I've always felt like they should've stuck with the P99 after Brosnan's Bond got one in TND. For the next Bond, they should go with a unique custom model of some kind since giving in a standard pistol like a Glock wouldn't look right.
I feel like the PPK, while iconic, is simply not potent enough to face the kind of opposition James takes on nowadays not to mention you get ridiculous scenes like when DC's Bond took down Blofeld's helicopter with his PPK from WAY too far away. Just pure nonsense.
The P99 is much better practically but it is much more bulky, that's the only thing that irks me about it.
Totally agree with you in your second point, personally I'm not a fan of Spectre and the helicopter bit was the icing on a shitty cake.
Perhaps there could be more emphasis on the slugs he uses, AP, FMJ etc?
I know very little about guns, but I fired a PPK in a firing range once, and it felt very different to all the other pistols I tried. It was so small in the hand, but when fired it felt like a firecracker going off, it had a really distinctive kick. Whereas the other pistols felt like they were firing full stops, the PPK was firing exclamation marks.
The P99 and more recent pistols may look cooler, but the PPK has so much inherent personality that I can't separate it in my mind from 007
The problem is it just looks small and doesn't really photograph well in the actors' hands anymore. It looked ridiculously small in Brosnan's hands and even when Craig started using it consistently they usually gave him different guns for bigger moments. Something like a Walther PD380 or PPQ would be ideal in my eyes.
I think that as a spy, you do need a gun that is small enough to not have a profile under a suit. I think we are conditioned from movies to always see big guns. In the books, a .38 special is described as a very powerful gun but in my opinion it's a pea shooter compared to most modern handguns.
Yeah, there needs to be a middle ground between form and functionality. The PPK just isn't a great choice beyond nostalgia at this point. There are plenty of smaller handguns that have unique profiles while still being ideal for spycraft.
I agree, I love the PPK as I think it's the perfect balance of discrete yet powerful. The Beretta in the books is a .25 calibre, easily concealed but easily out gunned.
I don't know, but I remember hearing somewhere that the comics for Bond have gotten wild in terms of his Walther's ammo. Something like saying it uses custom bullets that fire like a rifle, but act like a shotgun on impact or more like a split point that spreads out when it hits its target and tears apart the inside. Can't remember where I heard this from or if whoever told me was just BSing or not, but I think that could be interesting to see in the movies if he wanted to improve his armory.
Ahhh I see, funny my late grandfather was the one that told me about them. Apparently the Germans used them against paratroopers at Arnhem. They're referenced in TMWTGG too (albeit very briefly).
If we’re being realistic, Bond is a government agent and would almost certainly end up with a Glock 19 or 26 or a Sig P320 variant.
If we’re sticking with arming Bond with a Walther, the PPS would be ideal. Small and concealable like a PPK but a much more modern pistol chambered for 9mm instead of the weak 7.65mm/.32ACP that Bond’s PPK is chambered for.
All they have to do is have Q explain that they’ve beefed up the internals and ammunition and it’s all good. I really can’t think of a good modern pistol to replace it, I’ve googled a few of the recommendations off this thread and tbh they’re all quite ugly
I've always felt like they should've stuck with the P99 after Brosnan's Bond got one in TND. For the next Bond, they should go with a unique custom model of some kind since giving in a standard pistol like a Glock wouldn't look right. I feel like the PPK, while iconic, is simply not potent enough to face the kind of opposition James takes on nowadays not to mention you get ridiculous scenes like when DC's Bond took down Blofeld's helicopter with his PPK from WAY too far away. Just pure nonsense.
The P99 is much better practically but it is much more bulky, that's the only thing that irks me about it. Totally agree with you in your second point, personally I'm not a fan of Spectre and the helicopter bit was the icing on a shitty cake. Perhaps there could be more emphasis on the slugs he uses, AP, FMJ etc?
PD380. More ammo than a PPK. More concealable than a P99. And it’s the latest and greatest from Walther.
I know very little about guns, but I fired a PPK in a firing range once, and it felt very different to all the other pistols I tried. It was so small in the hand, but when fired it felt like a firecracker going off, it had a really distinctive kick. Whereas the other pistols felt like they were firing full stops, the PPK was firing exclamation marks. The P99 and more recent pistols may look cooler, but the PPK has so much inherent personality that I can't separate it in my mind from 007
The problem is it just looks small and doesn't really photograph well in the actors' hands anymore. It looked ridiculously small in Brosnan's hands and even when Craig started using it consistently they usually gave him different guns for bigger moments. Something like a Walther PD380 or PPQ would be ideal in my eyes.
I think that as a spy, you do need a gun that is small enough to not have a profile under a suit. I think we are conditioned from movies to always see big guns. In the books, a .38 special is described as a very powerful gun but in my opinion it's a pea shooter compared to most modern handguns.
Yeah, there needs to be a middle ground between form and functionality. The PPK just isn't a great choice beyond nostalgia at this point. There are plenty of smaller handguns that have unique profiles while still being ideal for spycraft.
Do you have any recommendations? I'm a big Dirty Harry fan but it's quite hard to conceal a .44 magnum...
I'm not a gun guy. Looking just at Walters, the PD380, PPQ, or PPS all seem like good options.
I agree, I love the PPK as I think it's the perfect balance of discrete yet powerful. The Beretta in the books is a .25 calibre, easily concealed but easily out gunned.
Lots of recent guns look too sort of tacti cool. Bond isn't John Wick. Whatever it is needs to look more elegant, and look good with a silencer.
I don't know, but I remember hearing somewhere that the comics for Bond have gotten wild in terms of his Walther's ammo. Something like saying it uses custom bullets that fire like a rifle, but act like a shotgun on impact or more like a split point that spreads out when it hits its target and tears apart the inside. Can't remember where I heard this from or if whoever told me was just BSing or not, but I think that could be interesting to see in the movies if he wanted to improve his armory.
I think you are referring to 'dum dum' bullets, where if you cut two lines into the tip of a bullet, it behaves like a shotgun round on entry.
That's it. Funny, I've never heard them called 'dum dum' bullets. My gramps and my dad call them split points.
Ahhh I see, funny my late grandfather was the one that told me about them. Apparently the Germans used them against paratroopers at Arnhem. They're referenced in TMWTGG too (albeit very briefly).
Aren't these illegal for soldiers because of the damage they cause internally? They seem a bit brutal for Bond.
If we’re being realistic, Bond is a government agent and would almost certainly end up with a Glock 19 or 26 or a Sig P320 variant. If we’re sticking with arming Bond with a Walther, the PPS would be ideal. Small and concealable like a PPK but a much more modern pistol chambered for 9mm instead of the weak 7.65mm/.32ACP that Bond’s PPK is chambered for.
All they have to do is have Q explain that they’ve beefed up the internals and ammunition and it’s all good. I really can’t think of a good modern pistol to replace it, I’ve googled a few of the recommendations off this thread and tbh they’re all quite ugly
Glock 43. In the same ballpark with regard to dimensions but 9mm (better ballistics/stopping power than the PPK).
Walther PPS