The Guns of 007

On this date in 1962, 62 years ago, the James Bond movie franchise was born with the release of Dr. No.

Dr. No was not the 1st novel, it was actually the 6th novel, but was chosen to be the 1st movie. I was under the belief that author Ian Flemming and the studio thought that Dr. No had a plot that would translate to the silver screen better than the previous books. The real truth was that of the books licensed to EON productions, Dr. No would be the cheapest one to make.

We will limit this post to guns that Bond was issued or were given to him for a mission and not include guns 007 stole from enemy combatants and I am sure I will miss some...but this is for entertainment.

We will also not discuss the actual guns used in the films, which there were many mistakes or stand-in guns that didn't match the script, but this was before high definition video, so they figured no one would notice.

Forgotten Weapons did a video on this, specifically Dr. No

Back to the guns.....

When the world was introduced to Agent 007 in the book Casino Royale, Bond was carrying a Beretta model 418 in 25 ACP.

Flemming chose this gun because of its concealability and that it was "just enough gun to get the job done", a point many would argue including 007 fan Geoffrey Boothroyd.

Boothroyd wrote Flemming a letter in 1956, explaining that a super spy like Bond should have a better sidearm and suggested the Smith & Wesson Centennial Revolver in .38 Special.

Flemming resisted, stating that he preferred Bond carry a semi-auto and asked if Boothroyd could suggest one. Boothroyd recommended the Walther PPK in 7.65mm (32 ACP).

When the screenplay for Dr. No was being written, one of the first scenes involved Bond being issued the PPK, against his wishes.

M called Bond's model 418 "that damned Beretta". The scene where Bond is forced to surrender his Beretta happens at 12 minutes in.

In the second Bond film, From Russia with Love, Bond is issued an Armalite AR-7 Rifle which makes appearances in subsequent films.

In 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond carries a British Sterling L2A3 submachine gun during the raid on Blofelds "Allergy Clinic".

The Sterling is also used by Bond in 1977s The Spy Who Loved Me.

007 carries his issued PPK through the first 12 movies.

Although in 1973's Live and Let Die, Bond ditches his PPK in favor of a hand canon, a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson model 29. Ironically the movie poster shows Bond with a Walther pellet gun.

Then in 1983's Octopussy, Bond is issued the new Walther P5, this was a push by Walther to help with the sales of the new gun. The promotional movie posters showed Bond's PPK, but he is issued the P5.

The following movie, A View to a Kill, the PPK returns as Bond's side arm.

In the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond initially uses his PPK, but then switches to a Walther P99. The movie poster showed Pierce Brosnan with the P99.

Also in Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond uses a British AR-180 in the opening scene.

Bond continues to carry the P99 in the next two films: The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.

In one scene in Die Another Day, Bond makes an assassination attempt using a suppressed Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifle.

Also in Die Another Day Bond arrives in Havana unarmed and is given a 4" Smith & Wesson model 10 by a fellow British Agent.

In 2006 Ion Productions went old school, they brought the first Bond novel, Casino Royale to the big screen along with a new actor to play 007, Daniel Craig. They kept the P99 however.

The movie poster for Casino Royale shows Bond with a PPK, but it does not appear in the film.

In the last scene of Casino Royale, Bond meets his nemesis Mr. White, while armed with an H&K UMP-9

The next film, Quantum of Solace heralds the return of the PPK as 007's side arm.

In the 2012 movie Skyfall, Bond originally carries his PPK, but 40 minutes into the movie he meets his new Quartermaster, who issues him a PPK/s.

The PPK/s is just a PPK with the longer grip frame of the PP.

Towards the end of the movie Bond is forced to defend his childhood home and uses his father's double rifle.

In 2015s Spectre Bond is again carrying his trusty PPK

In the opening scene of the film, 007 (in Mexico City), uses a Glock 17 with a carbine conversion kit.

In the final Bond film, 2021's No Time to Die, 007 is once again carrying his trusty PPK.

The now retired James Bond keeps a Browning Hi-Power at his residence in Jamaica.

Bond gave his PPK to his girl, then then uses a Sig-Sauer P226R.

A few interesting trivia facts about 007 and his guns:

• Roger Moore was supposed to carry a PPK in Moonraker, but the gun never made an appearance in the film.
• The PPK and PPK/s are 007's primary weapon in 19 of the 25 Eon produced films.
• Bond has been shot at 5000 times in 25 films, an average of 200 times per movie.
• The Jason Bourne franchise was inspired by 007, they even used Bond's initials (J.B.)
• The film in which 007 killed the most people was Goldeneye with 47.
• The title "The Spy who Loved Me" actually came from a letter written to Ian Flemming from his love interest during WWII.
• President Kennedy watched From Russia with Love (which had not yet been released in the US) the day before he was assassinated.
• The Wetbike prototype was 1st seen by the public in the Bond film The Spy who Loved Me.
• Ian Flemming's home in Jamaica was called Goldeneye.
• Roger Moore did not fire his PPK in his first two movies.
• You Only Live Twice had the most deaths on screen with 196 while Dr. No had the fewest with 12.
• The 007 moniker likely came from a symbol for eyeglasses with a handle, it stood for "for your eyes only", which also became a short story collection and movie.
• Goldfinger was the 1st movie to ever display a laser.
• The World is Not Enough is the Bond family motto and Skyfall was the name of the Bond family estate.
• 75% of the Bond girls have attempted to kill 007.
• James Bond was born on Armistice/Veterans Day, November 11th.

A big shoutout to the Internet Movie Firearm Database, without which the research for this article would have taken a lot longer.