Upgrade Bond's Walther?

rebenton

In the novel Dr. No, we see Bond receive the Walther PPK as a replacement for his Beretta. In Bond 24, is it finally time for Bond to have to give up the PPK because it is old and outdated for something along the lines of the new Walther PPS .40? I know the PPK has become iconic in a sense, and that they tried with the P99, but I'd like to hear thoughts about this.

ZorinIndustries

I'm a traditionalist... keep the PPK!

Mister Greene

It depends where they want to take the franchise IMO if they want the gritty style that DC has started I say go with the PPS but if they are going to inject some more lightheartedness as per RM then keep the PPK/S.
I've always wondered why they didn't go with the Walther P5compact it is awesome. Great lines like the PPK but chambered in 9mm and still reasonably small for an agent of Bond's stature to carry.

perdogg

rebenton wrote:

In the novel Dr. No, we see Bond receive the Walther PPK as a replacement for his Beretta. In Bond 24, is it finally time for Bond to have to give up the PPK because it is old and outdated for something along the lines of the new Walther PPS .40? I know the PPK has become iconic in a sense, and that they tried with the P99, but I'd like to hear thoughts about this.

I would like him to use a 7.92mm x 24mm VBR.

James Suzuki

I reckon with the feel of Skyfall and how Q gave Bond a Walther PPK in that film, that the PPK is here to stay. Which I am glad about!

Youknowthename

rebenton wrote:

I know the PPK has become iconic in a sense.

Well, there you go

PPK packer

I hope the PPK is here to stay, but I could do without the electronic signature safety grip thingy. That was a bit much.

Bond could perhaps carry a good knife as a back up weapon should he be disarmed. That's what many people do in the real world. A bit nasty, but it works.

raptors_887

Well technically if Bond got his PPK in Dr. No and Craig's movies are suppossed to be set before that, he shouldn't still have the PPK.

I never actually pay much attention to the gun during a shoot out anyways though.

James Suzuki

I think that the electronic signature is just for the Skyfall Mission.
Just like how Moonraker's wrist dart gun wasn't in FYEO and how GE's grenade pen wasn't in TND etc.

I like the idea of 007 carrying a small knife.

Peppermill

Fleming's Bond often had a knife strapped to his left forearm. I’d like to see this used in upcoming movies. I’m not going into the whole ‘Craig’s movies are set before Dr. No’ discussion but I do think the PPK is such an iconic gun for Bond that I was very happy that it was re-introduced in QoS. So IMHO it would be fine if they kept it in the next few movies, without a palmreader that is.

Smiert-Spionam

Am I right in thinking that Bond lost the signature gun in the Komodo Dragon pit of the Macau Casino? I don't remember him picking it up after the villain who tried to use his gun got killed.

Blackleiter

I don't believe Craig's movies are intended to be set before Dr. No. In the Craig era, Dr. No doesn't exist, so whatever happened in Dr. No is irrelevant.

raptors_887 wrote:

Well technically if Bond got his PPK in Dr. No and Craig's movies are suppossed to be set before that, he shouldn't still have the PPK.

I never actually pay much attention to the gun during a shoot out anyways though.

Asp9mm

Bond is too cool to have a 'standard issue sidearm'. More thought and personal attention need to go into his personal handgun. The PPK actually fits that bill quite well now. It is one of the best designed and good looking handguns ever made. And not many other people would carry one, so it could easily be Bonds signature piece, both in fiction and reality.

As a handgun enthusiast though, I'm torn between wanting to see him using something modern and updated and even custom, and also wanting him to keep the PPK. Everytime I pick up and handle a PPK, I think - Yeah, that's why it's still relevant as a concealed carry sidearm, even today.

It worked well in Skyfall. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that Eve carried one as well. It should be Bond's personal choice, not on general issue to all and any field operatives.

