Deer Gun

justwannano · #1 01-28-2005, 10:42 AM

Where can I find info on the Deer Gun. Its the 60s version of the liberator of WWII.

justwannano · #2 01-28-2005, 01:01 PM

A little more info:
the liberator was a throwaway stamped metal single shot .45 cal handgun.
Don't know much about the deergun except it is a handgun used by friendlys in Viet Nam.

Gil Martin · #3 01-28-2005, 07:02 PM

Where have you heard about this weapon? I have asked a few other graybeards and they are unaware of it. All the best...
Gil

justwannano · #4 01-28-2005, 11:59 PM

From here.http://www.nfa.ca/nfafiles/cfjarchiv...liberator.html

Drag down to the bottom of the page. pix on right and a short whatzit on the left.

Gil Martin · #5 01-29-2005, 06:52 AM

Thanks for the updated information. Looks a bit crude. All the best...
Gil

LoneWolf · #6 01-29-2005, 08:46 AM

I saw the Liberator on a segment on NRA television once. Kind of neat little thing. But I can't say that I've ever heard or seen the deer gun... for what that is worth coming from me

skeet · #7 01-29-2005, 01:33 PM

Had a Liberator.. Somebody really wanted it a lot more than I did. I sold the darn thing for 750 bucks. Still had the cartoon instructions etc. Never heard of the deer gun though.

justwannano · #8 01-30-2005, 05:34 AM

Here is some more info

According to an article by David Truby, the Deer Gun was designed by Russell J. Moure, Chief Engineer for American Machine & Foundry's Special Firearms Division, at the request of the CIA. His mission was to design a replacement for the Liberator Pistol. The cost of the pistol was to be under $4.00. After examining Moure's prototype the CIA ordered 1,000 pistols and gave AMF a development contract for $300,000.00. The article says only 1000 pistols were made in the 1962-1963 time frame. This puts the cost at $300.00 each. Moure said that if they had received additional contracts the cost could have been $3.95 each. There are two possible reasons in the article for the name Deer Gun. One does not check out and the other is an opinion, made by an individual. It has been estimated by Keith Melton that about 15 to 20 of these pistols have survived. In my limited research I have found 5 and feel there are more than 20. One that I found does not have the serrations on the grip and has a black color.
CIA Deer Gun

How this pistol came to be called the Deer gun is a mystery.

It was manufactured in the early 1960s for the CIA. (Some Say by Winchester Repeating Arms.) The intended use was for clandestine operations in Southeast Asia. It had a CIA catalog listing as "Pistol, 9 millimeter, [FSN] 1395-H00-9108, Parabellum, single shot, 2.0 in. barrel, reloadable, c/w 3 cartridges in grip, packed for air drop." It was packed in a polystyrene box with three cartridges and an instruction sheet. It could be air dropped, and if it landed in water it would float.

justwannano · #9 01-30-2005, 05:39 AM

The last paragraph above is from Ralph Hagans book "The Liberator Pistol Book.

DaMadman · #10 01-31-2005, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LoneWolf
I saw the Liberator on a segment on NRA television once. Kind of neat little thing. But I can't say that I've ever heard or seen the deer gun... for what that is worth coming from me

I seen a thing on it on OLN one time it was interesting to say the least