were ever distributed. There is no documented instance of the weapon being used for their intended purpose.’
- Wikipedia
No wonder they weren’t widely distributed. Anyone that has ever fired a weapon could tell you that the design is horrible and would more than likely get the firer killed than naught.
Yikes! Is that a carton of .45ACP ball next to it?? Ouch! That looks a flippin’ dangerous design. I wouldn’t want to fire it. ’45 Cal zip-gun anyone? Eek!
This was pretty much designed to allow someone to bushwhack an enemy and get their real, usable weapon. I recall that something similar was issued during the Vietnam conflict in 9mm as well. It was called the Deer Gun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_gun