CmdrAtticus

I hated the updated PPK's in the other films. I realize they may be improvements
on the original and there are others more powerful, but they're just ugly compared
to the old Walther. It may not have the stopping power of a lot of weapons
and is harder to become accurate with (though I'm sure Q Branch could probably
lighten the trigger pull so it's easier to shoot), but in some strange way it looks
better with a tux than those ugly square Glocks. Also, it's more rounded/smaller
profile makes it easier to conceal. I also keep in mind that though Bond has a license
to kill, he is still a spy, not Dirty Harry. Despite what they've show throughout the series, he only packs it as a defensive backup weapon that he might need in very close quarter conflicts (as he did in the courtroom scene in SF). Granted, it wasn't very effective on the train in the beginning of the film against his adversaries firepower, but those type of situations are supposed to be the type of extreme
firefights he wouldn't normally be caught in. Strangely, because he's Bond - had
he not be shot, he probably would have overcome the bad guy (as he said he could
have). The Walther is just a great looking piece for him to use when he can't use
his fists or a knife.

Asp9mm

CmdrAtticus wrote:

I hated the updated PPK's in the other films. I realize they may be improvements
on the original and there are others more powerful, but they're just ugly compared
to the old Walther. It may not have the stopping power of a lot of weapons
and is harder to become accurate with .....

What updated PPK's in the other films? The only updated PPK was the signature version in Skyfall. In the other films in which he used a PPK, it was the regular German ULM made version. Did you mean the P99?

As to being a hard gun to become accurate with, well this is far from the truth. The PPK's most redeeming feature is its ability to allow the user to shoot accurately and acquire the target quickly after each discharge. The ergonomics are superb. This is why it has been so successful for so many decades and has seen service in some of the worlds most elite units. Maybe you are confusing the excellent German made version with the US made Interarms and S&W versions, which always fall short of the original somehow. They never shoot as well, but the German made PPK is a superlative engineering marvel. The tolerences are so tight compared to other pistols.

always shaken

PPK packer wrote:

I hope the PPK is here to stay, but I could do without the electronic signature safety grip thingy. That was a bit much.

Bond could perhaps carry a good knife as a back up weapon should he be disarmed. That's what many people do in the real world. A bit nasty, but it works.

I think Bond should carry a ASP (not a snake ) a telescopic baton,
i think the U.S secret service still carry them, nothing beats that sound
of a baton cracking open ,during deployment ,it would look visualy good in the films aswell

walther p99

Asp9mm wrote:

Bond is too cool to have a 'standard issue sidearm'. More thought and personal attention need to go into his personal handgun. The PPK actually fits that bill quite well now. It is one of the best designed and good looking handguns ever made. And not many other people would carry one, so it could easily be Bonds signature piece, both in fiction and reality.

As a handgun enthusiast though, I'm torn between wanting to see him using something modern and updated and even custom, and also wanting him to keep the PPK. Everytime I pick up and handle a PPK, I think - Yeah, that's why it's still relevant as a concealed carry sidearm, even today.

It worked well in Skyfall. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that Eve carried one as well. It should be Bond's personal choice, not on general issue to all and any field operatives.

Totally agree with you here, i like the PPK as Bond's personal and signature sidearm rather then just something that MI6 issues.

Asp9mm

always shaken wrote:

PPK packer wrote:

I hope the PPK is here to stay, but I could do without the electronic signature safety grip thingy. That was a bit much.

Bond could perhaps carry a good knife as a back up weapon should he be disarmed. That's what many people do in the real world. A bit nasty, but it works.

I think Bond should carry a ASP (not a snake ) a telescopic baton,
i think the U.S secret service still carry them, nothing beats that sound
of a baton cracking open ,during deployment ,it would look visualy good in the films aswell

The 16" ASP baton (called the Concealable Operations Baton when first released and carried by Gardner's Bond) is an excellent defensive and offensive weapon. In fact it's a much better weapon than a knife as it gives more options. And that sound as you flick it open... .... is as powerful as the sound of a pump action being loaded. Brilliant and effective little tool.

