Golden gun parts
CJ007Goldeneye
LondonPosts: 587MI6 Agent
Can anyone remember all the parts of the golden gun to what company there made from?
CJ007Goldeneye
LondonPosts: 587MI6 Agent
Comments
ERM
a Cigarette case - Handle / Butt
a Colibri Lighter - Bullet Chamber
A waterman - Barrel
Fountain Pen
Cufflink - Trgger
Supossedly the entire Gun was made by Colibri, but in fact Colibri made a Brass tarnished poorly made Gun from what Mr. Peter Lamont told me when I met him at Pinewood, he said himself and Cubby took one look at it and pretty much said were not paying for that, it was held together via Magnets and fell apart when held or put through any movement, (THIS is the model that Peter Nelson owns at the Bond museum ) Colibri's prototype which was never screen used etc, it was made by colibri but they insisted EON pay for its construction, while all this debate was going on, Peter Lamont took his designs and Balsa Wood Model of the golden gun to a silversmith called ROSE in london who made the 3 film used guns, one could fire a cap, another assembled and dissasembled and one was a solid version all silver / light in weight and plated in gold, Colibri went onto made a further 2 / 3 Colibri golden guns, for promotional purposes, they were more refined and much better than there prototype, however there purpose was nothing more than publicity and maybe shop exhibit ad display possibly. as they were never on the film set or in the film ...
So in reality ROSE made the real film used Golden Guns used in the film NOT COLIBRI
I am only passing on what Mr. Lamont the production designer of the film told me.
Dont shoot the messanger guys
hope this helps you CJ007Goldeneye
on a side note the lighter of the gun was based on Colibri's model ''Molectric 88'' lighter these can be picked up pretty easily, through ebay etc, if you look at behind the scenes pictures of the gun with the back flipped down as if Christopher lee is loading a bullet into it, a Colibri Molectric 88 can be seen built in, the pen again was based on a FRENCH waterman fountain pen, this was most likely the most expensive part of the gun, well maybe now as the style of pen is very rare indeed.
so to sum up the ''lighter and pen'' were the only real life based products, based on an actual item you could buy at the time.
The cuff links & Cigarette case Handle were from Peter Lamonts designs, they were possibly inspired from products he had looked into for the design etc but altered to form the guns design.
there is a rare shot of Scaramanga offering Bond a cigarette you see brefily in the film on the island but a rare black and white shot shows more detail, and the handle of the Gun did in fact have a little side door that opened and stored cigarettes inside
have a look at my replica to see how this looked it also has the colibri Molectric in the back also
also here http://www.freewebs.com/scaramangasgoldengun/
cheers...... Michael
www.freewebs.com/scaramangasgoldengun
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The Original
and FE GG
I hope FE edition would be able to slide in too. Just like in the movie :-)
Here is the basis of design - the Colibri Lighter and Waterman Pen
www.justgiving.com/inMemoryOfLewisCollins
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
indeed -{
Then in a blink of an eye it becomes this GG. Notice no square and the barrel is upsidedown. Also the trigger is a bit different too.
Lighter of my replica does slide in and out the
lighter casing the way you see it being done in
the film,
I have a YouTube video in the making showing
everything working, how it assembles and how
it all works etc, individualy and built up...
Ok the points made here regarding the Square on
the handle, Cigarette cases generaly have Monogram
squares to allow you to put you initial or initials on, My
replica will in a few months have an 'S' engraved on the
little square on the handle cigarette case door, to match
the Film Poster which shows the gun broken down also
my cuff links will have the ''S'' initial and a red ruby
danjaq_0ff to answer your question ''what is my take on
the FE GG?'' I think they have made a real exceptional, and
fantastic work of art, I think the gun is way way more detailed
and accurate to the film than The SD Studios Golden Gun, and
thats not putting it down in any way, The SD Gun is a thing of
Legend now and its values are sure to go up with the introduction
of this FE GG, I think FE have nailed the little things that matter, to
a ''screen accurate replica'' i love the knurled look to the handle I
think they have got the proportions spot on, I love the fact there
Cuff link pivots, i thinks its neat you can flip the back of the gun
down and load the Bullet, all great stuff.
I know there was some comments regarding the FE GG, like ''why
couldnt it have came with 2 cuff links'' wearable cuff links ? and
maybe some other working parts etc, you have to always remember
that when a company produces an item they have to work around
so much to delivery a quality item and I think FE have done this by
the looks of it. a proffit has to be made after machining, plating
advertisment, safety tests, the list goes on and on. and they have
more constraints, I take my hat off to what they have made and I
hope all the owners of the guns are very happy with there purchase
and treasure it in there collections like the plan was from the start.
