Conceived, developed and manufactured in 1942, the "Flare Pistol, 45 Caliber" (FP-45) was intended to A) give the citizens of occupied nations a way to express their displeasure to the occupiers, B) not give the enemy anything worth salvaging, and C) be cheap. The Guide Lamp Division of General Motors was tapped to produce the firearm, a collection of sheet metal stampings and cast zinc components assembled around a smoothbore barrel. While inexperienced with arms production, Guide Lamp stepped up admirably and cranked out over a million of the deadly little contraptions in a matter of months. The pistol is devoid of markings, with two oiler holes on either side of the frame, a circled "F" stamped on the frame just below the loading gate and a hollow grip for ammunition storage.

Good. Most of the steel has turned a mixed brown and gray, with bright edges and mild handling marks. The grip floor plate is a bright modern replacement. Mechanically excellent.