Bond's Beretta on You Tube

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Comments

  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    This does not include the ASP, and is a little long in the tooth but still in the AJB Archives:

    http://jamesbond.ajb007.co.uk/handguns-of-james-bond/

    kind of a preview...
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    There is no manual thumb safety on the Centennial. It does have a grip safety on the backstrap, which is squeezed in as one grips the gun,allowing the double action only trigger mechanism to work. There is also a rebounding hammer that after firing and releasing the trigger moves back from contact with the cartridge. The Centennial is a fine gun but really unsuited for that gunfight on Crab Key. Of course, if Bond had won that gunfight, he wouldn't have gotten to meet Dr No, which is the whole point of the story,isn't it?

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    Yes,it would be safe,but not all that secure without a holster. Using an inside the waistband holster would be very safe. If your character is packing the Centennial he could also use a front pocket,which is a favored carry method among Airweight users.One other thing:there won't be any "cocking" sound if the gun is pulled:sound editors insist on adding that so the audience will "know"
    the shooter means business. Thankfully,so far, the Bond people seem to know better....

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,660MI6 Agent
    7289 wrote:
    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

    Going back to the 418...I've asked about this a few times in different threads, but would anyone be interested in a project to make a few resin replicas of Bond's 418, complete with suppressor? I personally would rather avoid the process of purchasing a real firearm in addition to the task of deactivating it, etc., etc. I think that unpainted, unassembled resin pieces would work out for most, who'd be interested. Any thoughts?
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    I'd like to give you some encouragement, but I know nothing of resin casting. Perhaps a 3D printer could build up an inert Beretta?
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,660MI6 Agent
    7289 wrote:
    I'd like to give you some encouragement, but I know nothing of resin casting. Perhaps a 3D printer could build up an inert Beretta?

    I know a little about resin casting...if only there were a perfect specimen of a silenced Beretta 418 available 8-)
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    Superado;
    If you live in California where a real gun is perfectly legal, why would you want a deactivated gun? As far as I know, legally it will still be a firearm, and will be worth a lot more live than deactivated. As to a resin copy of the Beretta 418, I don't know of any, but perhaps one of the movie gun companies out there could help.

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    I can see the point of a resin cast Bond Beretta, lots of fans don't want a "real" pistol. Even though the Beretta in it's Bond form barely qualifies. It would also be cheaper than the real deal.

    You would still have to be careful with it as fake guns can get you into a lot of trouble too.

    Still the Beretta is a pretty complicated design, I think it would be a pain to reproduce well.
  • superadosuperado Regent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,660MI6 Agent
    edited October 2014
    7289 wrote:
    I can see the point of a resin cast Bond Beretta, lots of fans don't want a "real" pistol. Even though the Beretta in it's Bond form barely qualifies. It would also be cheaper than the real deal.

    You would still have to be careful with it as fake guns can get you into a lot of trouble too.

    Still the Beretta is a pretty complicated design, I think it would be a pain to reproduce well.

    Yes, I wouldn't want the authorities to have reason to raid my collectibles, lol. I think the biggest issue of replicating the pistol in resin is rendering the exposed parts under the grip panels, though some of it would be obstructed by tape, which is the configuration I would prefer. However, I don't think it is a difficult obstacle to overcome, which is the fun in hobbies like this. Since I would like a replica mounted on a plaque or display box, the details would only need to be convincing on the side that's exposed.

    Here is the brand I use for creating silicone molds and casting items with resin: http://www.smooth-on.com/Firearms-Related-A/c1415/index.html

    Here's an example of the molding process from the website of "Smooth-On":

    prop_pistol_demolded.jpg
    "...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    Superado:
    If you're able to do the molding yourself, that's great, and I can understand why you'd want to go that. You just have to find someone willing to have his Beretta used for a cast. I think I'd just cast the unmodified gun with perhaps a little carving and wrap the grip with tape. I have always wondered if there are problem with the host gun after casting,and would love to see a work in progress report if you do the casting.
    Good luck with your project.

