Liberator

Liberator

On display at the West Point museum is an example of the “Liberator” pistol mass produced during
World War II. Little more than a stamped-metal “zip gun” the idea was to produce at minimal cost the minimal firearm capable of putting down an enemy soldier.

 It was a one-shot weapon (with storage in the grip for a few extra rounds), not intended for combat use. Instead, the idea was that it would be airdropped to partisans across Europe, who would use it to cap Axis soldiers… and then take *their* guns. Relatively few of the millions produced still exist; fewer still were actually used. They came packaged in a carboard box with a cartoon instruction sheet. A wooden dowel rod was also included to help the shooter eject a spent cartrige.


Given its limited practical value, they are really rather pricy, and if you find a boxload of ‘em, scrapping them for the steel would be a really, really bad idea.