Today we’re going to examine two iconic firearms from two wildly different worlds. The FP-45 Liberator, the American made single shot insurgency pistol, was a symbol resistance to an occupying force. The Hi-Point Yeet Cannon, a modern-day semi-automatic handgun that received its name in an unholy union of internet meme culture and inexpensive firearm design. These two guns may seem very different, and indeed they are, but today we’re going to examine the idea that both the Liberator and the Yeet Cannon share largely the same purpose.

The FP-45 Liberator

Life is uncertain. Throughout the day humankind is beset by a constant stream of external deadly threats. Fortunately, over the eons, we’ve developed strategies and tools to aid in our survival from such threats. One of the most tumultuous times in human history, the World War Two, brought man against man in a desperate struggle for ultimate victory. For many in the European theatre, one of the base survival weapons – the firearm – was virtually non-existent for the common citizen.

The original FP-45 Liberator was manufactured by the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors. Designed by George Hyde in May of 1942, the purpose of the “Flare Projector 45″ was to arm the populace of Axis occupied territories. The gun was deceptively named in order to disguise the mass production of the firearm. In addition, the weapon was never intended for frontline combat. In the course of 11 weeks, 300 workers at the General Motors Guide Lamp division produced 1 million Liberator Pistols.

FP-45 Use and Effectiveness

Each FP-45 shipped in a box with 5 extra rounds of .45 ACP ammunition that could be stored in the pistol grip for faster reloading. Reloading was a chore, however, as the single-shot pistol had to manually be cycled by hand by use of a wooden dowel to extract the spent casing. The 1942 cost of a Liberator pistol topped out at just $2.10 per unit. This would be the modern-day equivalent of nearly $40 when adjusted for inflation.

Users of the FP-45 were to use the crudely built gun to kill or incapacitate a lone axis soldier and steal his weapons. Once the word was out that there were thousands of these guns being dropped into occupied territory, the morale of the Axis forces dropped as there were now possibly tens of thousands of secretly armed citizens. However, historical accounts of the use of the Liberator are next to non-existent, leaving the veracity of the effectiveness of the pistol in question.

Enter the Yeet Cannon

Modern problems require modern solutions. We’re fortunate enough in these modern times to not be occupied by hostile forces. On the whole, Violent crime has been on a steady decline over the past 20 years and continues to fall. However, this doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. Evil people still exist and bleak as it is, human conflict and crime are everpresent in our lives.

The Yeet Cannon is the latest iteration of Hi-Point Firearms C9 blowback pistol. While being an inexpensive $199 MSRP, the C9 YCG1 boasts a polymer frame, blowback operation, and a lifetime warranty. Meanwhile, adjustable sights, thumb safety, and last round hold open are just some of the upgrades to the Yeet Cannon. While not quite the $40 that you’d get from holding your $2.10 from 1942, you’re also getting a host of new and improved functions from the Yeet Cannon.

The Working Man’s Gun

Just like the Liberator, the Yeet Cannon is cheap when compared to other handguns. However, unlike the Liberator, the Yeet Cannon is a semi-automatic firearm, making use of an 8-round magazine. Even so, I believe the purpose and the niche that the Yeet Cannon fills are largely the same. The gun is cheap, readily available and works great as a stand-in till you can acquire a better weapon. We may not live in occupied France, but the Yeet Cannon can bridge the gap for self-defense. Hi-Point prides itself on being the producers of “the working man’s gun.”

Photo Credit: Gun Mag Warehouse

should you just get a better gun?

Detractors of the Yeet Cannon will say you should just save up and buy a better gun. While it’s true that there are more, robust and efficient designs than the Yeet Cannon or the C9, there is no substitute for the price that you can afford the Yeet Cannon.

The truth is that when you need a gun, you need a gun. Tomorrow cannot wait and neither will your assailants if the opportunity presents itself to accomplish their goal. Much in the same vein, the occupiers of Poland, France and Greece couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Their homes had been invaded and their daily lives were under constant threat by an outside force. Both the Liberator and the Yeet Cannon meet that need for those who cannot gain access to combat-ready firearms. They both provide those in desperate need with access to the bare essentials for self-defense.

Behind every blade of grass

There is a famous saying that an invasion of the mainland United States would be impossible as there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass. With some of the latest estimates reaching 357,000,000 firearms in the United States, the likely bogus quote still rings true. The bigger question is that of proliferation and morale.

A police state is hard to create or maintain when the citizens of the country are armed. Invasion is next to impossible when the citizens of the opposing army are armed. Hi-Point may not produce the top-tier firearms that serve in frontline combat, but they do give every citizen of this country easy access to defense, whether that be an internal or external threat. The Yeet Cannon may be cheap, may be simple but it still preserves the fire that was behind the production of the FP-45 Liberator. Freedom must be by any means necessary.

Budget Blaster or Modern Day Disaster?

So what are your thoughts? Does the Yeet Cannon fit the bill of a modern-day FP-45 Liberator?. If you were to pick a cheap gun for the big igloo what would be distributed to an unarmed populace in order to preserve the hope of survival? Lastly, would you ever consider owning a Yeet Cannon if its all you could afford? Let us know down in the comments your thoughts and ideas!