The Mystery of James Bond's Long-Barrel .45 Car Gun

Well we know it wasn't a 1911 since he would've said "Colt 1911" just like he says "Walther PPK 7.62 mm", "Japanese M-14", "Russian Tokarev", and "Sauer M-38". Fleming named his guns when he knew them, and he knew the 1911, it was definitely supposed to be some sort of "army special" colt revolver in .45 calibre, he just didn't know much about Colt revolvers. The important thing to Fleming was that it was a more powerful, more accurate, and less concealable weapon than Bond's pocket size Beretta or Walther.

I never read any of the books. Do they all(including continuations) take place in the 50s and 60s? Or do they have a sliding time scale like in Marvel comics where 15-17 years have passed, but 60+ in the real world?

Judging that he says he nearly died because he left the safety of his colt 45 on. I would say m1911

I definitely pictured it as a Buntline Special when I read … Casino Royale maybe? Never been much of a Bond fan so I’m in no way an authority. I figured it was more precise because it was a single action? 😂

The Colt Commander and Officer 1911 models came out in the early 1950s. Compared to those guns' 4.25 and 3.5-inch barrels, the standard 1911's 5-inch barrel is "long."

The Single Action Army is just not Bond's aesthetic. Bond has that sleek, smooth operator style that he has going on. And the SAA, although my favorite revolver, I just don't see Bond using one of it because it's a kind of "out there" style of gun, not for concealment type of weapons that a spy would use

I know this is wrong but I would have expected a Webley 455.

Perhaps the long barreled •45 was a government model? With the longer barrel and slide (obviously), than the common issue combat model 1911A1?

Of the pistols discussed, the Colt M1917 .45 revolver (5.5-inch barrel) is Fleming's most likely "car gun". Fleming tends to write from experience and occasionally relies on outside experts for details (see Pearson's 1996 biography). Fleming entered Royal Navy service in 1939, and the US Government sent the Royal Navy large numbers of M1917 revolvers the following year. Since Fleming was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in July 1939, he may have seen, if not trained with the M1917 revolver during his Navy service. The M1917 revolver was also issued to commandos and Special Operations Executive personnel, which would be another opportunity for Fleming to encounter the M1917.

It could be a target version of a 1911

When I first read "A View to a Kill" I totally imagined bond using an M1911

I recall Pussy Galore pointing a "Smith and Wesson 45" at Bond on the Goldfinger private jet. 007 said the bullet would go through him and the plane causing pressure loss and crashing...she wasn't too concerned apparently.

I always figured the car gun as an SAA revolver. And then the other as a 1911 with a threaded barrel, the capability to take a suppressor.

I read one of the books and Bond carried a .44 magnum Super Blackhawk.

Maybe a 1911 long slide?

In one of the books (a Flemming novel I think) Bond had a Ruger .44 in a special concealed compartment under the dashboard of his car.

Interesting factoid. Christopher Lee was the step-cousin of Ian Fleming and the two knew each other socially. Some authors think that Fleming incorporated elements of Lee into Bond. Lee was in the RAF but disqualified from flying during training and usually served in intelligence roles. At one point he did say that he had served in Special Forces (allegedly the LRDG - he was based in Africa) who used - the 1911A1 as the sidearm of preference ! At one point during filming Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson was explaining to Lee that in one scene where Saruman is stabbed in the back, how he wanted him to react. Lee commented “Have you any idea what kind of noise happens when someone is stabbed in the back ? Because I do….”.

Although a number of European revolvers had safeties, which Ian could have mistakenly attributed to a Colt, I tend to believe Bond would opt for a more rapidly-firing auto with a light, single-action trigger with a 7-round capacity vs. 6, or a safer 5 in the SAA.

The revolver in the car would make sense since if he’s got to shoot there no hot brass cases would fly around in the confined space during driving - then again, Bond likely would aim out the side window.

Although, in Moonraker he flattened the Bentley’s windshield, maybe he intended to shoot Drax’ tires just pointing across the bonnet…?

Anyway, when I was young I pictured the 1911, nowadays I tend more towards a revolver. Also, in From a View to a Kill (where Bond leaves the safety up) he’s in Paris and not travelling with his own car. I doubt he’s packed his car-gun in his suitcase when he’s usually carrying the Walther and the S&W (see The Spy Who Loved Me novel). The more convincing explanation would be that the .45 Colt is a loan like the BSA and the uniform. Therefore it’s an automatic and probably a model Bond isn’t as familiar with as he was with his Beretta or Walther.

Just my 2 cents, gentlemen. Hugely entertaining video and I’ll be sure to pick up a copy of this book.

Cheers!

Should have use a browing high power

No 357 magnum.

1911 in 455 webley

Ive wondered this since I read Moonraker in my late teens. It indicates Fleming didnt have a clue about small arms, he was an armchair commando.

I can't remember which story , but I distinctly remember it being a .45Colt New Service .

Were long slide 1911 in production yet back then? I know they're a thing today, that's what the description brings to my mind, maybe the barrel was swapoed for an after market piece?

