Honestly I was hoping to see the P99 on here. I have a first gen model and it's actually a great gun - something I wish they had never stopped using in those movies because they're much more practical than the PPK, and it commands the screen better.
@@robertjohnson9756 yeah I wished that if they were going to ditch the P99, they would've gone with maybe a PPQ. Keep it in the Walter family at least, kind of like what they've done with Aston Martin usually.
Kinda surprised he didn't give a nod to the Walther P99 which was used by Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day and, I believe, is the first introduction of modern polymer framed pistols in Bond films.
It was also in Casino Royale (2006). Skyfall reversed the change, I assume because of the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, but they unfortunately never went back.
@@mcdoctorglock James Bond adopted the P99 in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies which at the time had just hit the market, the PPS didn't hit the market until 2007, one year after Casino Royale
@@mcdoctorglock One supposes it's a matter of mission profile or the times Bond shown using a sidearm. The PPK is very much a concealed carry weapon meant for defense when the poop suddenly hits the fan, but missions like the Arkangelsk Dam infiltration and chemical weapons plant sabotage mission from GoldenEye? Trevelyan's Browning BDA (modernized Hi-Power) with the bigger caliber ammo and carry capacity would be the smarter choice for any protracted gunfight. Brosnan Bond switching to the then new P99 makes sense if more of his gunfights are happening as big shootouts where the 17(?) rounds of 9mm would take nearly three full magazines of the PPK's 7.65mm to match in just round count. I agree the PPS for Craig's sidearm would be more logical, though.
James, the Boothroyd letters to Fleming, which are available in various books/articles, did not recommend the PPK for Bond. Boothroyd was pushing for a short barrelled .38 special Smith and Wesson, backed up by a S&W in .357 for long range work. The PPK was actually recommended as a villain’s weapon. Fleming preferred semi-autos and went with the PPK since it could accept a silencer (Boothroyd didn’t think silencers were worth the effort at the time). The Dr. No film replaced the .25 acp Beretta for the 1934 in .380, so also not Boothroyd’s fault.
@@bgbeck55 Yup. The PPK was for concealed carry, the Airweight for something "heavier". The thing is, Bond used to carry something much heavier in his car until he lost it in a car crash while chasing Drax in "Moonraker", a Colt .45 SA Army. Or, at least, this is the assumption as, though Fleming called it an "Army Special", he described it as being chambered for the .45 long Colt. So, Bond upgraded in his daily carry, but, downgraded on his "special purpose" gun.
@@bgbeck55 It occurs to me that Fleming might have confused the 1919 DA .38 Army Special with the U.S.M.C. 1909 DA revolver chambered in the long Colt round.
First generation Walther P99. It’s the BEST polymer striker fired platform ever made. Sure, Glock set the trend, but the P99 is more durable, robust, reliable, accurate, and has an outstanding trigger for a striker fired pistol released in 1997. Should have at least received a mention.
I was surprised not to see the P99 make an appearance. I was also surprised the firearm mentioned from "The Living Daylights" was the "Ghetto Blaster" and not the WA2000 sniper rifle.
To be fair, since the WA2000 only appears in the one film it's kind of understandable it's not. It has a bigger connection to Agent 47 from the Hitman Franchise then James Bond.
The P99 is the coolest. It's ergonomic, big enough for duty but compact enough for carry, uses a novel paddle release, replicates DA/SA with a striker, and actually has a good trigger right out of the box.
I EDCed a PPKs for over 20 years back before we had plastic guns. We now have better options, but that gun is over 30 years old, looks like new, and is as reliable as ever. Its like a piece of fine jewelry.
I agree with you on The Living Daylights James. I’d say it’s tied with Casino Royale for the best theme song and Timothy Dalton is a tragically underrated Bond.
Agreed! After all the campy crap from the too-long-as-Bond Roger Moore films, Timothy Dalton was a great change of pace to a more realistic and more believable 'license to kill' character. IMO, Roger Moore as a believable 007 ended after The Man With The Golden Gun. Even starting with The Man With The Golden Gun, the series took a left turn toward more and more comedic slants (the return of the Sheriff JW Pepper, Jaws, etc.) Part of that is because Moore was already 45 when he started in the role and, since he had never been seen as much of a physical actor, it quickly became less and less believable to watch him supposedly doing fight scenes or anything involving action.
@@Pro2eus Yeah, I always thought Lazenby did pretty well considering the amount of comparison flack he was obviously going to get. Then, he got some horrible advice from a manager and pissed off EON.
After re-watching your video I must thank you for making this. Bond movies have been some of my most favorite in my lifetime. Your channel is also one of my favorites. While the PPK slide bites my hands I believe it is the most iconic 007 gun bar none.
... the line that the "32 acp round hits like a brick through a glass window." is up there with Bruce Willis, in Die Hard 2, saying that the "Glock 7 is a porcelain gun " ...
James, before you do the PPK review, you’ve got to get your hands on a .32 Walther PPK. All of the problems people have with the PPK magically go away when you shoot it in Bond’s caliber. Trust me, it is worth your time; you’re going to fall in love with it. Is it practical? No. But let’s be honest, with the G43 available in 2021, you don’t buy a PPK for practical reasons.
I agree with you partly. I love my "made in west germany" ( probaly made in france by you know who) PPK/S in 380, and don't see the problems people seem to have with it, small but large enough to find in a hurry , light but heavy enough to fight recoil and flat. and mine has a really nice trigger. but I really wish I also had the 32acp version ( AND the PPK/L with the aluminum frame in 32 acp) . and I like the fact that it gets smaller up front. glocks seem blocky to me. if I was to go plastic then maybe Sccy if they are good. ( I might be missing something, but I have not heard anything bad about them).
@@glennsammon4465 I don’t know much about the SCCY, other than that it is very value priced. I’ve never given it a chance because it reminds me a lot of the KelTec P11, and I hated the trigger on that gun. For a similar sized polymer compact, I love the look and feel of the Sig P365. That is my favorite compact, looks-wise, since the PPK. Granted, you could get three SCCYs for the price. I like the Glock 42, personally. It is very compact, but with low recoil for faster and more controlled follow-up shots than the Glock 43. Being a recoil operated design, rather than blowback operated, it doesn’t rely as much on weight to keep it from being too snappy.
