The Deer Gun (Historical Prop)

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The Deer Gun or Dear Gun was a successor to the Liberator pistol developed by the CIA. The single-shot Deer Gun was designed for distribution to South Vietnamese guerrillas as a countermeasure against North Vietnamese soldiers invading the South. Design The Deer Gun featured a cast aluminum construction with a receiver formed into a cylinder at its top. A striker protruded from the rear of the receiver and was cocked in order to fire, secured by a plastic clip to prevent accidental discharge since the Deer Gun had no mechanical safety mechanism. The grip was hollow, accommodating three 9mm rounds as well as a rod for clearing spent cases from the barrel. Operation The Deer Gun was loaded by removing its barrel and placing a 9mm cartridge in the chamber. The striker was then cocked, and a small plastic clip placed around it to impede forward motion and prevent accidental discharge. The barrel was screwed back onto the receiver, and firing the gun involved removing the plastic clip, positioning it on the barrel as a sight, and pulling the trigger. Fate A production run of 1,000 Deer Guns was manufactured in 1964 at an estimated cost of $3.95 per unit. Unfortunately for the Deer Gun, its intended scenario did not unfold as predicted. Instead of a small clandestine war, the Vietnam conflict escalated into a full-scale war where the Deer Gun's utility diminished significantly. Some Deer Guns were evaluated in Vietnam, but their ultimate fate remains unclear, with some sources suggesting they were all destroyed and others reporting occasional discoveries. Conclusion After examining both the Deer Gun and the FP-45, I will compile a list of their respective advantages and disadvantages based on my analysis. This assessment is subjective and not informed by personal experience firing live ammunition through these designs. Deer Gun Pros: Very easy to design and assemble. Extremely simple design with fewer components. More accurate than the FP-45 due to its rifled barrel. Cons: Lacks a trigger guard, posing safety concerns. Loading takes longer compared to the FP-45. Carries only three rounds of ammunition. No sights are provided for aiming. The Deer Gun's aesthetic appeal is limited. FP-45 Pros: Features a well-designed and efficient layout. Reloading is relatively fast and convenient. Capable of carrying ten rounds of ammunition. Can be safely carried with a round in the chamber due to its trigger guard. Equipped with iron sights for accurate aiming. The FP-45 has an impressive appearance. Cons: Overly complex design with numerous components. Difficult to assemble, even for experienced individuals. Tends to pinch users' hands when fired, as demonstrated in a firing video. All in all, both the Deer Gun and the FP-45 have their unique strengths and weaknesses, and I appreciate them for their individual characteristics.