I am now going to say a few things about my replica, AND THIS IS
NOT TO DRAW COMPARISSONS or WAR etc etc BLA BLAH its
just because we are on the subject of the GG,
My replica has went through some minor alterations and small
improvements since
it is now presented in a nice mahogany presentation Gun case with a
Gold plaque all engraved stating what the item is etc, is has a 2 way flip
around velvet display inside which allows you to display the gun in slots
in its separate items like a Gents Gift Set from the 70's / 80's and the
other side of the inner velvet tray allows you to display the item all built
up as the film prop
It has 2 wearable cuff links which can go onto you shirt and you can wear,
very usable and functional,
The matching Belt Buckle Bullet Holster has now been created to match my Gun,
This belt buckle can attatch to any belt and holds the 2 rounds on the side tubes,
The side tubes were made to match the Guns Knurrled Pen Barrel,
My Guns Lighter is going to feature all the hallmarks of what a Colibri Molectric
88 model would have as a standard item, So when you look at the gun from this
angle
it will have teh lighter model and logo etc etc on the lighter extention pull out face, so when the lighter is as a lighter, and the fake gas screw is in place were the pen screws in to form the gun its looks more convincing as an everyday object.
I know my Gun is not as accurate as The SD and FE etc etc but since its very different and unique in its own right as a fully functional in every single way item, we have decided to take it in a bit of a new direction, Will show video and all the data and design work etc soon and also alot of research on my site in a section devoted to the Golden Gun and it will take into consideration The SD Guns and FE models etc and film prop Guns. so hopefully be a good interesting read for all,
and danjaq_0ff you are quite right maybe ..... just maybe .... you never know...... it could happen ...... some day ........ someone .... might get this Prop right :v
Double Oh Zombie, thos 2 pictures you posted, one of those guns is the cap firing version used in the film ...... I wonder which one it is? my money would be on the gun without the Square on the handle ,, as the trigger is cocked as it to fire and the other gun has more of the SD gun trigger
ALSO since these photos are Up and I asked this ? ages ago..... WHY IS THE GOLDEN GUN IN THE MOUTH OF A CROW / RAVEN BIRD ? is it because the Raven is linked with death as if its holding an instrument of death etc ? symbolic maybe ?
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Love to see the video - can you provide a link?
I will post a link, No worries,
I know deep down you still dont
beleive My replica works in any
way
But when you see it all finished and
working you will like it, I think :007)
I think when a lot of people see it working
thats when they start to see it as somthing a
little different and exciting, I can fully understand
why people saw my replica in photos etc and Dont
beleive or see how it could or does work in any way
which i can appreciate as Looking at it and if I had
no idea of its mechanisms etc I wouldnt be able see
past the photos ... But trust me its functional
I think this will be a one of a kind one off, But My
Grandfather is talking about another one with same
functions etc but more accurate outer body etc
www.freewebs.com/scaramangasgoldengun
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Our replica comes with a detailed booklet that outlines the history of the original screen used props, how they were made and what they were made from. We based it on in depth interviews with members of the cast and crew. Some of the story is already know, indeed, parts of it are detailed here. But it is a fascinating story none the less and I think one people will enjoy reading.
Its important to note that nothing on the prop guns actually functioned as the original donor component did, or as you might expect that part to function in real life. Any donor parts were so heavily adapted as to render them almost indistinguishable from the originals. Their most important duty of the props was that they function reliably and effectively on screen, which they did to great effect. 3 different prop guns were made and are seen on screen each slightly different but all highly engineered and well made. In the days before Blu-Ray... indeed before home video, it is testament to the filmmakers that they felt the need, and the foresight, to produce something so functional and so fully finished when actually a simple and cheap piece of resin or wood and some camera trickery would have been sufficient for lesser productions. All part of the magic of the Bond films I am sure you will agree?
In the opening sequences where the gun is seen in the raven's mouth only 1 prop was used. The confusion comes from the first shot which is the reflection of the gun in a mirror. In order to achieve this they had to pose the prop gun backwards so it would appear correctly orientated when Scaramanga reaches for it. That's why you cannot see the monogram square so clearly visible in the next shot. In the second shot you are looking at the actual gun prop and not a reflection. The monogram square is only on one side, the original top, of the cigarette case on that prop.
