Bond's Beretta on You Tube
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Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
My first attempt at a You Tube Video, featuring a photo essay of the .25 Beretta as described by Ian Fleming in the Bond Thrillers.
http://youtu.be/g5BcvbSzCzI
http://youtu.be/g5BcvbSzCzI
Comments
the .25 Beretta is much less well-known that the Walther PPK and I'd never seen one which someone had taken such great care to mirror to Fleming's description. You've done a great job with this video, congratulations -{
Not sure I like the taped butt though, it looks slightly broken!
Looked like when reading the books. -{ Hope many will " like" the
Video.
Many SOE agents carried the similar sized Browning .25 during the war (including Fleming), and no doubt the earlier Beretta .25's were in varied covert use too. You've just got to appreciate the heritage and history.
What would be the point of sawing off the blunt foresight? Is it so that it doesn't snag when being withdrawn from a holster, or is there another reason.
And...why is a section of the .38 Smith & Wesson trigger guard missing? Was that how it was manufactured, or was that a customisation?
Having said that though, I do think Fleming did not know very much about the real Beretta 418. IIRC in his biography of Fleming Pearson wrote that in the first draft Fleming described a ".28 Biretta" which got corrected and the modifications Fleming "did" to the gun aren't good ideas in real life, although I am sure they were tried out by various folks, including myself(I tried the taped grip on a .22 pistol back in the '60s ;it collected dust and wasn't as comfortable as the original stocks. Bond did seem to get in more gunfights with the Beretta than the Walther PPK,even though he didn't carry a spare magazine...
Again, a superb video
Regards,
Tecolote
I have little knowledge on this (Asp9mm is our resident gun expert and I'm sure will correct me) but I always thought that removing the foresight was to prevent snagging when withdrawing from a holster. The hammer on dome revolvers was also filed down to prevent snagging on a shirt when withdrawing from a hip or waistband holster.
I also gather that The section of trigger guard was removed from the S&W to make firing quicker in a QuickDraw ie the split second it takes to curl the finger into the trigger guard could make all the difference...
Charmed and Dangerous, The S&W revolver on the original S&W cover was Boothroyd's personal handgun and he fixed it up in the manner of the day (1950's) when many thought the trigger guard merely got in the way of a fast draw. That mod originated with the Colt "Fitz" specials, but by the 1960's had has fallen out of favor, it had come to be regarded unsafe.
Bond's deadly sounding "skeleton grip" is also a very questionable mod. On the Beretta the grip panels hold the trigger bar in position. With the panels removed the trigger bar can slip out of place, when this happens the trigger will fail to push on the sear and the pistol is useless.
Like ASP9mm noted above, the Beretta is the pistol that best fits the literary Bond. It was created straight out of Fleming's own experience and imagination, unlike Bond's later handguns - that grew out of suggestions by Boothroyd. To be sure the .25 Beretta is at it's best in fiction where it's lethality and accuracy are never questioned. As a real world "spypistol" it's utility would be very limited.
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
Good observation! After some contemplation it occurred to me modern plastic tape was likely wrong. I looked about and found some grip tape for baseball bats. Until I can find some British cricket bat handle tape, that should work!!!
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
Interesting observation. No doubt Chopping would have taken a slightly different approach with the Beretta. Just because, here is a bad picture of the Beretta with a S&W - not Boothroyd's, but roughly the same size.
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
The 1934 Beretta you pictured is exactly like the Beretta used in the film version of Dr. No. It was made in .32 and .380 as well as .22 but never in Bond's favorite caliber .25/6.35mm. The '34 Beretta is about the same size as a PP Walther and much bigger than the .25 Beretta Model 418.
The little Beretta was considered in it's day to be a "vest pocket" pistol, conveniently carried in the pocket of a gentleman's vest or in a ladies purse.
He's a snap of the Beretta with the slide locked back and the magazine out. Also a .25 round next to a modern .38 special hollowpoint .....
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
Here you go,
Q: Is the weapon single or double action?
A: It is a striker fired pistol, like a Glock.
Q: How does the magazine release on this weapon work?
A: The magazine release is on the bottom of the butt, the top of it is grooved - push back on it and withdraw the magazine.
Q: What's the magazine capacity?
A: 8 rounds
Q: In your opinion what is the effective range of the weapon?
A: The .25 Beretta is at the low end of lethality. I would not want to stand in front of one and be shot at. It would be a poor choice for a gunfighter. I think 20 yards would be stretching it for effectiveness. With the "silencer" barrel the bullets tumble at ten feet. Fictionally however, it is capable of amazing feats of accuracy, can stop a locomotive and crack the skull of a Bulgar assassin.
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
( not me obviously
All the guns Bond has used, so you could imagine
What they looked like whilst reading the books. -{
See what one looked like. As I was always fascinated by the sight
System, the triangular groove as described in the Gardner novels.
Unfortunately he got most of the models wrong.
That's why we need your expertise, Asp9mm. :007)
Btw is it just me or does the black and yellow sight system on the Asp look like Higgins' socks and trainers? {:) or perhaps it's just retinal nerve damage caused by prolonged exposure to his signature strip.