**WWII General Motors FP-45 Liberator

.45 ACP. 4" barrel length. SN: NSN. Unfinished stamped sheet metal with fixed rear notch and front post iron sights, stamped and spot welded sheet-steel construction, and cast zinc alloy striker. Single-shot sliding breech pistol with smooth bore and hollow grip intended to house spare ammunition. Manufactured by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors, the Liberator pistols were manufactured in 1942 for the express purpose of arming resistance forces in Europe. Featuring a smooth bore, and manually cycled breechblock with no extractor, requiring the end user to manually eject casings with a stick or a rod. The bore was not rifled, resulting poor accuracy and the manual operation made for a slow rate of fire. The real purpose was to use these guns to get a real fighting weapon from a slain enemy solider. Ultimately, the weapon's marginal performance diminished enthusiasm for the project, and documented cases of their successful use remain scarce. {C&R}

Good to Very Good. Bore moderately oxidized and dull, with the usual minor tool marks from fast and cheap manufacturing methods. Top of receiver with weld marks a rough finishing where the barrel meets the frame. Mechanically functional action. Metal with some minor dings, dents and marks as well.

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Mr. Tim Carey

Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Arms, Armor and Militaria

[email protected]513.666.4984

Mr. Carey joined Cowan’s, a Freeman's company, in 2021 and is a 40-year veteran of the sporting arms and outdoor recreation industry. Carey joined Cowan’s from Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farms in Andover, N.J., where he was responsible for the acquisition, appraisal, and consignment of top-tier firearms consignments from important makers such as James Purdey & Sons of London, Beretta, Caesar Guerini, B. Rizzini, Bertuzzi, Renato Telo, and Anderson Wheeler.

Mr. Tim Prince

Senior Consulting Specialist, Arms, Armor & Militaria

[email protected]312 280 1212

Tim Prince has more than 30-years of experience in the field of antique and collectible arms and is a nationally recognized expert in the area of Civil War small arms. A long-time researcher and author, Tim has been a contributing author to two major books about Civil War firearms, including The English Connection: Arms, Material and Support Furnished to the Confederate States of America by Great Britain (2014) and Confederate Shotguns and Southern Agent Marked Shotguns (2017). He was also a major contributor to the recently updated Blue Book of Antique American Firearms & Values – 2nd Edition (2019) as well as the 2010 updates to the Civil War Collector's Price Guide - 12th edition. Over the last decade Tim has authored more than 50 articles on 19th century collectible and military arms, which have been published in such varied publications as Civil War News, North-South Trader, and Military Antique Collector. Since 2016 has appeared as a featured appraiser in the field of Arms & Militaria on the popular PBS television series Antiques Roadshow. He is a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors and currently serves on the board of directors of that organization. He is also a member of and formerly served on the board of directors of the Society of American Bayonet Collectors. Tim is a life member of the Ohio Valley Military Society, the Tennessee Military Collectors Association, the Alabama Military Collectors Association, is a member of the Company of Military Historians and is a member of numerous other colleting groups and societies. He is the owner of College Hill Arsenal, a web based antique and collectible arms retail web site, specializing in the American Civil War and related military items. Tim has engaged in the business of buying, selling, researching, and appraising antique and collectible arms and associated military items for some three decades. Since 2016 he has also served as a senior Consulting Specialist in the field of Arms, Armor & Militaria for Cowan’s Auctions, a Freeman's Company.

Arms, Armor and Militaria

**WWII General Motors FP-45 Liberator

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