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    I would wager the "Bond" Beretta would be a difficult casting. The skeleton grip is quite a void, even with the magazine in the pistol. Since there is a lot of detail that's essential to the "look", a Beretta in it's original form would be easier, but if your looking to replicate Bond's pistol ....
  • Villieurs53Villieurs53 Posts: 35MI6 Agent
    What an absolutely brilliant piece of work this video is. Bravo to Beau Desert - you have well and truly visualised a piece of history and in an extremely tasteful and artistic manner!
    As one who started his relationship with the literary Bond back in the early '60s, Fleming's pseudo expertise as it pertained to firearms always interested me. In many ways it was a testimony to his skills a writer that he made us believe in his choices for Bond and it always annoyed me that given all this supposed attention to detail, we finished up with a .38 in Chopping's peerless FRWL art work instead of the beloved .25. Albeit later biographies explained that he just couldn't find one!
    As readers here doubtless know, it was Boothroyd who tried to put Ian right about guns but even then he cocked it up — evidently a Walther PPK would not fit a Berns Martin holster!
    None of any of mattered — with his fabulous writing we believed every word.
    Not so long ago I tried my hand at being Boothroyd when I wrote to IFP and told them that the proposed cover art for the most recent young Bond book, 'Shoot To Kill', featured a P38. A weapon not invented at the time the story is set. Although IFP tried to get some 'PR' spin out of changing the cover and attributing it to an eagle eyed fan and calling it their 'Boothroyd moment'. They didn't even have the good grace to write and thank me or send me a signed first edition.
    No class unfortunately!
  • IanTIanT Posts: 573MI6 Agent
    Great video. I really like the FRWL cover you did. I was a bit unsure about the taped grip at first but then I grew to appreciate the functionality of it all.
  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    Thanks for the comments!

    It was alot of fun recreating the Bond Beretta "in the flesh", although some of Fleming's special features took some interpretation.
  • perdoggperdogg Posts: 432MI6 Agent
    I thought Bond used the jetfire.
    "And if I told you that I'm from the Ministry of Defence?" James Bond - The Property of a Lady
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    The Jetfire was not in production when Fleming was writing CR through FRWL; the 418 was. as Fleming mistakenly in an early draft of CR referred to a "Biretta .28" and was subsquently corrected, I'm not sure he actually had the real Beretta 418 in mind when writing, but it would the only correct one. After the movies began coming out and the 60s spy craze got in full swing, the Jetfire being in production by then many thought it the "Beretta .25". I much prefer the 418,better all around :)

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    Also, the "Jetfire" has no extractor hook, so it would be physically impossible for Bond to "pump" the cartridges onto his hotel bed spead as he does in the novels.

    Previous Beretta .25 pistols were pretty much outwardly indentical to the Model 418.

    For more try:

    http://jamesbond.ajb007.co.uk/handguns-of-james-bond/
  • Dodge101Dodge101 Posts: 56MI6 Agent
    edited February 3

    I know this is a very old thread so apologies for those who think posting in such an old thread is out of order.

    I am posting in this thread because my question is very relevant. I was in discussion with a fellow Bond fan over the issue of the Beretta 418 with regards to was it actually a 418 that was used or was it a 1919 because the novels do not actually say what model was used, all we get is a description of it being 'very flat' with a 'skeleton grip'. Anyway, the discussion went on and we talked about the 'skeleton grip'. I said, as many others do that it refers to the grips being removed but my fellow Bond fan does not agree because he said that taking the grips off would make the gun unstable, it would also allow for dirt and debris to get into the gun thereby causing it to eventually misfire. He does not think Flemming who is supposed to have used the same weapon would make sure an error in the novel. It was also discussed that putting tape around the ground to hold in the safety grip would have been dangerous because removing and seating the gun into the shoulder holster could result in the trigger being accidently pressed and the gun going off.

    So, my question is this, does removing the grips make the gun unstable? and if so why wasn't the grips put back on the gun instead of it being wrapped in tape?

    Is this due to Ian Flemming being in error when he wrote Casino Royale?

    I forgot to add, the thought process of my fellow Bond fan is that the reference to 'skeleton grip' is to do with some kind of visual design on the grips because removing the grips would make the gun unstable and thus not something an experience gun user that Flemming was would do in his book.

  • XandoXando Posts: 73MI6 Agent

    Love this video and the Gun.

    I wish Young EON Bond would go back to Beretta- maybe a suppressed Bobcat or a Tomcat for his new outing. Screw Geoffrey Boothroyd and his Revolvers (Westerns were popular these days as the Polymer Frames today with Shooting Hobbyists).

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