I would have to disagree with the "Living Daylights" being the best Bond theme song. A-Ha did a great job........but in my opinion, "A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran can not be fucked with. Too bad Depeche Mode never got their shot at it.
Don't forget --Sir Christopher Lee REALLY WAS a "James Bond" --type guy in World War II as a 'special forces' commando. He started out training as an RAF pilot, but an optic nerve issue which developed at higher altitude stopped his flight training. It didn't prevent him from doing intelligence work behind enemy lines, however. His relative Ian Fleming actually suggested him to play Bond but the producers preferred Connery (who could blame them!)
@TheHyperfilthered Ian flemming actually created and led 30th assault unit which carried out special forces operations of paramount importance. Also Christopher Lee was basically a intelligence liason for an sas detachment during multiple campaigns. Do you think he would have made a great james bond?
The .25 caliber Beretta that Bond had to turn in is one of the rarer models, a 418. Apart from the weak caliber it has the advantage of an open slide to minimize extraction issues, is striker fired, has a grip/drop safety, and is small enough to fit into the type of short shorts and bathing suits worn by Sean Connery in the early films (and like James does in his homage to Bond films). Try that with a Walther PPK. By the way, points to James for using film clips from his Jamaican vacation in this video, so he right off the whole trip as a business expense ;)
Absolutely wonderful list, love the Bond film franchise. Bond films were a staple of my formative years, never did develop a taste for martinis, though.
Most weapons designed by Browning are still used today. Heck, the 50 cal still lives on from WW II. That takes a genius to design something never seen before but so effective it never changed in designed. 60 years later and still commissioned.
@@FanaticDrummer Correct it can fire dual or quad and be load from either side. They recently made a change they made it so you don’t have to set head space and timing and preform a barrel quick change.
The HP was standard in Britain from WWII until 2013. It still is the standard sidearm in a lot of militaries around the world, e.g. Belgium, Canada, Australia, etc.
If in your upcoming PPK review you have the opportunity to try one in .32 (especially an original WALTHER or Manhurin made pistol) I think you might be pleasantly surprised. I've carried a .380 PPK and a PPK/s but then wound up owning two vintage (1967 and 1945) models in .32 acp (the 1945 model is aluminum "Dural" framed). In some studies (particularly the older studies from the 80s and 90s, .32 and .380 really perform pretty similarly despite the greater energy of the latter. Yet with the .32 I get an extra round, superb accuracy, and very light recoil. Just a thought ... and now an acknowledgement that a .32 PPK and .32 acp ammo might be rather thin on the ground at the moment. AND in full disclosure, I carry my Walther P99 a hell of a lot more than I do my vintage PPKs anyway. ;)
Up to 1980s,by the European ammunition standards, the .380 Auto was weaker than American-made ammo (about 100 fps less from a 4-inch barrel), while .32 Auto was more powerful. This made the Europeans give preference to .32 Auto for decades.
Another candidate for most enjoyable scene with an MP-40 was when Jill St. John experienced its recoil in Diamonds Are Forever (unless I’m wrong and she was using a different gun). This lovely Bond Girl obviously needed some training from Gangster Granny! :)
The thing about all those large frame sub guns is that they really don’t kick much. You could fire one very inaccurately, with one hand but it looks cooler on film for a hot chick in a bikini to get tossed around while firing one.
True story, when I was 20 something, I bought and sold a Davis Industries 380 PPK for $50 bucks, and didn't even realize it was a knock off BOND GUN until getting into bond and firearm's later on into my 30's.
My favorite is the walther p99. Theres just something so badass about Daniel Craig taking one with a huge suppressor out of a package in an elevator in Casino Royale.
Forgot to add a movie about the SAS made in 1982 titled Final Opinion or Who Dares Wins story line SAS dealing with terrorists and nuclear weapons. The SAS side arm the Browning Hi Power . Worth the watch
Happy Thanksgiving James...i'm using my husbands acct, I'm Taylre the wife. Am watching your Tday special and gotta say am enjoying (only show i can actually tolerate). Love this segment on the top five guns of James Bond then i got a thinking about the other top five guns in other countries which led me curious about the top five guns out of Japan. I'm Japanese, knowlegdable in my family history of Samuri's but since i too have an interest in shooting would love your knowledge and expertise in the area of Japanese guns. Just a thought. Domo Arigato. Taylre Burton
My only objection is Countess Teresa di Vicenzo played by Diana Rigg should’ve been in the list of James Bond hotties. He would’ve chosen her himself. Sadly most young people only know her as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Fortunately the later Gardner books weren’t considered or James would’ve hat to consider the M1911.
The story is that the creators of "The Avengers" needed a Bond Girl type, one with "M Appeal," the M standing for men. Diana certainly possessed that quality in spades. I could watch her do martial art kicks wearing those skin-tight leather pants until the end of time.
Love the 007 content. Since I was 12 I was glued to the tv Bond marathons between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As far as I'm concerned they are the original gun guy movies.
I wouldn't sneeze at the .25. A fifty grain bullet at 800 fps or so is going to hurt bad. We tend to overgun here in America in my opinion. I seem to recall reading about Elmer Keith in my high school days. One story was that he shot a running coyote at 600 yards with a 25.20 rifle. The ballistics on softer rounds make long range shooting more difficult but the animal doesn't care how far you are when he's hit. The .25 ACP would be fine in self defense in my humble opinion. Great show!
P-35 I agree. You mention SBS well I used to be acquainted with a retired Royal Marine Commando Sniper before he passed. For awhile he was attached to the SAS in Northern Ireland and they were each issued 2 P-35s. One in the vehicle and the other on their person at all times.
The Browning became an icon in films NOT with "Beverly Hills Cop" but with the 1973 film "Serpico". It had nearly as much influence on the Browning market as "Dirty Harry" did for the S&W Model 29. FWIW...in the film "Dr. No" James Bond uses the Browning for the gunfight on the beach, though he clearly goes into the scene with the PPK, he suddenly has a Browning when he is shooting from behind cover and then, magically, switches back to the PPK when the shooting stops. Another gun Bond used a lot, especially (for some reason) in scenes with a "silencer" was the FN Model 1910. Perhaps the barrel nut (Browning calls it a "slide ring") made for an easy adaptation to suppressors. (??) In any case it appears in many films.
