Most people reading this are already familiar with the liberator ( FP-45) pistol of WW2.A cheap single shot hand gun for use by the underground to use against Axis troops. The idea was to air drop these simple unmarked pistols to resistance forces to use to waste of a axis soldier and then take his weapon. Claims of them actually being used are dubious at best but the idea was not a bad one.

What most people don’t know is there was a version cooked up for use in Vietnam.

Thought up by the CIA the idea was the same as the FP45 in WW2. This time it would be used by RVN resistance to use against PAVN ( commie) troops. Instead of being .45ACP, these were made in 9x19MM and came with three rounds, and a rod to knock a fired case out of the chamber.

Supposedly about 1,000 were made in 1964 and some even made it into South Vietnam to be tried out. Well, the war went from clandestine small scale guerrilla war to full blown B-52 war pretty quickly after. Not much need for something like this when the full logistical support of the US Military starts pouring equipment into your country to bolster Indig forces. Did some make it into North Vietnam? Maybe. But doubtful due to a weird policy about having a direct hand in creating a armed resistance movement in North Vietnam. The things that could have been…