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.