James, another great vid with humor as dry as a Vesper martini. By the way, I have a theory about the armorer's statement of the Walther's advantage for using a "Brauch (sic) silencer". I always thought the armorer meant suppressors with a wipe-disc and called it a 'brush' silencer. If you're not familiar, which I doubt, I pulled this explanation from google to better explain: "However, some suppressors historically used in espionage or special military groups incorporate one or more flexible disks called wipes (typically made of wax, rubber, neoprene, leather, or polymer) that are sometimes perforated or pre-cut to allow the bullet to easily pass through, but are potentially capable of slowing the bullet to below the speed of sound to eliminate the supersonic crack, as well as more fully sealing around the bullet to contain the expanding gases." I assume the armorer may have used the wrong terminology of this accessory since he is also greatly misinformed about the muzzle energy of a .32 cal round through plate glass. Regards!
Just commenting to give a shout-out to the WA 2000 sniper rifle Dalton's Bond uses at the beginning of The Living Daylights. It's a rare piece, if nothing else.
I'd still carry the PPK. When I worked as a bounty hunter, I carried one as a backup, with +P rounds. My main was the Browning Highpower 40 Cal. Loved it!
Great list for great reasons. But, what about the Walter P99? Only used in a handful of Bond films compared to the high power or the MP40, but it’s got excellent ergonomics, reliability, accuracy, power (9mm) and it’s distinct enough not to get confused with a mere “henchman’s pistol”
I applaud your homage to Bond's notch-lapel tuxedo from the "private" dinner party scene in Goldfinger. The shirt pleats are in the same style as well! Best wishes from Poland!
One of my favorite themes was from the movie before the Living Daylights, A View to a Kill, I love Duran Duran. I'm curious if you've tried the opening turn and shoot like the opening of the Bond movies with the PPK? It wasn't as difficult as I thought.
I just bought an FEG copy of the browning hi power and I gotta say it’s by far my all time favorite pistol to shoot. rugged, durable, and most of wall reliable. Never have any Jams with mine and only picked it up for $400 !!!
Great video ! I was thinking the Walther P38 as number one. I so much would love the new SA35. Alas, I live behind the iron curtain in the people's republik of Kalifornia.
kind of offended that the Whitaker’s Blackbeard-shield CAR-15 from The Living Daylights, the Vz. 58 from Octopussy, the MP5, the kitted-out M16s used by the henchmen in Tomorrow Never Dies, the Glock 18 from Skyfall, and the Walther P5 or P99 never showed up
Nice to see the High Power get some appreciation. I'd not have guessed it was so prevalent in the Bond films, but as soon as James started down the list of reasons why the #1 gun was picked, I knew then which one it was.
Great video review with one glaring exception. The list needed at least an honorable mention to include the Armalite AR-7 ( Now currently in production as the Henry Survival Rifle in .22 as opposed to the .25). It had a prominent role in "From Russia With Love", "Goldfinger" and "On her Majesty's Secret Service". Best of all it is the only gun that most of us can afford or readily obtain, as opposed to the other great weapons reviewed. Well done regardless. Carry on!
Glad to see the workhorse Browning HP get some recognition at last. Its been quietly doing the work for dozens of British Commonwealth nations for decades including my own (Australia) where it is known as the MK 3. I carried this pistol as my service sidearm for most of my service as a signals geek and remember it fondly.
James, I’m only disappointed there was no special shout-out for the spearguns in Thunderball, taking out Henchmen both in and out of the water. I would understand if the list were firearm specific, but is a list of guns. Back in the early 80’s the United States Navy sent me too Japan too work in a hospital and drink beer, I bought my first VCR with a wire remote control , I purchased the Thunderball VHS tape for $75 ,that was the average price for movie’s there , and wouldn’t have rentals available for another year or so.
If using a stereotypical boom box as a casing, one can stack two M72 LAWs in there. Even put in an MP3 player and Bluetooth speaker for functionality. The MP40 was the original Ghetto Blaster btw. Dark, I know.
Hardly anyone outside the UK saw either of those and the latter in particular was not well-received. So they won't be on the radar, icon-wise, for the vast majority of English-speaking people online (who are overwhelmingly American).
I can tell you having owned an East German Makarov PM for several years, I prefer that to the PPK. One, the Makarov is very, very reliable and has been with pretty much every type of ammo, crappy surplus or Hornady XTP and whatever else I can get my hands on. The thing to remember about the PPK in .32 ACP was what it was designed for, not .380. It's like the Hungarian FEG in 9mm Makarov, not that reliable. The PPK is better in the smaller round as far as reliability, not necessarily for power though.
I've put at least 3000 rounds through a .380 PPK. When cleaned and lubed it is remarkably reliable. After 50 rounds it will begin to slow down and you can expect failure to feeds after maybe 80 rounds. When clean mine will fire all seven rounds in the gun and the two spare mags I carry as fast as I can load and pull the trigger.
@@bdockett mine seems to work pretty good , but then mine is the older "west german made" imported by Interarms. I think the new ones made here buy Umarex might be ok, unless that's the one you got. I know the older ones made here buy companies that Interarms chose is a toss up.
Fun Fact: The UK had half as many knife attacks as the US in 2022. So on top of constantly shooting each other you also stab each other a lot more than normal people.
Don't forget about in Golden Eye the actress Izabella Scorupco. Even now she's hotter than a two dollar pistol. I had a Bersa 380 and it wasn't a bad Walther knockoff. I only got rid of it because the ammo was more than 9mm and it was kinda small for my mitt. Great video!
This was an interesting video. I am kinda sad that my favorite Bond gun wasn't shown or mentioned, the Walther P99. From Tomorrow never dies to Quantum of Solace, Bond used a Walther P99 instead of the PPK.
