# Deer gun > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Deer_gun > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Deer_gun.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_gun > Source revision: 1318917614 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{for|a rifle used to hunt [deer](/source/deer)|Hunting|Rifle}} {{Infobox weapon |name=Deer gun |image=File:TYT1-T-F2-H.jpg |caption= A Deer gun |origin= United States |type= [Single-shot](/source/Single-shot) [pistol](/source/pistol) |is_ranged=yes |service= 1964 |used_by= [South Vietnam](/source/South_Vietnam)
United States |wars= [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War) |designer= [CIA](/source/Central_Intelligence_Agency) |design_date= 1964 |manufacturer= [American Machine & Foundry Co.](/source/American_Machine_and_Foundry) |production_date=1964 |number= 1,000 |weight= {{convert|12|oz|g|abbr=on}} |length= {{convert|5.0|in|mm}} |part_length= 1.875 (48 mm) |width= |height= |cartridge= [9×19mm Parabellum](/source/9%C3%9719mm_Parabellum) |action= single-shot |velocity= {{convert|1050|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} |sights= plastic clip }} The '''Deer gun''' was a [single-shot](/source/single-shot) [pistol](/source/pistol) developed by the [Central Intelligence Agency](/source/Central_Intelligence_Agency) as a successor to the [FP-45 Liberator](/source/FP-45_Liberator) pistol. It was intended for distribution to South Vietnamese irregulars for use against North Vietnamese forces, but never saw actual service.{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian|authorlink1=Ian V. Hogg|last2=Walter|first2=John|title=Pistols of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=okQH6zFgDtUC&pg=PA353|year=2004|publisher=David & Charles|isbn=0-87349-460-1|page=353}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ==Design== The Deer gun was made of cast [aluminium](/source/aluminium), with the [receiver](/source/Receiver_(firearms)) formed into a cylinder at the top of the weapon. The [striker](/source/Firing_pin) protruded from the rear of the receiver and was cocked in order to fire, and a [plastic](/source/plastic) clip was placed there to prevent an accidental discharge, as the Deer gun had no mechanical [safety](/source/Safety_(firearms)). The grip had raised checkering, was hollow, and had space for three 9mm rounds and a rod for clearing the barrel of spent cases. The Deer gun lacked any marking identifying the manufacturer or user, in order to prevent tracing the weapons, and all were delivered in unmarked [polystyrene](/source/polystyrene) boxes with three 9mm rounds and a series of pictures depicting the operation of the gun. A groove ran down a ramp on top for sighting. The barrel was unscrewed for loading and removing the empty cartridge case. A cocking knob was pulled until cocked. The aluminium trigger had no trigger guard. ==Operation== thumb|upright|Instruction leaflet The Deer gun was loaded by removing the barrel and placing a 9mm cartridge in the chamber. The striker was then cocked, and a small plastic clip was placed around the striker to impede the forward motion of the striker to prevent accidental discharge. The [barrel](/source/barrel_(firearms)) 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 [sight](/source/Sight_(device)), and pulling the [trigger](/source/trigger_(firearms)). At this point, the user would take the victim's weapons and equipment if the 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 following the outlined procedure.{{cite book|last=Fitzsimons|first=Bernard|title=The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc19fitz|url-access=registration|year=1978|publisher=Columbia House|pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc19fitz/page/2052 2052]–2053|isbn=978-0-8393-6175-6 }} ==History== One production run of 1,000 Deer guns was made in 1964 as an initial run, with the final cost projected as [US$](/source/United_States_dollar)3.95 per gun ({{Inflation|US|3.95|1964|fmt=eq}}). Rather than the [Vietnam War](/source/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](/source/Vietnam), but the fate of the rest is unknown. Most sources state that most were destroyed.{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|authorlink1=Ian V. Hogg|last2=Weeks|first2=John S.|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century: A Comprehensive Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the World's Small-Calibre Firearms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d0t_ZwEACAAJ|year=1991|publisher=DBI Books|isbn=978-0-87349-120-4|page=27}} ==See also== *[FP-45 Liberator](/source/FP-45_Liberator), pistol manufactured by the United States military during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) for use by resistance forces in occupied territories *[Liberator](/source/Liberator_(gun)), a [3D printed](/source/Fused_filament_fabrication) handgun designed in 2013 that takes inspiration from the CIA's work. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/-89falWO-NU The CIA's New Liberator: the 9mm Deer Gun] [Forgotten Weapons](/source/Forgotten_Weapons) Category:9mm Parabellum firearms Category:Insurgency weapons Category:Pistols of the United States Category:Single-shot pistols Category:Derringers Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1960s Category:Concealable firearms --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Deer gun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_gun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_gun?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.