James Bond's "Sniper" rifle

P&R Fan · Aug 31, 2014

I was watching From Russia With Love tonight. Just an aside, Sean Connery is the TRUE James Bond.

His boss, M or Q or one of those vowels gives him a suitcase with a bunch of cloak-and-dagger weapons in it. One is an "AR-7 Sniper Rifle with folding stock in point two five caliber".

Uh, no. It's not a "Sniper" rifle, it's a plinker. It doesn't have a folding stock, you screw the barrel onto the receiver. And, it's a .22 LR.
Seems like Ian Fleming should know this stuff.

OK, I'm goin' to bed now. Rant over.

Jim

Alpo · Aug 31, 2014

Why would you expect him to know guns? He's English.

45Wheelgun · Aug 31, 2014

Fleming was known to have very limited firearms knowledge. There are many more "errors" in both the movies and the books. One of the biggest is his description of the shoulder holster Bond uses for his PPK. Described as a "Berns-Martin holster" - when at the time Berns Martin only made a shoulder holsters for revolvers and not a semi-auto like the PPK.

Here is a post I made recently in the "Firearms & Knives - Other Brands". It is the very gun you speak of, although mine doesn't have a scope or scope mount. Having shot it myself it is as far from a sniper rifle as you can get. No wonder Tilly Masterson couldn't come close to hitting Goldfinger.

The Post:

I have a very early model Armalite. It has the extremely rare solid brown stock. Not to be confused the with brown "marbled" stock which is still rather rare, but much more plentiful than the solid brown stock.

The solid brown stock is also desirable due to Sean Connery using it in the rifle's first movie appearance in "From Russia with Love". It also made an appearance in the movie Goldfinger - shot by Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet).

Mine also came with original box, owners manual and a 2 page write up from 1964 in the American Rifleman by E. J. Hoffschmidt . About the only thing missing is the original receipt.

American Rifleman July 1964:

Harleystoo · Aug 31, 2014

Dave,
Nice score. I remember when those came out, and Bond (like Dirty Harry) helped sells. Who would have thought they would become collectors' items. Thanks for the pics.

And I'm not EVEN going to touch how hollywierd approaches firearms.

Shorty 45 MK2 · Aug 31, 2014

Here I thought you were going to talk about in "Skyfall" where they used a 8.5" barreled AR with a scope.

That's funny what "facts" make their way into books and movies.

Smith357 · Aug 31, 2014

P&R Fan said:
It's not a "Sniper" rifle, it's a plinker. It doesn't have a folding stock, you screw the barrel onto the receiver. And, it's a .22 LR.
Seems like Ian Fleming should know this stuff.
OK, I'm goin' to bed now. Rant over.
Jim

The I.D.F. uses a .22lr to great effect. Here is a suppressed 10/22 in combat.

6576d1091419801-israeli-army-10-22-post-66-1091419801.jpg

ChuckS1 · Aug 31, 2014

45Wheelgun said:
Fleming was known to have very limited firearms knowledge. There are many more "errors" in both the movies and the books.

One of my favorite errors is in "Dr. No" when Bond shoots the geologist after the geologist empties his pistol in a fight with Bond. Bond of course shoots him with his silenced PPK. I think the line was "That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six". Problem is, the geologist had a M1911A1.

mod34 · Aug 31, 2014

You all do realize this is/was ALL fake and not really designed as a documentary.......right......right?

If you really wated to take the time and energy to point out the fake bits as opposed to just enjoying the show, perhaps realize that the shoelaces on his wingtips NEVER broke and his Aston Martin always started.

P&R Fan · Aug 31, 2014

I also noticed when he was in the big gunfight at the Gypsy camp his PPK was NEVER empty. Musta shot it about 25 times without reloading. And whenever he shot somebody with that powerful .380ACP round they would fall back and immediately die.

Now I know where the vast majority of people get everything they know about guns. The scary part is they vote.....and serve on juries.

Jim

Rustyt1953 · Aug 31, 2014

The English have been making firearms longer than we.

Also, the largest arms manufacturer in the world is British Aerospace.

The Last Standing Knight · Aug 31, 2014

ChuckS1 said:
One of my favorite errors is in "Dr. No" when Bond shoots the geologist after the geologist empties his pistol in a fight with Bond. Bond of course shoots him with his silenced PPK. I think the line was "That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six". Problem is, the geologist had a M1911A1.

And if you look in the opening of that scene as well, when Bond sits down beside the door, he screws a suppressor into the muzzle of an FN..possibly a 1922 in 32 and NOT the Walther PPK he used on the guy after that little speech.

Waywatcher · Aug 31, 2014

P&R Fan said:
And whenever he shot somebody with that powerful .380ACP round they would fall back and immediately die.

If my memory serves, James used a mighty 7.65mm PPK, AKA .32 ACP.

Alpo · Aug 31, 2014

You are correct, sir. A 32, that "hits like a brick through a plate glass window" (at least I think that's how M described it).

45Wheelgun · Aug 31, 2014

mod34 said:
You all do realize this is/was ALL fake and not really designed as a documentary.......right......right?

Wait...what? You mean there isn't a smoking hot bi-sexual girl with a crew of lesbians named Pussy Galore?

I am crushed.

Double-O-Dave · Aug 31, 2014

Alpo said:
You are correct, sir. A 32, that "hits like a brick through a plate glass window" (at least I think that's how M described it).

Uh, you mean "Q", the armorer, rather than "M", his boss. As I recall, your description of "Q"'s opinion of the mighty .32ACP is spot on.

Regards,

Dave, Double-O-Dave (cue the Bond theme music)

ImprovedModel56Fan · Aug 31, 2014

Rustyt1953 said:
The English have been making firearms longer than we.

Also, the largest arms manufacturer in the world is British Aerospace.

And Benedict Arnold was an American before I was born.

cmort666 · Aug 31, 2014

P&R Fan said:
And whenever he shot somebody with that powerful .380ACP round they would fall back and immediately die.

It was actually a .32acp...

DR505 · Aug 31, 2014

Alpo said:
You are correct, sir. A 32, that "hits like a brick through a plate glass window" (at least I think that's how M described it).

Double-O-Dave said:
As I recall, your description of "Q"'s opinion of the mighty .32ACP is spot on.

The quote was actually, "With a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window."

Alpo · Aug 31, 2014

Double-O-Dave said:
Uh, you mean "Q", the armorer, rather than "M", his boss. As I recall, your description of "Q"'s opinion of the mighty .32ACP is spot on.

Regards,

Dave, Double-O-Dave (cue the Bond theme music)

I remember M taking the Beretta away, in his (M's) office, but did not recall Q being there. So presumed it was M making the comparison.

sipowicz · Aug 31, 2014

It's the movies....

James Bond's "Sniper" rifle

Member

Member

SWCA Member

Member

Member

US Veteran

US Veteran

Member

Member

US Veteran

Member

Member

Member

SWCA Member

US Veteran

US Veteran

Member

US Veteran

Member

Member

Similar threads