Shooting the Liberator Pistol

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Awesome info...

If it was to be used as a contact weapon, anything to the back of the head ,including a brick, would have sufficed. It would seem like getting close enough to use EITHER weapon effectively, would have been the key. Thanx again, awesome post again. I saw history in the making, last liberator pistol ever shot.:)
 
Thanks for the post, JBar4. I didn't recognize you in the picture at first.

The Liberator might not have been effective at long range, but it would still out reach a knife. The Allies might have viewed it as a way to bolster the courage of a resistance fighter. They wouldn't be going out 'unarmed' if they had the Liberator.

I hadn't seen you at GT in a while, and, after reading your signature, I now know why.
 
Well, it's gotta be a high quality weapon cause there ain't no plastic on it, doncha know? :D

They're quite historic little guns. They were produced in the bazillions. It's sorta weird that no more of 'em survived than did. I guess, when you're a resistance fighter, you really aren't thinking of collector value at the time, LOL! Knowing the government, they probably melted down the surplus when they were no longer of use. Wouldn't want all those "saturday night specials" on the street, ya know. :rolleyes:
 
I hadn't seen you at GT in a while, and, after reading your signature, I now know why.
"Ex wife" She's in a supervised group home in Bellingham now and can't screw with me, but Eric still absolutly will not reactivate my account. Oh well, I can still read the posts.

It's sorta weird that no more of 'em survived than did. I guess, when you're a resistance fighter, you really aren't thinking of collector value at the time
Well, when there were a million of them, they weren't collector's items. It was only after the government dumped them all in the ocean after the war that they became scarce.
 
Jbar4Ranch said:
I hadn't seen you at GT in a while, and, after reading your signature, I now know why.
"Ex wife" She's in a supervised group home in Bellingham now and can't screw with me, but Eric still absolutly will not reactivate my account. Oh well, I can still read the posts.

It's sorta weird that no more of 'em survived than did. I guess, when you're a resistance fighter, you really aren't thinking of collector value at the time
Well, when there were a million of them, they weren't collector's items. It was only after the government dumped them all in the ocean after the war that they became scarce.
Click to expand...


Mmm, wonder where and how deep? :D
 
More than anything, I think it was most effective as a psychological weapon. we were dropping cases of these things to the resistance. the Germans captured some drops (enough to know that it wasn't just a coincidence) and found these cheap guns with picture instructions. Everyone or no one could have one.

Tim
 
From what I've read, very few, perhaps none, were ever dropped in Europe. Many ended up in China and the Phillipines though. After the war, a handful may even have been issued as police sidearms in these areas until something better could be aquired.
 
ONE RECENTLY OFFERED FOR SALE

Excellent posting and story. About a month ago I ran into one of them being offered in one of the online gun auctions. Here is a link to take a look at some of them that have sold recently online. Prices will either surprise, amaze, or sicken you. Check it out. Some of these guns even had the original papers with them. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SearchResults.asp?SearchType=0&Keywords=Liberator

356839.jpg
 
I've also only ever seen like one or two in my life. The most recent issue of the military surplus weapons magazine that Guns and Ammo puts out from time to time has a write up on these guns and they also sent a few rounds downrange.
 
Just another piece of history lost.I guess the govt.realized these might get into the hands of the citizens who would put them away for a time of need.
unclekth
 
I've also fired a Liberator, and it was sort of an unnerving experience, remembering that they were stamped out of sheet metal by GM on machines that were originally used to produce headlight bodies. An even MORE rare version is the two-shot variant that they experimented with, with a breechblock that slid side-to-side; see http://securityarms.com/20010315/galleryfiles/0900/992.htm I'd like to handle one of the Vietnam-era equivalents that they produced, the "Deer Gun", that had a screw-on/screw-off barrel and was chambered for 9mm. http://home.pacbell.net/rlhag65/dgun.html
 
One thing many of you are discounting is that many of the people in the resistance were folks who may have had a VERY hard time using a knife on a soldier, even from surprise: Small-framed women, the elderly, teenagers, etc. This weapon eliminated the need for brute strength and relative skill that knife fighting against a physically fit opponent requires, at least compared to pointing and pulling a trigger.

Still a risky weapon, but a much better option than a knife unless you really know what you're doing with that knife.
 
For being such a cheaply-made gun, I am amazed and respectful of the grouping this gun made.

It would have been a nasty guerilla weapon for the resistance if there was time to actually distribute them during WWII.
 
A modern made replica would have to have a rifled barrel
(even if the rifling were parallel grooves like some of the
.44LC/.410 rifles and pistols).

It would have the same market as a semi-auto Sten gun:
hardcore history buffs who cant find or afford an original.
Actually the short production runs on these ersatz
collector items (Semi-auto STen, M3 grease gun pistol, etc)
translates to a relatively high MSRP.

I was interested in these things since I first learned about them
in the 1950s. A military-themed gun rental/firing range would
be a good idea: I would like to try one out.
 
One thing many of you are discounting is that many of the people in the resistance were folks who may have had a VERY hard time using a knife on a soldier, even from surprise: Small-framed women, the elderly, teenagers, etc.
Click to expand...

Not to mention those weak from the starvation and disease that runs rampant in such a situation.

But yes, it could have been a great psychological ploy because marching into a town of civilians is a lot different from marching into a town of -possibly armed- civilians.
 
Another thing to consider is the French Resistance was composed of people who were tired of the way their government was treating them and the way their government had given in to other governments. These people were willing to loosely organize and do whatever it took to secure the freedom of their country.

Not unlike what some on these forums advocate.

Likely they were a bit more weapon savvy than the average citizen. Or willing to become so.

And while not the perfect weapon, it certainly would be better than a rock or club.
 
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I had seen a Liberator many years back, before I really knew anything about them.

Yeah, thery were made to be used at "stick it in the guys ear before mashing trigger" range.

Take out a Bad Guy, 'Liberate' his Luger/P-38, pass along the Liberator...Use new handgun to 'Liberate' a K-98 rifle, pass along the Luger, etc.....
 
Interesting stuff! I remember learning about this one in my periodically mailed "gun cards" that I received in the mail around age ten. They were basically like baseball cards, but for firearms, and had specs, a photo or two, and the history behind the gun on the back. Very cool, wish I still had the collection.

Anyway, pardon my ignorance, but when looking at the photograph with the locking block to the rear, it doesn't appear that the chamber is accessible. How exactly does one load a Liberator or access the empty chamber?
 
It may have shot a whole lot closer to point of air with standard service ammo.

If somebody starts producing these, I'll take a case or two!
 
I've often wondered why they weren't in 9mm, since that was probably the most common round available where they were intended to be used.
 
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