I'll never forget watching the theme song for Goldeneye in theaters. Hands down still my favorite Bond film to this day and my personal choice for best Bond theme song. 2nd and 3rd best Bond songs are Skyfall and Goldfinger (for iconic reasons). Follow-up best Bond films for me are measured by how much I want to re-watch them and for my money, it's Goldfinger, Skyfall, and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Its hard to find the quality and character of " Mans Man " Like us James. Real men in the 40s and up area who grew up on James Bond 007, Star Wars ( I allow " Trekies ' as well ) and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies in the 80s. This Harry Potter Generation is so Feminan. Keep up the good work James. A+
Had a S&W built PPK/S. Great gun. Ammo was a fortune. Bought one of the new ones made by Walther in 22lr. Great reliable gun as well and cheaper to shoot.
Ian Flemming's James Bond also kept a "long barreled" .45 in the glove compartment of his Frankenstein roadster. That was about all the description of it from what I remember.
Gotta love the hipower. I have been lusting it for so long now, but it was never made in Brazil (where I live) and importation is quite hard. Yes, there is the SA35 to give me some hope, BUT I did get disappointed by it with some recent videos os a strip down of it
Sterling submachine gun for me. Love it in Roger Moore's hands in The Spy Who Loved Me, and it never looked better than in the helicopter assault on Blofeld's base in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
When talking about the PPK and the companies that produced them, you forgot to mention Manurhin in France. The French government took the jigs and tooling from Walther as part of the spoils of war in 1945 and produced the PPK for their police force as their side arm. I think it was 1968 when the tooling was returned to Walther and production commenced in Germany again.
Shout out to the Hi-Power for being the backup gun of choice of none other than Indiana Jones where he whips one out in a New York reload during the Tibetan Bar shootout in Raiders.
NO Desmond died in a car crash. On 19 December 1999, Llewelyn was driving alone from a book signing event when his Renault Mégane collided head-on with a Fiat Bravo on the A27 near the village of Berwick, East Sussex. Llewelyn sustained massive internal injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Eastbourne District General Hospital, where he died soon afterward at the age of 85.
I would really love to see a presentation on JHP grain selection, 115 vs 124 vs 147 out of modern defensive micro 9mm pistols with barrels under 3.5 inch’s
![I Rank the Pistols from HEAT in a Tier List [SPOILERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4HrA8A4X-_I/mqdefault.jpg)
Reeves giving off big Archer energy
Danger Zone!!!
Ocelot club for life
LANAAAAAAA
@@dogwalk3 WHAAAT
Honestly I was hoping to see the P99 on here. I have a first gen model and it's actually a great gun - something I wish they had never stopped using in those movies because they're much more practical than the PPK, and it commands the screen better.
I agree. I hope in the future Bond movies they switch over to the Walther PDP or something closer to the PPK size like the Sig P365
That's the gun I specifically clicked on this video to hear about.
side note: Casino Royale was dope as hell
Same the p99 is a great pistol and it would be great if they upgraded bond again to a ppq or pdp
@@CREEPINGIRON Casino Royale was the best of the entire franchise in my opinion (probably one that's shared by a lot of people).
@@robertjohnson9756 yeah I wished that if they were going to ditch the P99, they would've gone with maybe a PPQ. Keep it in the Walter family at least, kind of like what they've done with Aston Martin usually.
Kinda surprised he didn't give a nod to the Walther P99 which was used by Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day and, I believe, is the first introduction of modern polymer framed pistols in Bond films.
It was also in Casino Royale (2006). Skyfall reversed the change, I assume because of the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, but they unfortunately never went back.
I don't know why they used the P99, I always thought the Walther PPS would have been a better match for Bond.
@@mcdoctorglock James Bond adopted the P99 in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies which at the time had just hit the market, the PPS didn't hit the market until 2007, one year after Casino Royale
I think he could have swapped it for the Ghetto Blaster tbh
@@mcdoctorglock One supposes it's a matter of mission profile or the times Bond shown using a sidearm. The PPK is very much a concealed carry weapon meant for defense when the poop suddenly hits the fan, but missions like the Arkangelsk Dam infiltration and chemical weapons plant sabotage mission from GoldenEye? Trevelyan's Browning BDA (modernized Hi-Power) with the bigger caliber ammo and carry capacity would be the smarter choice for any protracted gunfight.
Brosnan Bond switching to the then new P99 makes sense if more of his gunfights are happening as big shootouts where the 17(?) rounds of 9mm would take nearly three full magazines of the PPK's 7.65mm to match in just round count. I agree the PPS for Craig's sidearm would be more logical, though.
James, the Boothroyd letters to Fleming, which are available in various books/articles, did not recommend the PPK for Bond. Boothroyd was pushing for a short barrelled .38 special Smith and Wesson, backed up by a S&W in .357 for long range work. The PPK was actually recommended as a villain’s weapon. Fleming preferred semi-autos and went with the PPK since it could accept a silencer (Boothroyd didn’t think silencers were worth the effort at the time). The Dr. No film replaced the .25 acp Beretta for the 1934 in .380, so also not Boothroyd’s fault.
Boothroyd recommended the Smith & Wesson Cenntenial Airweight for Bond.
@@bgbeck55 Yup. The PPK was for concealed carry, the Airweight for something "heavier". The thing is, Bond used to carry something much heavier in his car until he lost it in a car crash while chasing Drax in "Moonraker", a Colt .45 SA Army. Or, at least, this is the assumption as, though Fleming called it an "Army Special", he described it as being chambered for the .45 long Colt. So, Bond upgraded in his daily carry, but, downgraded on his "special purpose" gun.
@@bgbeck55 It occurs to me that Fleming might have confused the 1919 DA .38 Army Special with the U.S.M.C. 1909 DA revolver chambered in the long Colt round.
Revolver fans coping hard rn, possibly seething
@@bgbeck55 , indeed, Bond received both Walther PPK and a S&W Centennial Airweight in the "Dr. No" book.
First generation Walther P99. It’s the BEST polymer striker fired platform ever made. Sure, Glock set the trend, but the P99 is more durable, robust, reliable, accurate, and has an outstanding trigger for a striker fired pistol released in 1997. Should have at least received a mention.
You are correct sir.
P99 for the WIN.
Agreed. I always get a kick out of the scene in Casino Royale when Daniel Craig uses the decocker while sitting in his Aston Martin.
Agreed
Had one, hated it. Trigger was garbage IMO.
I was surprised not to see the P99 make an appearance. I was also surprised the firearm mentioned from "The Living Daylights" was the "Ghetto Blaster" and not the WA2000 sniper rifle.
