[Glenn Bartley]

Can you say which handgun James Bond, of the long running movie favorites, first favored carrying? (Even though Ian Flemming's first JB book was Casino Royale, and a movie by that name later that starred David Niven as JB - I do not include that one although maybe I should - but I don't.)

Can you pick the right one in my poll without cheating; by which I mean not going to a movie or James Bond trivia website, not rewatching his early movies, not rereading his books (and yes it was his early pick in the books too, and that is a good hint if you know the order of the books and remember the stories it may help you remember the gun or at least remember which ones it was not)? Don't ask for help either or anything else like that. :headbang:

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Oh - Come On Don't Just Read The Poll - Make A Guess!

 

[RIKA]

James Bond is a favorite spy so I have voted.

Now, what was Matt Helm's favorite gun in his first novel and what did he have to give it up for? Hint: he called it "soulless".

RIKA

 

[jimgard]

I picked the one I know he carried for most of the movies. I just can't remember the first movies much. I do seem the remember him carrying something I thought was small.

Jim

 

[mrostov]

It was a .25 Baretta and they forced him to replace it against his will with a .380 Walther.

He tried to walk out with his older gun in his pocket but his boss was onto him and made him leave it on the desk.

Ian Fleming changed the guns in the books on the advice of a firearms expert in England. This man later went on to become good friends with Ian Fleming who modeled the character of 'Q' off of him.

 

[GBullet]

Hmmm, this is a pretty good trivia question.

IIRC, in "Dr. No", Bond had been carrying a .25 ACP Beretta, but was issued a 7.62 (.32 ACP) Walther PPK. Maj. Boothroyd told Bond that the Walther, "...hits like a brick through a plate glass window."

In real life, Fleming worked in British Intelligence in Canada and Bermuda during WWII. I've been to his house in Jamaica that he named "Goldeneye".

 

[84 C4]

He never used it in any of the movies, and it was only brielfy mentioned at the beginning of "Dr. No," the first Bond movie. I just can't remember the calibre.

 

[andy]

no, it was not a 380 walther. It was .32. Not only that, but he supposedly carried his ppk in a Bernsmartin Triple Draw which was only made for revolvers.

 

[mrostov]

Yes, you're right it was a .32, been a while since I saw the movie.

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Well with a nice amount of replies here is the answer:

It was the Beretta .25 semi auto. James Bond was told to leave it in favor of a Walther. Throughout the span of years he carried many pistols, sometimes switching between different caliber Walthers in the same movie.

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Oh, and it was in Dr. No that he was told to give it up.

I have to do some checking to see which he carried in Casino Royale. By the way, that was, in my opinion, the best James Bond movie ever - a real riot! Funny as all heck, and when you think of it most James Bond films had their comical moments but none like Casino Royale.

I am not a James Bond freak or trivia nut, I just happened to hear the thing about the Beretta years ago and it always stuck with me. Me being a Beretta fan, I guess it figures to have stuck.

 

[mrostov]

I still like the line from another British movie - 'Snatch'.

"No, we're going to do what I say, because your pistol says, 'replica' on the side and mine says 'Desert Eagle point five zero aye ee'........."

 

[John in AR]

Snatch; that was one of those "weird but good" movies.

 

[RIKA]

So nobody ever heard of Matt Helm?

Wasn't trying to hijack the thread.

RIKA

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Sure Deam MArtin as matt Helm. The Austin Powers spoof of the FemBots is, I think, based on something from one of DM's movies as matt Helm. I have no idea what he carried, as far as I recall it was a Martini (the drink not the rifle).

 

[RIKA]

Hint: Matt Helm first appeared in the novel Death of a Citizen back in 1958 - before James Bond. Author was Donald Hamilton. The movies with Dean Martin turned Helm into a clown which was a mistake. In the books, Helm was a deadly serious secret agent type whose agency (nicknamed the Mordgruppe - Death Squad) was responsible for removal of enemies who became "troublesome". Hamilton wrote a series of 20 (I think) Matt Helm books all of which were excellent. IMO the Helm character was much tougher and smarter than Bond.

RIKA

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Excuse me - are you saying that 1958 predated James Bond? No it did not. Dr. No was published in 1958; however, Casino Royale the first James Bond book by Ian Flemming had its first edition in 1953.

Of course if you want to bid on a first edition of this book it will cost you but there is at least one available at Ebay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20045&item=6927408121&rd=1 . Check it out, I wonder if it will sell? It is shown with a required starting bid of over 8 thousand British Pounds or over $14,000 US Dollars with a buy it now price over $15,000 US Dollars! Wowza...

 

[RIKA]

Thank you Glenn. I stand corrected. Oh, I could buy a car for the price of that first edition. OUCH!

RIKA

 

[Rich Z]

Darn! I'm glad I didn't bet on this poll! I would have bet on the Walther PPK in .380ACP......

 

[brass hammer]

hey, i saw BERETTA .25

and punched in!

and didn't even have to 'phone a friend'

THIS WAS A PRETTY COOL POLL!



THANKS.