An untold amount of prose has been rightfully dedicated to James Bond. Cars, one-liners, tuxes, martinis, actors, shapely vixen nemeses, eras…pick a category and there are countless articles, if not entire books, delving deep into the topic’s relationship with the world’s foremost (not-so-secret) agent. But when it comes to 007’s firearms, the dearth of material is almost shocking given the sheer quantity of Bond-related IP.
Sure, there have been a few entries over the years—Ian Fleming, the father of the suave superspy franchise, actually wrote an article titled “The Guns of James Bond” for a 1962 Sports Illustrated issue. But no one has chronicled Bond’s arsenal as comprehensively and thoughtfully as author Caleb Daniels in Licensed Troubleshooter: The Guns of James Bond.
“Bond’s firearms don’t exist in a vacuum, and they are as important to the character as his sartorial choices, watches, and Aston Martins,” Daniels explains when asked about the inspiration behind his work.
“When I started an Instagram account [@commandobond] to celebrate the world of firearms through the lens of pop culture—and primarily Bond—it was because it was a failure point in that social network. I began working in the firearms industry at 17. To me it was, and still is, my home. But it’s a world that is a very self-insulated community, not in the least because of the social stigma surrounding gun culture. I needed to bring new people, especially my generation, into the world of firearms, and there’s no better bridge than pop culture. I found that I could comfortably talk about guns with people who had no interest in firearms. I could even take them shooting and shift their opinions on the subject—normalizing self defense and small arms—all because I could wax poetic about how an Armalite AR-7 folding ‘sniper rifle’ was used in From Russia with Love and in real life. That culminated in writing this coffee table book. I firmly believed Bond’s firearms—true pieces of espionage and small arms history—deserved a gorgeous volume that looked equally at home in a reference library or next to an Aston Martin.”
Featuring seriously stunning photography by both Daniels and James Rupley, the 560-page tome, available for $110 from firearms-friendly house Headstamp Publishing, doesn’t just span the entire Bond canon—including 23 films and novels written by and after Fleming. It also features interviews from professional operators who wielded Bond’s weapons in the CIA, MACV-SOG, Navy SEALs, DSS, and other agencies.
The resulting depth is astounding. Take Bond’s most famous weapon, the Walther PPK. A casual firearms fan like yours truly might argue: It’s patently absurd for Bond to still be concealed carrying a heavy, mostly metal subcompact pistol that’s knocking on its centennial. Not so fast—Daniels was able to confirm through diligent research that a member of one of the world’s most famous spec-ops branches actually used a PPK on a mission in this century. And Daniels further disassembles the thesis through his self-proclaimed ability to “wax poetic” on Bond firearms.
“Bond’s world is one that runs parallel to our own. It’s rooted in reality, but it’s also one where a man can defy all laws of nature to skydive into a falling airplane to successfully evade the Soviets. We have to accept a level of absurdity when stepping into the theater, and part of that is seeing unique—and perhaps less ‘realistic’ small arms—in action. A lone man on a mission with an underpowered sidearm—something he carries because it fits within his world, not because of your expectations. That’s the essence of James Bond.”
Which weapon is most associated with Bond, and why is it the Walther PPK?
The Walther PPK, without a doubt, is Bond’s most iconic small arm. Despite literally every single handgun in 1962’s Dr. No being incorrect—Bond’s Walther PPK, 7.65mm, for example, was a larger Walther PP—that unforgettable scene in the opening of the very first film solidified a partnership that has carried through each actor and era. The PPK is, like the martini and dinner jacket, an undisputed icon of Bond’s world. Once you get a PPK into the hand, the unforgettable theme immediately fills your mind. That’s the power of an icon.
You interviewed real-life military and intelligence personnel for this book. Which of Bond’s weapons are actually carried by professionals?
So many of Bond’s small arms were either inspired by—or actually inspired—real-life military and law enforcement weaponry. The most absurd example in the book is a confirmed use case of a Walther PPK by Navy SEALs during the Global War on Terror era, confirmed by an interview with retired SEAL Dave Hall. Bond’s own Beretta .25ACP was directly inspired by Fleming’s own Browning .25ACP pistol carried during his time in Naval Intelligence in World War II.
The vast majority of Bond’s weapons all have exciting ties to both pop culture and reality. More specifically, his compact-carry sidearms like the Beretta .25, Walther PPK, and the ASP 9mm. Both the PPK and ASP, for example, have real-world ties to the Central Intelligence Agency during the Vietnam War era. These concealment-focused weapons all were, at the time of their design, cutting-edge pieces that fulfilled necessary roles in reality. As Bond is consistently carrying under his well-tailored attire, it stands to reason that the weaponry he uses is capable of concealment and functionality—in the real world, they fulfilled those very same purposes.
Which weapons are the least practical for Bond’s purposes?
There are definitely moments in the Bond movies and novels where the guns just don’t make sense. Live and Let Die, for example, puts a chrome-plated Smith & Wesson 29-2 [aka the .44 Magnum from Dirty Harry] in Bond’s shoulder holster as he single-handedly sneaks onto the island of San Monique. Nothing suits an all-black outfit meant for concealment like an N-Frame S&W that gleams like a diamond in an iota of firelight. To make matters worse, Bond’s Bianchi X15 shoulder holster and belt are both without any additional ammunition or speed loaders, so Bond just casually tosses it aside after just six rounds. Certainly an epic-looking pistol, and Terry O’Neill’s photography of Moore with the Smith & Wesson is unrivaled. But its use and styling here is certainly anything but logical or realistic. But that’s half the fun of a Bond film, letting go of reality and just enjoying the ride.