I was looking for the WA2000 as well.
To be fair, since the WA2000 only appears in the one film it's kind of understandable it's not. It has a bigger connection to Agent 47 from the Hitman Franchise then James Bond.
The P99 is the coolest. It's ergonomic, big enough for duty but compact enough for carry, uses a novel paddle release, replicates DA/SA with a striker, and actually has a good trigger right out of the box.
The PPK was a great carry pistol, a hundred years ago
It still is
And it will be like that in 100 years. I love my PPK
PPK ALL THE WAY !!!!!!!!!!
I EDCed a PPKs for over 20 years back before we had plastic guns. We now have better options, but that gun is over 30 years old, looks like new, and is as reliable as ever. Its like a piece of fine jewelry.
So was Judy Dench
For me its AKS-74U Pierce used in Goldeneye
The MP40 is the first real Getto Blaster
LMAO!
🤣🤣🤣
Holy shit the savagery! I applaud you
Wrong lol the Thompson was around way before the MP40, carried more ammo and fired alot faster... Not to mention it was made in America...
Right
I agree with you on The Living Daylights James. I’d say it’s tied with Casino Royale for the best theme song and Timothy Dalton is a tragically underrated Bond.
Live and Let Die. All day, every day.
Love Dalton. I think he was underrated as Bond and brought a viscous, aggressive undertone to the character that felt real.
Agreed! After all the campy crap from the too-long-as-Bond Roger Moore films, Timothy Dalton was a great change of pace to a more realistic and more believable 'license to kill' character.
IMO, Roger Moore as a believable 007 ended after The Man With The Golden Gun. Even starting with The Man With The Golden Gun, the series took a left turn toward more and more comedic slants (the return of the Sheriff JW Pepper, Jaws, etc.)
Part of that is because Moore was already 45 when he started in the role and, since he had never been seen as much of a physical actor, it quickly became less and less believable to watch him supposedly doing fight scenes or anything involving action.
Dalton and Lazonby are underrated and remarkably good Bonds.
@@Pro2eus Yeah, I always thought Lazenby did pretty well considering the amount of comparison flack he was obviously going to get. Then, he got some horrible advice from a manager and pissed off EON.
Nickel plated Smith & Wesson model 29 44 magnum in Live And Let Die surely is the coolest looking handgun used by Bond!
*Casually ashes cigar while flying hand glider*
Pairs well with a tight black turtleneck
Goldeneye had fantastic weapons including a tank and an attack helicopter. Those are on my bucket list too! Lol
@Lesgo Brandon The saw blade thing is a real tree trimming helicopter attachment. Usually for trimming trees alongside power lines.
After re-watching your video I must thank you for making this. Bond movies have been some of my most favorite in my lifetime. Your channel is also one of my favorites. While the PPK slide bites my hands I believe it is the most iconic 007 gun bar none.
... the line that the "32 acp round hits like a brick through a glass window." is up there with Bruce Willis, in Die Hard 2, saying that the "Glock 7 is a porcelain gun " ...
James, before you do the PPK review, you’ve got to get your hands on a .32 Walther PPK. All of the problems people have with the PPK magically go away when you shoot it in Bond’s caliber. Trust me, it is worth your time; you’re going to fall in love with it. Is it practical? No. But let’s be honest, with the G43 available in 2021, you don’t buy a PPK for practical reasons.
I agree with you partly. I love my "made in west germany" ( probaly made in france by you know who) PPK/S in 380, and don't see the problems people seem to have with it, small but large enough to find in a hurry , light but heavy enough to fight recoil and flat. and mine has a really nice trigger. but I really wish I also had the 32acp version ( AND the PPK/L with the aluminum frame in 32 acp) . and I like the fact that it gets smaller up front. glocks seem blocky to me. if I was to go plastic then maybe Sccy if they are good. ( I might be missing something, but I have not heard anything bad about them).
@@glennsammon4465 I don’t know much about the SCCY, other than that it is very value priced. I’ve never given it a chance because it reminds me a lot of the KelTec P11, and I hated the trigger on that gun. For a similar sized polymer compact, I love the look and feel of the Sig P365. That is my favorite compact, looks-wise, since the PPK. Granted, you could get three SCCYs for the price. I like the Glock 42, personally. It is very compact, but with low recoil for faster and more controlled follow-up shots than the Glock 43. Being a recoil operated design, rather than blowback operated, it doesn’t rely as much on weight to keep it from being too snappy.
@@glennsammon4465 they are low quality guns.
I bought one for a carry gun when I couldn't conceal anything else. I normally carry a double action gun. I wanted to stay consistent.
I would have to disagree with the "Living Daylights" being the best Bond theme song. A-Ha did a great job........but in my opinion, "A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran can not be fucked with. Too bad Depeche Mode never got their shot at it.
Ooooohhhhh View to a Kill is one of my least favourite Bond films but definitely has one of the best themes!
I think that Depeche mode and Duran Duran can kick Bond's ass anytime.
OHMSS
For me it's Goldfinger > Live and Let Die > everything else.
You can pick on a lot of things in that movie, but the theme song is not one of them.
Don't forget --Sir Christopher Lee REALLY WAS a "James Bond" --type guy in World War II as a 'special forces' commando. He started out training as an RAF pilot, but an optic nerve issue which developed at higher altitude stopped his flight training. It didn't prevent him from doing intelligence work behind enemy lines, however. His relative Ian Fleming actually suggested him to play Bond but the producers preferred Connery (who could blame them!)
Didn't he serve in Finland?
@@robwalsh9843 Not really. He was basically guarding weapons and ammunition storages for a short while. Wouldn't call that serving.
@TheHyperfilthered Ian flemming actually created and led 30th assault unit which carried out special forces operations of paramount importance. Also Christopher Lee was basically a intelligence liason for an sas detachment during multiple campaigns. Do you think he would have made a great james bond?
Has he ever looked young?