HowardB

PPK under his coat, etc for personal protection, P99 in the glovebox of the car for bigger game, small folding sniper rifle and/or small compact machine pistol hidden in the boot. That's your basic "OO" automotive travel kit for the field. -{

Asp9mm

HowardB wrote:

PPK under his coat, etc for personal protection, P99 in the glovebox of the car for bigger game, small folding sniper rifle and/or small compact machine pistol hidden in the boot. That's your basic "OO" automotive travel kit for the field. -{

Well that was alluded to in CR. He had the PPK originally in the PTS, then he was issued the P99 in the DBS glovebox (albeit he had the P99 in his casual clothes post PTS). We can only assume the UMP came from the DBS too. Great combo.

PPK 7.65mm

In Jeffery Deaver's James Bond novel Carte Blanche, Bond does in fact carry a Walther PPS in .40 caliber S&W and uses it to great effect. If they did update Bond's pistol with this then I would be okay with it. Though I am pretty sure that the PPK will return again since it seams to me that many fans are pleased to see it again, and Daniel Craig himself pushed for it to come back when he was hired. Also I would not mind seeing the P99 return either since even thought it sat up the last two movies, it still appears in the video games based on the films.

PS: The US Secert Service currently uses Sig Sauer P229's, the ASP was dropped after the company making it went under sometime in the mid 1990's if I remember right.

Asp9mm

PPK 7.65mm wrote:

PS: The US Secert Service currently uses Sig Sauer P229's, the ASP was dropped after the company making it went under sometime in the mid 1990's if I remember right.

Earlier than that. Mid to late Eighties. But the ASP was never standard issue to the US Secret Service, and saw only limited use in clandestine organisations (CIA) due to the cost. The Sig P228 was used by the Secret Service from the Nineties until it was replaced.

The use of the PPS in Carte Blanche is excellent. Deaver did a sterling job in arming Bond and getting the tactics and usage spot on. Something that was always lacking in the Bond novels up to that point. Before that, only Gardner came close, but only in the early novels.

CmdrAtticus

Asp9mm wrote:

CmdrAtticus wrote:

I hated the updated PPK's in the other films. I realize they may be improvements
on the original and there are others more powerful, but they're just ugly compared
to the old Walther. It may not have the stopping power of a lot of weapons
and is harder to become accurate with .....

What updated PPK's in the other films? The only updated PPK was the signature version in Skyfall. In the other films in which he used a PPK, it was the regular German ULM made version. Did you mean the P99?

As to being a hard gun to become accurate with, well this is far from the truth. The PPK's most redeeming feature is its ability to allow the user to shoot accurately and acquire the target quickly after each discharge. The ergonomics are superb. This is why it has been so successful for so many decades and has seen service in some of the worlds most elite units. Maybe you are confusing the excellent German made version with the US made Interarms and S&W versions, which always fall short of the original somehow. They never shoot as well, but the German made PPK is a superlative engineering marvel. The tolerences are so tight compared to other pistols.

I fired the German made PPK once and remember it had a pretty heavy trigger pull like the .38 S&W snubnose I used to own. Those heavy pulls always made it a bit
more difficult for me to be as accurate as I wanted, but maybe my memory is foggy...

Asp9mm

The DA pull on the ULM PPK is not as heavy as S&W revolvers, but even so, after the first DA pull, the PPK has a crisp action SA unlike a revolver where you have the heavy DA pull every shot. So you can't compare a revolver to an auto as they have very different actions anyway after the first shot. Did you only fire the PPK once and not experience the SA?

always shaken

PPK 7.65mm wrote:

In Jeffery Deaver's James Bond novel Carte Blanche, Bond does in fact carry a Walther PPS in .40 caliber S&W and uses it to great effect. If they did update Bond's pistol with this then I would be okay with it. Though I am pretty sure that the PPK will return again since it seams to me that many fans are pleased to see it again, and Daniel Craig himself pushed for it to come back when he was hired. Also I would not mind seeing the P99 return either since even thought it sat up the last two movies, it still appears in the video games based on the films.

