My wife and I were able to get out of the house for a little while last night and see the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall. Â We both really enjoyed the movie, and if you like action movies you’ll enjoy this. Â There are some great throwback references as the movie goes along, and the show ends with me wanting more.
BUT…
Why is Bond still carrying a .380 ACP pistol?
Yes, I know a hit with a .380 is better than a miss with a .44 Magnum. Â But, Bond is a supposed master of all firearms. Â So, why is he, and seemingly every agent of MI6, tethered to a Walther with dinky sights, limited ammo and a sub-standard caliber.
His enemies are running around with double-stack Glocks and a variety of full auto rifles. Â Why can’t he be issued something with a little more oomph?
Sure, a Colt Delta Elite may not fit easily under a tailored tux, but he isn’t always wearing such clothing.
They make a big production of issuing Bond a Walther in the front half of the movie, and all I can think is I’d want more firepower if I was going up against an army of trained killers. Â At least step up to a Glock 19 or something.
16 replies on “Skyfall, 007 and the 9mm Short”
I think the point is the PPK is iconically identified with Bond. Anyone can pack a larger calibre sidearm, however because of his superior intellect, ability and instincts he excels with the .380 Walther. He is no doubt amused that he can overcome extreme circumstances with a semi automatic others think inadequate.
Absolutely. So why arm the whole of MI6 with them? I can understand Bond being attached to a particular weapon, and single-stack small form-factor makes a certain amount of sense. But as standard issue sidearm? No.
Recommend reading this article.
http://www.vincelewis.net/bond.html
The real reason? Flemming wasn’t a gun nerd.
Like others said, Walther firearms are a 007 icon, so James Bond is bound to use Walthers… yet, Walther itself offers a wide array of better alternatives to the PPK right now. Although the Brosnan-era P99 is definitely unfit for Bond due to its excessive dimensions, they may want to go for the PPS, that’s slim enough for ultra-concealed carry but still packs 9mm firepower, or at least for a P99c, featuring Glock firepower in a discreetly compact size…
I think everyone is missing the obvious. It would have been an insane opportunity to market the PPQ (or that really ugly PPX) by Walther. But alas, they had to keep it with the throwback and stick with the PPK.
Yes, it had occurred to me as I’d seen the PPX hype before I saw the movie. You’re right – I wonder if Walther actively tried to engage the production company.
In fact, the PPS would be an even better fit. I really think it’s the classic lines of the PPK that keep them coming back to it, despite the lack of practicality. Just like the DB5 – they don’t make ’em like they used to!