Deer gun
Encyclopedia
The Deer gun was a successor to the Liberator pistol
developed by the CIA. The single-shot Deer gun was intended for distribution to South Vietnamese guerrillas as a weapon against North Vietnamese soldier
s.
formed into a cylinder at the top of the weapon. The striker
protruded from the rear of the receiver and was cocked in order to fire, and a plastic
clip placed there to prevent an accidental discharge, as the Deer gun had no mechanical safety
. The grip had raised checkering, was hollow and had space for three 9 mm rounds, as well as a rod for clearing the barrel of spent cases. The Deer gun lacked any marking identifying manufacturer or user, in order to prevent tracing of the weapons, and all were delivered in unmarked polystyrene
boxes with a series of pictures depicting the operation of the gun, as well as three 9 mm rounds. A groove ran down a ramp on top for sighting. The barrel unscrewed for loading and removing the empty casing. A cocking knob was pulled until cocked. The aluminum trigger featured no trigger guard.
, and pulling the trigger. At this point the user would take the victim's equipment if opportunity presented itself, and then flee. Later, the user would reload the gun by unscrewing the barrel and ejecting the spent case with the provided barrel rod, and follow the outlined procedure.
per gun. Unfortunately for the Deer gun, the scenario predicted did not occur. Rather than the Vietnam war
being a small clandestine war, it became a full scale war where the Deer gun would not be as useful as foreseen. Some Deer guns were evaluated in Vietnam
, but the fate of the rest is unknown. Some sources have stated that all were destroyed, but some have been discovered on occasion.
FP-45 Liberator
Not to be confused with the EMD FP45 diesel locomotive.The FP-45 Liberator was a pistol manufactured by the United States military during World War II for use by resistance forces in occupied territories.-History:...
developed by the CIA. The single-shot Deer gun was intended for distribution to South Vietnamese guerrillas as a weapon against North Vietnamese soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s.
Design
The Deer gun was made of cast aluminum, with the receiverReceiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
formed into a cylinder at the top of the weapon. The striker
Firing pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
protruded from the rear of the receiver and was cocked in order to fire, and a plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
clip placed there to prevent an accidental discharge, as the Deer gun had no mechanical safety
Safety (firearms)
In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling....
. The grip had raised checkering, was hollow and had space for three 9 mm rounds, as well as a rod for clearing the barrel of spent cases. The Deer gun lacked any marking identifying manufacturer or user, in order to prevent tracing of the weapons, and all were delivered in unmarked polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
boxes with a series of pictures depicting the operation of the gun, as well as three 9 mm rounds. A groove ran down a ramp on top for sighting. The barrel unscrewed for loading and removing the empty casing. A cocking knob was pulled until cocked. The aluminum trigger featured no trigger guard.
Operation
The Deer gun was loaded by removing the barrel and placing a 9 mm cartridge in the chamber. The striker was then cocked, and a small plastic clip placed around the striker to impede the forward motion of the striker to prevent accidental discharge. The barrel was then screwed back onto the receiver. The gun was fired by removing the plastic clip, placing it on the barrel where it would become the sightSight (device)
A sight is a device used to assist aligning or aim weapons, surveying instruments, or other items by eye. Sights can be a simple set or system of markers that have to be aligned together as well as aligned with the target...
, and pulling the trigger. At this point the user would take the victim's equipment if opportunity presented itself, and then flee. Later, the user would reload the gun by unscrewing the barrel and ejecting the spent case with the provided barrel rod, and follow the outlined procedure.
History
One production run of 1,000 Deer guns was made in 1964 as an initial run, with the final cost projected as 3.95 USDUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
per gun. Unfortunately for the Deer gun, the scenario predicted did not occur. Rather than the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
being a small clandestine war, it became a full scale war where the Deer gun would not be as useful as foreseen. Some Deer guns were evaluated in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, but the fate of the rest is unknown. Some sources have stated that all were destroyed, but some have been discovered on occasion.