PS: The US Secert Service currently uses Sig Sauer P229's, the ASP was dropped after the company making it went under sometime in the mid 1990's if I remember right.

unless the ASP company sold out to another firm , we used ASP well into 2006
when i left ,my son who is a MET officer has a identical model (not ASP) but
i was only using ASP as a description rather than make as its the only make i have used

PPK 7.65mm

@ASP 9mm Thank you for the information, I could never remember if the ASP was issued in large numbers or not.

@ always shaken Thank you for correcting me, again I was only going off information I read somewhere online some time in the past.

As for upgrading Bond's Walther if the choice was mine to make I would either re-introduce the P99 and have Bond use it when he expected a serious firefight to occur and keep the PPK as a conceled carry/back up gun, or have him use the PPS.

Asp9mm

You could have been using it at that time, but production ceased well before that, only Theodore/Seventrees NY and Armament Systems and Procedures has ever made the ASP with Theodore only making a few in NY before Armament took over production. Armament ceased production late Eighties, but armouries would still have had them on their books. It sounds like you or your son had one of the early 1970's NY ASPs which are very very rare.

EDIT: Just released that always shaken is talking about the baton, while I'm talking about the pistol ) Crossed wires

0073

always shaken wrote:

PPK 7.65mm wrote:

In Jeffery Deaver's James Bond novel Carte Blanche, Bond does in fact carry a Walther PPS in .40 caliber S&W and uses it to great effect. If they did update Bond's pistol with this then I would be okay with it. Though I am pretty sure that the PPK will return again since it seams to me that many fans are pleased to see it again, and Daniel Craig himself pushed for it to come back when he was hired. Also I would not mind seeing the P99 return either since even thought it sat up the last two movies, it still appears in the video games based on the films.

PS: The US Secert Service currently uses Sig Sauer P229's, the ASP was dropped after the company making it went under sometime in the mid 1990's if I remember right.

unless the ASP company sold out to another firm , we used ASP well into 2006
when i left ,my son who is a MET officer has a identical model (not ASP) but
i was only using ASP as a description rather than make as its the only make i have used

Could it be possible that you are talking about the telescopic baton and not the ASP modified S&W M39 9mm pistol?

always shaken

YES i did mention in artic le 16 it was a telescopic baton ,and applo gise on my part
as was unaware that ASP made side arms us old fashioned English bobbies
do not carry fire arms as a rule ,we are /were armed with ,baton ,cs gas, and handcuffs,
and radio if you are a met officer you would be lucky and have a whistle,
i know when talking to people who ive met around the world
they are suprised that British police are not routinley armed,
but again many applogise because this thread started off on the issue of side arms
and i tagged on because someone mentioned Bond should have a knife
so i wasnt intentionly trying too hijack the origanal thread sorry everbody

HowardB

Bond whipping out a telescoping baton and whipping the bejeezus out of a couple big henchmen would make a great fight scene. Or better yet, Q issuing Bond a specially designed baton that produces a high voltage electrical shock. Picture this: Bond confronted by a very large hulking steroidal looking henchmen. Bond pulls out the smallish looking baton, and extends it. Said henchman looks at the baton and laughes at it, maybe a "you can't hurt me with that little thing of yours" type remark. Bond proceeds to virtually electracute the henchman, leaving him shaking on the ground with a visible large wet stain by his crotch. Bond walks away and of course makes some darkly humorous comment.

always shaken

HowardB wrote:

Bond whipping out a telescoping baton and whipping the bejeezus out of a couple big henchmen would make a great fight scene. Or better yet, Q issuing Bond a specially designed baton that produces a high voltage electrical shock. Picture this: Bond confronted by a very large hulking steroidal looking henchmen. Bond pulls out the smallish looking baton, and extends it. Said henchman looks at the baton and laughes at it, maybe a "you can't hurt me with that little thing of yours" type remark. Bond proceeds to virtually electracute the henchman, leaving him shaking on the ground with a visible large wet stain by his crotch. Bond walks away and of course makes some darkly humorous comment.

Ilike your thinking Howardb,didnt Clint Eastwood ,as a US secret service agent beat the cr*p out of a guy
in one of his films with a baton ??