I'm wandering what pistol was wielded by Christopher Lee in WW2. Becouse he was big inspiration for character of James Bond and he serves in RAF special forces. If he was isued with revolver, it will be another clue.

If I recall correctly, John Gardner, who wrote additional Bond novels, did a better job with the guns. I remember a lengthy discussion on upgrading form the PPK and a revolver being considered.

The Colt New Service came in a 7 1/2 " barrel, same as the SAA you showed.

The New Service (first shown in video) was nearly identical to the actual Colt Army Special except for size (look them up together), available with a 7 1/2 barrel and was VERY popular with British officers pre WW I. In fact, Gunwriter Leroy Thompson has several long barreled "Target" examples (at least one chambered in 45 Colt) documented by name to have been owned by individual British officers and marked as sighted in for specific target distances at the Bisley range. Those match ranges were 50-150 yards, meaning these were highly accurate, powerful (for the era) weapons that would 'reach out' if ambushed along a countryside roadway. Equally important, it wouldn't have seemed out of place in rural England or had a presence that screamed "SPY!" during the early Cold War era. (Yes it was huge, but any need for compactness kinda disappears when your "holster" is a Bentley...) But I've read all Fleming's novels and let's be honest; his gun knowledge sucked.

In the films he does pack the S&W Model 29, in Live and Let Die, but I can't recall if it's the same in the novel.

When you say Bond and .45 revolver...
Why didn't the Webley make the cut?

Having watched the holsters video is Caleb carying in a shoulder holster in this?

Guy the British language has it's own special slang. Example pour me a pint. So before WW2 and on up to even to the 70s OSS and British military intelligence referred to a 1911 fitted with a suppressor ask a " Long barrel colt" very much like today we referred to a suppressor as a"CAN". Also big fan of Forgotten weapons during the vietnam war Tiger division was serial killer in uniform their numbers don't lie. My Judo Grandmaster Chu was there and said snub nose 38spl, 12ga pumps and 30 cal M1 carbine were favored. The Korean Roks were big on no full auto but control fast semiautomatic. I would love to here more about their weapons choices. Again thanks

He used his long barreled Colt while riding a motorcycle to shoot another motorcyclist who was ambushing N.A.T.O dispatch rider,s .

It was definitely a Colt 1911 45 ACP. That was one of the most common pistols the British Army used in both world wars.

Speaking of mysterious Bond guns, here's a question that I'm not sure has ever been asked before. As we know, the first James Bond Gunbarrel for 'Dr No' moment was done with stuntman Bob Simmons and filmed through the barrel of Smith & Wesson .357 calibre revolver. But the question is... what gun does Simmons fire? Naturally you'd assume he's firing Bond's Walther PPK (or PP as the case may be) but if you look closely before he turns and fires, you can just make out a long, thin barrel that looks like it should belong to a revolver rather than a PPK. John Kitzmiller as Quarrel uses a Colt Police Positive in 'Dr No' so maybe Simmons borrowed it from him. Food for thought.

He might have seen a picture of one of Jim Clark’s early 1911 long slides. As a long time customer of Clark Custom Guns going back four decades or so I remember reading that Jim Senior acquired a couple of barrels of 1911 slides that had been flame cut in half. They cost almost nothing and he figured out with some careful cutting, welding, and a custom 6” barrel he could make a long slide 1911.

Very pedantic point - British military units don't designate themselves like US units, because we like unnecessary complications. So you work say "thirty commando" - we split the individual numbers as say "three-zero commando".

But… could it have been a long barreled 1911?

In Thor Bridge, ACD mentions Watson’s revolver having a safety.
I’m thinking Webley–Fosbery…

Sadly We never know What kind of ".45 Long Barrel Colt" Bond used, but I guess that We can Interview to one of the sons or grandsons of Sir Christopher Lee What ".45 Long barrel Colt" used or carry, 'cause was the Real James Bond. (Fleming's get a lot of inspiration of the Character by the experiences that had Sir Lee in WW2)

my grandfather would refer to full size pistols as long barrels. he was from that time period. I know which gun would be in my car if I were Bond, and of the choices it would be a 1911 for sure.

Great work, thanks guys. I'm not a fan of guns actually but I love the 007 novels.

What do you mean by combat experience, Ian? Fleming never saw combat. He was a high ranking naval reserve officer in naval intelligence. He was a secretary for most of the war. He did found 30 commando but he was not its combat leader

I will say as a non American anytime ive ever heard something described as a colt 45 it's referencing a 1911

I could fully see bond rocking a long slide 1911 tho hell honestly i could see bond rocking a lar grizzly as a screw it no one can know if no ones alive gun

Love the books 👍👍👍👍👍

It is worth noting that while the 1911 certainly didn't get referred to as a long barrel, there actually were 3 different lengths of barrel available and the standard that we think of is the longest.

I like Caleb a lot. I always enjoy watching people who are extremely knowledgeable about the minutiae of an incredibly niche subject matter do their thing.

Wouldn’t he have a webley

The Colt Commander came out in 1949 with a shorter slide and barrel. (and a lightweight frame)
Maybe it inspired the distinction...?