Which weapons fit his mission perfectly?
So many of the Bond firearms are pulled directly from real uses in special forces, military, and espionage. The novels [authored by John Gardner between 1981 and 1996], for example, were written after the failed kidnapping attempt of Princess Anne in 1974, where her bodyguard’s PPK jammed, causing the pistol to be withdrawn from service. With that in mind, the first four Gardner novels undergo a journey of locating the next Bond pistol, including the Heckler & Koch (H&K) P7 in his third novel, Icebreaker. The P7 was designed in response to the needs of the German military and law enforcement in the aftermath of the 1972 Munich massacre. The demand for a modern, safe, and rapidly deployable sidearm pushed H&K into developing the P7, a revolutionary design including a squeeze-cocking mechanism. In the mid-1980s, this was an excellent selection for 007.
Fast-forwarding to the very grounded [Daniel] Craig era of films, we see a “former SAS type” showing sincere preference for the weapons of the SAS, including the Browning Hi-Power and Sig P226. The Hi-Power makes a cameo appearance in No Time to Die as Bond’s own retirement pistol in his home in Jamaica, and another is recovered during the embassy sequence in Casino Royale. The P226 appears in three of the five Craig movies: Quantum of Solace, Spectre, and No Time to Die. Both pistols are highly regarded for their long-standing service in military and special operations units around the world. No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, former Navy SEAL, and my friend and mentor, Jack Carr, has said that the P226, a pistol he carried on every deployment, has “always felt like a natural extension of my hand.” It makes sense then for Bond, a man of SAS or SBS background, to be comfortable and familiar with the pistol.
These pieces in the hands of Bond, with the PPK as a back-up, concealment handgun, ground 007 further in reality while still retaining the elegance of a hammer-fired classic design. The P226 looks comfortably at home in Bond’s holster alongside his N.Peal commando sweater—the look tied together new-world tactical nylon and the “wooly pully” era of special operations. It’s a defining look for 007, and a moment where his P226 and PPK both get a chance to shine.
How was real-life firearm evolution reflected in the Bond timeline?
James Bond was introduced to the world on April 13, 1953, with the publication of Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first thriller. The conclusion of Chapter One, aptly titled “The Secret Agent,” introduces Bond’s sawn-barrel .38 Colt Police Positive. Later, Bond’s .25 Beretta with the skeleton grip and a “long-barreled Colt Army Special .45” are both introduced in the same novel. These all were pieces informed by Fleming’s time in Naval Intelligence, pulling from his own small arms and likely those of the commando unit he himself founded, 30AU.
Even by 1950s standards, the small arms issued by Fleming were already dated. His Bond, a relic of the crumbling British Empire in the post-war era, was a bastion of what that empire used to represent. He calls his car the “locomotive” and pines for yesteryear. He’s a fantasy of what the empire could be in the post-war world, an Englishman saving the hide of the rising hegemon time and again. As time progressed—and as Fleming’s novels developed from more detective-style espionage thrillers into more action—Bond’s small arms required modification as well, most notably in the second chapter of the Dr. No novel, titled “Choice of Weapons.” It’s in this chapter that the Walther PPK makes its famed debut. As the novel was the first to be adapted by EON in 1962, it tethered Bond to a pistol for life that at the time of filming was already 31 years old.
But the films and the novels did not—until recent years—stick within the period of Fleming’s original writing, but instead kept Bond in the “modern” world. And they do an exceptional job of keeping unique small arms in Bond’s hands. Tomorrow Never Dies is certainly a benchmark example of that, with a Walther P99 prototype being hand-delivered onto the film set and into the hands of Pierce Brosnan by Wulf-Heinz Pflaumer, the owner of Walther. That pistol was remarkably cutting edge for the time and still holds up today against the slew of Glock-era polymer pistols that have since flooded the market. In the same way Bond drives the best cars, wears the coolest watches, and best-fitting suits, his weapons are unique, dynamic, and thrilling pieces that double as time capsules. Each one has a story to tell, one that clearly articulates the world in which Bond’s adventure took place. It’s never just a piece of steel—it’s an entire story.
Alongside a collection of pistols, the silhouette of a WA2000 is prominently featured on the cover. Why?
Walther’s relationship with Bond started in the sixth novel, Dr. No, and it’s carried through every single EON film and every actor. Aside from the PPK and P99, Bond has famously used the Walther P5 and WA2000. Only 176 of these were manufactured during its brief production run due to its extreme cost and complexity. But two managed to end up on set with Timothy Dalton in his debut outing, The Living Daylights. One of the two was purchased by Pflaumer and hangs in his private office today. I had the privilege of handling and capturing that rare rifle while in Germany, and it means a great deal to me. Aside from that, it’s an incredibly rare and iconic rifle, with a profile that stands out definitively. Bond is defined by his Walthers; that’s why three of the seven small arms on the book’s cover are from the firm.
What gun(s) should Bond carry next?
Walther has recently announced a new rifle that’s just begging for a starring role in a Bond movie: the RS3. It’s a straight-pull, integrally suppressed, bullpup rifle that clearly has a direct lineage to the earlier WA2000 of The Living Daylights fame. Bond’s at his best when he’s a dangerous and lethal man, and a collapsible, suppressed, and stunning rifle is the perfect blend of the old and the new.