@@Readdead2779 Yeah I know that. What I meant is that he did not serve in Finland outside of some guard duty :D
The .25 caliber Beretta that Bond had to turn in is one of the rarer models, a 418. Apart from the weak caliber it has the advantage of an open slide to minimize extraction issues, is striker fired, has a grip/drop safety, and is small enough to fit into the type of short shorts and bathing suits worn by Sean Connery in the early films (and like James does in his homage to Bond films). Try that with a Walther PPK. By the way, points to James for using film clips from his Jamaican vacation in this video, so he right off the whole trip as a business expense ;)
Absolutely wonderful list, love the Bond film franchise. Bond films were a staple of my formative years, never did develop a taste for martinis, though.
Great video and yes the Hi Power designed by John Browning is an underrated gun the British military used it for decades if I’m correct
Most weapons designed by Browning are still used today. Heck, the 50 cal still lives on from WW II. That takes a genius to design something never seen before but so effective it never changed in designed. 60 years later and still commissioned.
@@FanaticDrummer
Correct it can fire dual or quad and be load from either side. They recently made a change they made it so you don’t have to set head space and timing and preform a barrel quick change.
The HP was standard in Britain from WWII until 2013. It still is the standard sidearm in a lot of militaries around the world, e.g. Belgium, Canada, Australia, etc.
If in your upcoming PPK review you have the opportunity to try one in .32 (especially an original WALTHER or Manhurin made pistol) I think you might be pleasantly surprised. I've carried a .380 PPK and a PPK/s but then wound up owning two vintage (1967 and 1945) models in .32 acp (the 1945 model is aluminum "Dural" framed). In some studies (particularly the older studies from the 80s and 90s, .32 and .380 really perform pretty similarly despite the greater energy of the latter. Yet with the .32 I get an extra round, superb accuracy, and very light recoil. Just a thought ... and now an acknowledgement that a .32 PPK and .32 acp ammo might be rather thin on the ground at the moment. AND in full disclosure, I carry my Walther P99 a hell of a lot more than I do my vintage PPKs anyway. ;)
Up to 1980s,by the European ammunition standards, the .380 Auto was weaker than American-made ammo (about 100 fps less from a 4-inch barrel), while .32 Auto was more powerful. This made the Europeans give preference to .32 Auto for decades.
7.65 > 380 ACP. All day.
Another candidate for most enjoyable scene with an MP-40 was when Jill St. John experienced its recoil in Diamonds Are Forever (unless I’m wrong and she was using a different gun). This lovely Bond Girl obviously needed some training from Gangster Granny! :)
I think it looked more like a Danish Madsen. Or possibly the similar Smith & Wesson model 76.
The old woman during the goldfinger car chase had an mp40
The thing about all those large frame sub guns is that they really don’t kick much. You could fire one very inaccurately, with one hand but it looks cooler on film for a hot chick in a bikini to get tossed around while firing one.
I absolutely LOVED the UMP-9 in Casino Royale ending !
True story, when I was 20 something, I bought and sold a Davis Industries 380 PPK for $50 bucks, and didn't even realize it was a knock off BOND GUN until getting into bond and firearm's later on into my 30's.
Walther P99 should be on list. It was a great way to introduce a new pistol in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Just watched "No Time To Die" for the first time last night and noticed that James' off duty gun was a BHP!
My favorite is the walther p99. Theres just something so badass about Daniel Craig taking one with a huge suppressor out of a package in an elevator in Casino Royale.
Daniel Craig sucks!
The main reason why I bought one and still carry it to this day.
Forgot to add a movie about the SAS made in 1982 titled Final Opinion or Who Dares Wins story line SAS dealing with terrorists and nuclear weapons. The SAS side arm the Browning Hi Power . Worth the watch
Happy Thanksgiving James...i'm using my husbands acct, I'm Taylre the wife. Am watching your Tday special and gotta say am enjoying (only show i can actually tolerate). Love this segment on the top five guns of James Bond then i got a thinking about the other top five guns in other countries which led me curious about the top five guns out of Japan. I'm Japanese, knowlegdable in my family history of Samuri's but since i too have an interest in shooting would love your knowledge and expertise in the area of Japanese guns. Just a thought. Domo Arigato. Taylre Burton
Golden gun is so iconic from Goldeneye 64 that they would name other guns in games the “golden gun”. Everyone knows it means one shot kill weapon.
Slappers only was my jam. That and throwing knives 🤓
The crossbow was the best weapon in Golden eye 64... plain and simple
Bump.
Still my favorite game ever
Dual Klobbs should be #1 (for their inability to damage enemies, just drop your framerate to below 2 fps)
Thank you for acknowledging the best James Bond movie and the best James Bond. Of course I’m talking about The Living Daylights and Timothy Dalton.
My only objection is Countess Teresa di Vicenzo played by Diana Rigg should’ve been in the list of James Bond hotties. He would’ve chosen her himself. Sadly most young people only know her as Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.
Fortunately the later Gardner books weren’t considered or James would’ve hat to consider the M1911.
An original Avenger!!
Thanks for that knowledge 👍
@@SpaceManWyo Oh yes, Ms. Peel got my teen blood going, those many years ago!
Can't ever forget EMMA!
The story is that the creators of "The Avengers" needed a Bond Girl type, one with "M Appeal," the M standing for men. Diana certainly possessed that quality in spades. I could watch her do martial art kicks wearing those skin-tight leather pants until the end of time.
Love the 007 content. Since I was 12 I was glued to the tv Bond marathons between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As far as I'm concerned they are the original gun guy movies.
James Reeves in 2017: "Walther PPK is the most overrated handgun of all time"
James Reeves in 2021: "I love the Walther PPK"
I wouldn't sneeze at the .25. A fifty grain bullet at 800 fps or so is going to hurt bad. We tend to overgun here in America in my opinion. I seem to recall reading about Elmer Keith in my high school days. One story was that he shot a running coyote at 600 yards with a 25.20 rifle. The ballistics on softer rounds make long range shooting more difficult but the animal doesn't care how far you are when he's hit. The .25 ACP would be fine in self defense in my humble opinion. Great show!
P-35 I agree. You mention SBS well I used to be acquainted with a retired Royal Marine Commando Sniper before he passed. For awhile he was attached to the SAS in Northern Ireland and they were each issued 2 P-35s. One in the vehicle and the other on their person at all times.
In the latest Bond film, James has a P-35 at his Jamaican retirement home. Love my Hi-Powers.
Picked up a PPK last Monday and I love it!