The trigger on our replica 'functions', the bottom blade of the cuff link is sprung and can be pulled just like a real gun trigger and will spring back when released. We will freely admit that its great fun to play with, but will neither confirm nor deny that we regularly reenact various scenes here in the Factory office with great gusto
Is this accurate? Well technically not 100%. It looks accurate but only one of the prop guns actually had a 'working' trigger, the blank firing 'functional' version which by necessity had a much more utilitarian arrangement which was always handily concealed by Scaramanga's fingers and is never seen in detail on screen. The triggers on the other props were static. What we have tried to do is add some functionality and create a hybrid of the various triggers without altering the look, which we feel makes for a better final product.
or bits of the original so great to have your input
What you are saying about the flipped filmed shot of
the gun in the ravens mouth
even if the way the gun was pointing the film would
still show up the square on the handle and not reapear
in the next shot, also the pen clip flips from underside to
top in the next shot
the trigger is thinner and cocked in the reflection shot, in
the far away shot with the square on handle it is a much
thicker and straight trigger,
and if it was 2 shots and the gun was faced a different way
or a flip shot was created to match the way Mr. Lee grabbed
the weapon in the next shot when he slides down the stairs,
then the back of the ravens head would be facing out away from
shot so part / mid way up the barrel of the gun would not be visible
as we are unable to look through a bird Black feathery head, but
you can see the pen in full just like the next shot.
also in both shots of the gun in the bird stand display set up, the
lighter thickness differs by the looks of it and the flip off of the top
of the cigarette case is a little different, the close up reflective
mirror shot, shows it sloping down slightly, where as the next
shot with the square in handle has a much straighter flat bed look,
much like the 1st generation SD gun
the way in which the trigger of my gun function,
The threads that stick out slightly from the cuff link tops to screw into
place to make up the gun are small and not a long thread, they are the
exact same Approx to the original Gun Cuff Links sold at Christies, and
the ones you see on Mr. Lee's shirt in the black and white publicity shot
when assembling the Gun to kill hi fat, the threads in my cuff links DO
NOT hold the gun togetehr in any way or give the Gun structure, like
the SD gun of FE gun,
If you look very closely at where the cuff link
screws into the top of the cigarette case flip off, it screws into a small
shaped Gold peice which is Tapped to suit it accordingly, that little part
slides back and foruth Spring loaded internally so when the whole cuff
link, ''spine of the link and the pivoting link peices, the whole Cuff link
pulls back towards the handle like a real trigger, well as real as the
Golden Gun could or would have function if made to be a real thing,
Thus this activades a pre locked mechanism which is built into the
lighters pull out extention which has the cap smacking'' mechanism
inside which blows the flash and smoke down the pen barrel, before
which the waterman ink Gold Nib and ink cartraidge is removed to form
the Golden Prop ... As I say once my video is finished alot of my replica
will become more clear to see and understand.
also since this is all working now, Made a full working and usable Garrotte
Watch with steel retractable wire the watch also keeps time perfectly and
can be worn as an everyway watch, just tuck the Ring pull for the wire
under the face / strap or up you shirt cuff , and to go with these online
videos I am working on, showing all of my fully functioning props, I have
made a working Pair of Knife shoes, they fit perfect and a click of the heels
activates the spike, these are based heavily on the Klebb Prototype Boot
Buckle shoes, which i managed to source, was very hard to find a pointed
vintage boot shoe, which matched the prop and fitted me, but almost finished,
dont worry all for fun and website use only, and for all to enjoy
Factory Q-Branch would you guys ever consider in the future, once your
Bond products have been around for a while and you have produced many
many other great items, would you maybe think about compiling all of the
prop booklets and research booklets which comes with each individual prop
into one Booklet for the collector to own, even though they may not own all
of or any of the FE props, I think a book like this would sell very well ?
Just an Idea
www.freewebs.com/scaramangasgoldengun
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here goes my take on FE GG, Danjag off has showed us the pic of the GG FE copied , the other GG's are much different.
ok,
The FE pen looks more like the GG pen used to kill the scientist, the cap GG.
The FE lighter although nicely done i can see one flaw, THE HINGE IS SHOWING, no GG or colibri lighter has the cut out on the lid, the hinge is inside the lighter and not visible when closed, look at Texas007 molectric 88 . how could FE had missed that ? when i tried to replica the lighter with a wooden block i made sure the cut out was done inside so that the hinge wouldn't show.
The FE cuff link is nicely done except for the long thread, what are we SD studios ? plus it is not even close to any of the original cuff links, yes the trigger is correct however the entire bar is incorrect.
