I've been on a bit of an Ian Fleming kick since the release of Casino Royale, and I've been reading the original Fleming novels, which I have never read before, mostly in order. Just today I read the famous passage in Doctor No where M forces 007, against his wishes, to turn in his .25 Beretta with the "taped skeleton grip", "sawn barrel", silencer, and chamois shoulder holster. Major Boothroyd, head of "Q" branch and described as the foremost expert on small arms in the world, recommends that Bond carry the bulkier Walther PPK, due to the fact that the grip would fit Bond's hand better, and moreover, chambered in .32, the PPK was a "stopper". Major Boothroyd was also scornful of silencers, on the grounds that they tended to snag on clothing. Bond resented having to surrender his Beretta, as he had used it for 15 years, never had a stoppage, and never missed when it counted.
As a secondary gun, Boothroyd is also ordered to provide Bond with a Smith & Wesson Airweight Centennial, hammerless to prevent snagging, in .38 special. Boothroyd acknowledges that the capacity is limited to 5 to lighten the gun, but after 5 rounds of that caliber, somebody would be dead.
So far, this is a fairly familiar story to Bond fans, or at least anyone who's seen the film of Doctor No, and amusing to gun people as the switch from .25 to .32 is something of a step sideways caliber-wise - in any case, not many people think of .32ACP as a powerful round. But as I read on, the head of "Q" Branch listed the other pistols under consideration as 007's sidearm - the Tokarev TT, Sauer 38H (called the Sauer M-38 in the book), and the Japanese M-14 (the Type 14 Nambu).
I can see 007 packing a Sauer 38H - fairly similar to the PPK in terms of size and caliber. But James Bond with a Tokarev? Kind of big and loud. Or, even less plausibly, a Nambu? Boothroyd ruled out the latter two as ammunition would hard to come by. That's hardly the best reason not to carry a Nambu, I would imagine.
Above all, shot placement, sureness of draw, and concealability are the most important things to 007, with caliber and capacity being far less significant concerns. Makes sense if you're an extremely well-trained spy or assassin. Anyhow, a great book so far, and with a couple of solid if slightly eccentric pages of gun stuff.
As a secondary gun, Boothroyd is also ordered to provide Bond with a Smith & Wesson Airweight Centennial, hammerless to prevent snagging, in .38 special. Boothroyd acknowledges that the capacity is limited to 5 to lighten the gun, but after 5 rounds of that caliber, somebody would be dead.
So far, this is a fairly familiar story to Bond fans, or at least anyone who's seen the film of Doctor No, and amusing to gun people as the switch from .25 to .32 is something of a step sideways caliber-wise - in any case, not many people think of .32ACP as a powerful round. But as I read on, the head of "Q" Branch listed the other pistols under consideration as 007's sidearm - the Tokarev TT, Sauer 38H (called the Sauer M-38 in the book), and the Japanese M-14 (the Type 14 Nambu).
I can see 007 packing a Sauer 38H - fairly similar to the PPK in terms of size and caliber. But James Bond with a Tokarev? Kind of big and loud. Or, even less plausibly, a Nambu? Boothroyd ruled out the latter two as ammunition would hard to come by. That's hardly the best reason not to carry a Nambu, I would imagine.Above all, shot placement, sureness of draw, and concealability are the most important things to 007, with caliber and capacity being far less significant concerns. Makes sense if you're an extremely well-trained spy or assassin. Anyhow, a great book so far, and with a couple of solid if slightly eccentric pages of gun stuff.