The Browning became an icon in films NOT with "Beverly Hills Cop" but with the 1973 film "Serpico". It had nearly as much influence on the Browning market as "Dirty Harry" did for the S&W Model 29.
FWIW...in the film "Dr. No" James Bond uses the Browning for the gunfight on the beach, though he clearly goes into the scene with the PPK, he suddenly has a Browning when he is shooting from behind cover and then, magically, switches back to the PPK when the shooting stops.
Another gun Bond used a lot, especially (for some reason) in scenes with a "silencer" was the FN Model 1910. Perhaps the barrel nut (Browning calls it a "slide ring") made for an easy adaptation to suppressors. (??) In any case it appears in many films.
In the movie, Serpico buys his Browning from the Jovino Gun Shop, which was a famous gun shop in NYC.
This was fricken great!
This is the second one of your videos I've watched.
Is there any videos with the sidearms of Indiana Jones?
Thanks, James. Glad to see the PPK painted in the light it deserves with respect to Bond and reality. For better and for worse.
James, another great vid with humor as dry as a Vesper martini.
By the way, I have a theory about the armorer's statement of the Walther's advantage for using a "Brauch (sic) silencer". I always thought the armorer meant suppressors with a wipe-disc and called it a 'brush' silencer. If you're not familiar, which I doubt, I pulled this explanation from google to better explain: "However, some suppressors historically used in espionage or special military groups incorporate one or more flexible disks called wipes (typically made of wax, rubber, neoprene, leather, or polymer) that are sometimes perforated or pre-cut to allow the bullet to easily pass through, but are potentially capable of slowing the bullet to below the speed of sound to eliminate the supersonic crack, as well as more fully sealing around the bullet to contain the expanding gases."
I assume the armorer may have used the wrong terminology of this accessory since he is also greatly misinformed about the muzzle energy of a .32 cal round through plate glass. Regards!
The AK74 SU was used in several films. Goldeneye had Brosnan using it and Moore used it. Even Mokre used it.
Yo the content and editing are really good! Like honestly a good channel!
Just commenting to give a shout-out to the WA 2000 sniper rifle Dalton's Bond uses at the beginning of The Living Daylights. It's a rare piece, if nothing else.
I'd still carry the PPK. When I worked as a bounty hunter, I carried one as a backup, with +P rounds. My main was the Browning Highpower 40 Cal. Loved it!
Great list for great reasons. But, what about the Walter P99?
Only used in a handful of Bond films compared to the high power or the MP40, but it’s got excellent ergonomics, reliability, accuracy, power (9mm) and it’s distinct enough not to get confused with a mere “henchman’s pistol”
I applaud your homage to Bond's notch-lapel tuxedo from the "private" dinner party scene in Goldfinger. The shirt pleats are in the same style as well! Best wishes from Poland!
Casino Royals and Living daylights for best theme song? Have none of you ever heard of Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger?
...Or Nancy Sinatra singing You Only Live Twice?
One of my favorite themes was from the movie before the Living Daylights, A View to a Kill, I love Duran Duran.
I'm curious if you've tried the opening turn and shoot like the opening of the Bond movies with the PPK? It wasn't as difficult as I thought.
Watch my Shooting while drunk' vid
Side note: I thought Dalton had the best form turning to shoot. All the other Bonds had weird movements (flinching, hopping).
Brings me back to the days of goldeneye on N64, miss that so much
Some of your best work here. Would’ve probably chosen the P99 for my own list, but loved to see the nod to the Hi Power.
I’m a huge fan of Bond from the theme song to the cars to the babes.
I just bought an FEG copy of the browning hi power and I gotta say it’s by far my all time favorite pistol to shoot. rugged, durable, and most of wall reliable. Never have any Jams with mine and only picked it up for $400 !!!
Great video ! I was thinking the Walther P38 as number one. I so much would love the new SA35. Alas, I live behind the iron curtain in the people's republik of Kalifornia.
kind of offended that the Whitaker’s Blackbeard-shield CAR-15 from The Living Daylights, the Vz. 58 from Octopussy, the MP5, the kitted-out M16s used by the henchmen in Tomorrow Never Dies, the Glock 18 from Skyfall, and the Walther P5 or P99 never showed up
I was hoping to see the S&W model 29 .44 Magnum mentioned as it's the total antithesis of the PPK
Nice to see the High Power get some appreciation. I'd not have guessed it was so prevalent in the Bond films, but as soon as James started down the list of reasons why the #1 gun was picked, I knew then which one it was.
Great video review with one glaring exception. The list needed at least an honorable mention to include the Armalite AR-7 ( Now currently in production as the Henry Survival Rifle in .22 as opposed to the .25). It had a prominent role in "From Russia With Love", "Goldfinger" and "On her Majesty's Secret Service". Best of all it is the only gun that most of us can afford or readily obtain, as opposed to the other great weapons reviewed. Well done regardless. Carry on!
Glad to see the workhorse Browning HP get some recognition at last. Its been quietly doing the work for dozens of British Commonwealth nations for decades including my own (Australia) where it is known as the MK 3. I carried this pistol as my service sidearm for most of my service as a signals geek and remember it fondly.
I’d give the Walther P99 an honorable mention. First practical pistol he chose to carry.
Thanks!
James, I’m only disappointed there was no special shout-out for the spearguns in Thunderball, taking out Henchmen both in and out of the water. I would understand if the list were firearm specific, but is a list of guns. Back in the early 80’s the United States Navy sent me too Japan too work in a hospital and drink beer, I bought my first VCR with a wire remote control , I purchased the Thunderball VHS tape for $75 ,that was the average price for movie’s there , and wouldn’t have rentals available for another year or so.
If using a stereotypical boom box as a casing, one can stack two M72 LAWs in there. Even put in an MP3 player and Bluetooth speaker for functionality. The MP40 was the original Ghetto Blaster btw. Dark, I know.
I'd say the Browning HP became an icon, through The Professionals, and the movie Who Dares Wins.
Hardly anyone outside the UK saw either of those and the latter in particular was not well-received. So they won't be on the radar, icon-wise, for the vast majority of English-speaking people online (who are overwhelmingly American).
1:39 Okay that move was dope. Also, the list only needs three: PPK, P99, WA2000.