The FE cigarette case i saved for last as i can't see to find any visible mistakes, one side shows the monogram and the other doesn't which is correct,
the finish is superb, the lids are awesome, if there's one thing i like about the FE GG it's the cigarette case, i wish the case would have opened although none of the original GGs has this special feature, Scaramanga did offer Bond a cigarette from his case, however this case was never shown assembled with a GG. dang.
especially the one which Broke down and
assembled - Did not have an opening Cigarette
case handle? does that mean there were 4 Original
Golden Guns / Parts Like so
1. SOLID PLAIN ( NONE WORKING ) VERSION
2. CAP FIRING GUN
3. ASSEMBLE & DISSASEMBLE GUN
4. GOLDEN GUN PARTS that fuction as individual parts ?
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Most questions should be answered there, and will make for further debate I am sure.
To explain the 'Raven' mirror scene its best to have a little fun which anybody can try. Take any toy gun, hold it in your right hand with the barrel pointing at your left hand. Stick a small square of paper on the handle side facing you, this represents the 'monogram' square on the Golden Gun Cigarette case, which was only on one side of the prop cigarette case handle. Now hold it in front of a mirror so that the reflection shows the gun with the barrel; pointing to the left and the handle to the right, which matches the shot seen. Can you see the paper square in the reflected image? This explains the 'disappearing' monogram square. In the next scene you are looking at the actual prop displayed barrel left handle right again the 'correct' way around. Hold the toy gun in this position (matching the reflection) and you can see the paper square clealry. Now all you need is an assistant and some tigers and a career in Vegas awaits!
Apparently the mirror scene was "a bit of a nightmare" to shoot and the raven was hard to work with. You can see the black electrical tape used to secure the feet and the wire propping up the gun barrel on the Blu-Ray quite nicely.
Granted it looks like it could be a different prop gun in either scene, and maybe it was, we will never know, we were not there and memories get fuzzy. Nobody thought to record or write any of this down as they never dreamed that 30+ years later people like us would interrogate them on the smallest details. We were told it was the same prop by original crew members and who are we to question them?
What we have learned also is that things that look one way on screen that are just not the same on the props. They just look different in real life. Part of the skill of the filmmakers art is that they make things look 'right' on screen through lighting editing and VFX to name a few methods. But the actual prop in the flesh often looks very, very different.
When producing commercial prop replicas we cannot just duplicate the prop, what we have to do is create something that looks right in people's hands to what 'they' saw on screen and how 'they' imagine an item to have been and that is half of the fun and the challenge of doing what we do.
A case in point is the hinge on the lighter. You are 100% correct, you never see the hinge on any of the lighters on screen, because none of the prop guns had lighters that actually opened. The lids were welded shut, or the lighter body was 1 solid piece. The donor lighter, the Colibri Molectric 88, was heavily adapted, this included cutting it down and changing its overall shape. In doing so the opening lid was sacrificed. Largely because all the internal fittings were removed and it was integral to them. We tried to reproduce an internal hinge like the Colibri original, which by the way is a beautiful piece of engineering. But it was just too costly and complicated to reproduce to our satisfaction. We felt it was more important to include an opening feature with a chamber for a bullet, whilst technically not accurate this was more interesting and made for a better overall product and that kept the replica under $500 retail. After all most people remember the opening lighter from the promotional posters and hand drawn illustrations. Plus its much much more fun!
Same with the cufflink. Like SD studios we are using the cufflink as part if the mechanism to hold all of the components together, tightly and so that the replica feels solid, like a real gun. Most of the actual prop guns were exactly that, solid. The component or gimmick gun as it was referred to was the only prop that actually came apart and was so delicate that it 'fell apart' at the slightest touch or if if was tilted too far in any direction. Something that would not make for a good replica I think most people will agree. The thread on the cufflink is the best way to do this We have combined the 3 different styles of trigger on the original props into something that is a hybrid in an attempt to give a pleasing appearance that looks correct and functions nicely.
Truth is we make prop replicas commercially. We never claim to be better than somebody who has spent 100's of hours hand making themselves a piece of art for their personal use. That's like comparing a production sports car to bespoke hand made kit car. You cannot compare the two. We feel there is plenty of room for both and are consistently impressed and humbled by what people create. Some truly amazing work that we applaud and support.
However when people get carried away and decide to turn their enthusiasm into a into a (EDIT) Unlicensed commercial enterprise, then we will most likely have problems and so to a greater extent will the brand owner.
-{
agreed!