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  • Auction Catalog #71
  • Lot #1594
Lot #1593
Lot #1595

Lot 1594: Guide Lamp - Liberator

Excellent and Desirable U.S. General Motors FP-45 Liberator Clandestine Pistol with Original Box and Instruction Sheet

Auction Location: Rock Island, IL

Auction Date: September 9, 2017

Lot 1594: Guide Lamp - Liberator

Excellent and Desirable U.S. General Motors FP-45 Liberator Clandestine Pistol with Original Box and Instruction Sheet

Auction Location: Rock Island, IL

Auction Date: September 9, 2017

Estimated Price: $3,500 - $5,500
Price Realized:
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Excellent and Desirable U.S. General Motors FP-45 Liberator Clandestine Pistol with Original Box and Instruction Sheet

Manufacturer: Guide Lamp
Model: Liberator
Type: Pistol
Gauge: 45 ACP
Barrel: 4 inch round
Finish: gray
Grip: metal
Stock:
Item Views: 3021
Item Interest: Active
Serial Number:
Catalog Page: 320
Class: Curio & Relic Handgun
Description:

Produced by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors as "Flare Pistol, 45 Caliber" from 1942-1945, the Liberator was intended to be airdropped in occupied territories and used by local dissidents to eliminate an enemy soldier and steal his weapon. A crude weapon by the standards of the day, the Liberator was simple, rugged, and performed well when used as intended, specifically when your target was alone, looking the other direction, and relatively close. This is a three-hole model that was made from sheet metal stampings that were spot welded together around the barrel, and fitted with a cast zinc cocking knob with integral guide pin. The grip is hollow to store additional rounds, and fitted with a sliding cover. Included with the pistol is a copy of the single-page manual, a "comic-strip" illustration of the firing process with no text (eliminating the need to localize the instructions for particular regions), a small cardboard box for 8 rounds of 45 ACP ammunition and the waxed brown cardboard outer box with a black and white illustration of the Liberator mid-discharge on the front. This package, with the addition of a wooden dowel rod, was to be thrown out the back of a bomber without the benefit of a parachute or drop pod.

Rating Definition:

Excellent, with 98% original finish, some light handling marks and dings overall. The box is very good, with some material loss, flaking and wear of the wax, and mild denting, with the instructions showing some light handling marks. Mechanically excellent.



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