I can tell you having owned an East German Makarov PM for several years, I prefer that to the PPK. One, the Makarov is very, very reliable and has been with pretty much every type of ammo, crappy surplus or Hornady XTP and whatever else I can get my hands on. The thing to remember about the PPK in .32 ACP was what it was designed for, not .380. It's like the Hungarian FEG in 9mm Makarov, not that reliable. The PPK is better in the smaller round as far as reliability, not necessarily for power though.
I've put at least 3000 rounds through a .380 PPK. When cleaned and lubed it is remarkably reliable. After 50 rounds it will begin to slow down and you can expect failure to feeds after maybe 80 rounds. When clean mine will fire all seven rounds in the gun and the two spare mags I carry as fast as I can load and pull the trigger.
@@bdockett mine seems to work pretty good , but then mine is the older "west german made" imported by Interarms. I think the new ones made here buy Umarex might be ok, unless that's the one you got. I know the older ones made here buy companies that Interarms chose is a toss up.
Along with the Beretta 92 and yes the 1911, I think the ppk is one of the most beautiful and comfortable to hold handguns.
Epic video! Thanks for uploading. None of these guns is among my favorite, however all of them are great. Fun to watch.
Ppk needs a clean feed ramp, round nosed profectile, and a right handed operator not afraid of nasty slide bite.
Fun Fact: The UK had half as many knife attacks as the US in 2022. So on top of constantly shooting each other you also stab each other a lot more than normal people.
Don't forget about in Golden Eye the actress Izabella Scorupco. Even now she's hotter than a two dollar pistol. I had a Bersa 380 and it wasn't a bad Walther knockoff. I only got rid of it because the ammo was more than 9mm and it was kinda small for my mitt. Great video!
She was criminally underrated
It seemed alot of the Bond girls were Italian.
Hell yeah. I'm surprised, expecting the Walther but I totally approve. If it's featured in 14 Bond movies, nobody can argue.
This was an interesting video.
I am kinda sad that my favorite Bond gun wasn't shown or mentioned, the Walther P99.
From Tomorrow never dies to Quantum of Solace, Bond used a Walther P99 instead of the PPK.
I loved this video! I was not expecting the Hi Power to be the top gun.
Awesome video James! How about Top 5 Predator and Commando guns?
The walther ppk always has been and always will be my favorite james bond gun.
I'll never forget watching the theme song for Goldeneye in theaters. Hands down still my favorite Bond film to this day and my personal choice for best Bond theme song. 2nd and 3rd best Bond songs are Skyfall and Goldfinger (for iconic reasons). Follow-up best Bond films for me are measured by how much I want to re-watch them and for my money, it's Goldfinger, Skyfall, and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Man this video was great, I love your work Mr. Reeves, keep it up!!
Its hard to find the quality and character of " Mans Man " Like us James. Real men in the 40s and up area who grew up on James Bond 007, Star Wars ( I allow " Trekies ' as well ) and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies in the 80s.
This Harry Potter Generation is so Feminan. Keep up the good work James. A+
Had a S&W built PPK/S. Great gun. Ammo was a fortune. Bought one of the new ones made by Walther in 22lr. Great reliable gun as well and cheaper to shoot.
Reeves, James Reeves
Armalite AR-7 survival rifle with "infrared lens" and suppressor in "From Russia With Love" (1963)
Honorable mention: the WA 2000 from The Living Daylights
Ian Flemming's James Bond also kept a "long barreled" .45 in the glove compartment of his Frankenstein roadster. That was about all the description of it from what I remember.
Gotta love the hipower. I have been lusting it for so long now, but it was never made in Brazil (where I live) and importation is quite hard. Yes, there is the SA35 to give me some hope, BUT I did get disappointed by it with some recent videos os a strip down of it
Argentina has made copies for yesrs.
@@WALTERBROADDUS To be honest, our governements are so confusing and anti-gun that it is easier to import from USA than from Argentina
Sterling submachine gun for me. Love it in Roger Moore's hands in The Spy Who Loved Me, and it never looked better than in the helicopter assault on Blofeld's base in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
When talking about the PPK and the companies that produced them, you forgot to mention Manurhin in France. The French government took the jigs and tooling from Walther as part of the spoils of war in 1945 and produced the PPK for their police force as their side arm. I think it was 1968 when the tooling was returned to Walther and production commenced in Germany again.
Key takeaway-the boombox has enough firepower to start a dance party or stop an armored column...LMAO
The Bersa Thunder is the newer more reliable version of the PPK. And for 1/3 of the cost.
I like the Browning HP, but was really hoping to see the P99 get some love especially because Walther stopped production.
Still “available”
Shout out to the Hi-Power for being the backup gun of choice of none other than Indiana Jones where he whips one out in a New York reload during the Tibetan Bar shootout in Raiders.
I found the silenced version of the 8.8cm Flack gun to very effective at 100m....bit difficult to get out of the shoulder holster but hey....
I really, really hope the rock doesn’t become James Bond.
Better hope he doesn't become president.
@@FestusBro I dunno, I don’t think it’s great but it couldn’t get any worse than it is now could it?
NO Desmond died in a car crash.
On 19 December 1999, Llewelyn was driving alone from a book signing event when his Renault Mégane collided head-on with a Fiat Bravo on the A27 near the village of Berwick, East Sussex. Llewelyn sustained massive internal injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Eastbourne District General Hospital, where he died soon afterward at the age of 85.
You would have thought he would have known that and not be upset by something Q said.
Great video, and I can't argue against any of the choices, but man it sucks that the only one close to practical is the Browning Hi-Power.
The sole issue I have with the Browning Hi-Power is its current availability...they are thin on the ground if you don't pay premium prices.
I would really love to see a presentation on JHP grain selection, 115 vs 124 vs 147 out of modern defensive micro 9mm pistols with barrels under 3.5 inch’s
My glock 19 didn't seem to like 119 all the time. But it was a champ with 124.
I'm so proud you guys are also from my city New Orleans and James you are hilarious and so smart.
Holy shit! I can finally proudly say that james has something I DONT have...
Student loan debt!
If you want a reliable PPK .380, I recommend the Sig P232. A small reliable .380 now would easily have been the LCPMax for concealability.