James Bond Guns, Part II: The Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton Era

The 1970s era Bond featured Roger Moore, who had already made a name for himself on the TV drama The Saint. While his take on Bond was a bit less serious, he quickly settled into the role and made his own, although it could be argued he outstayed his welcome.

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When the torch was finally passed in the late 1980s it went to Timothy Dalton, who brought back some seriousness to the character even if the films were often a bit too whimsical at times. Connery even came out of Bond retirement for a one-off film during the 1980s.

While the villains weren’t always political — and often had their own financial agenda — this shadow of the Cold War is always present in terms of the firepower used by Bond and his opponents.

Be sure to check out the other three parts in our series:

Live and Let Die (1973)

Live and Let Die, Walther PPK — Another new Bond (this one stuck around for a while) and again the same PPK.

Live and Let Die, S&W Model 29 — Bond also uses the S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum but we think it still looks better when Clint Eastwood carried it!

After Connery called it quits “for good,” Roger Moore stepped in and took over the role. His first outing was actually decent, but as Live and Let Die was released at the height of the blaxploitation era in films, this one didn’t exactly age well. The plot was also a bit nonsensical, even if instead of a megalomaniac villain it focused on the more grounded theme of drug trafficking. As a plus, this one offered an epic boat chase. However, the over the top henchmen and campy secondary characters dragged this one down.

Despite a new Bond, he still carried the Walther PPK, yet never had a chance to fire it. Instead, keeping true to the era — and that it was just two years after Dirty Harry came out — Bond also carried and fired a Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)

The Man With the Golden Gun, Walther PPK — Bond didn’t get to use the “Golden Gun” but did take on the infamous assassin with his PPK.

The Man With the Golden Gun, rifle — Bond also tried out the custom-built bolt-action rifle made by the Portuguese gunsmith Lazar, who happens to manufacture the golden bullets for Scaramanga, aka the Man With the Golden Gun.

While the previous film capitalized on the blaxploitation craze, this one jumped on the martial arts bandwagon. It was fittingly set in Hong Kong and Thailand with some scenes in Macau thrown in for good measure. The film happened to include a few too many coincidences — a flying car and a dwarf henchman — but it did offer a titular villain worthy of the super spy.

Bond never actually used the “Golden Gun” from the title, but instead actor Roger Moore was finally able to blast off a few rounds with the trademark PPK! Bond also fired a few shots with a custom-built bolt-action rifle for an unseen three-fingered hitman.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Me, Walther PPK — Bond carries his trademark PPK throughout most of this film.

The Spy Who Loved Me, Sterling SMG — Late in the film Bond acquires a Sterling SMG from the villain’s arsenal.

The Spy Who Loved Me, Beretta 70 — When he doesn’t have the PPK he is carrying a similar looking Beretta 70, likely it is what the film’s armorer had on those location shoots.

In many ways the plot is nearly identical to You Only Live Twice, where a super villain tried to start World War III. However, instead of hijacking space ships, he hijacked nuclear submarines via a massive supertanker. Bond was sent to Egypt, of all places, despite plot that involved a villain with ambitions for an undersea empire. This film also introduced Jaws, the nearly seven foot tall hitman with metal teeth.

Throughout the movie Bond carried his usual PPK, but in some scenes he relied a Berreta 70 in .32 caliber instead. The continuity error was likely due to the different locations, where a gun similar in size was what the armorers had available. When Bond freed the captive sailors on the supertankers, he once again used a Sterling submachine gun.

Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker, Holland Royal Double-Barreled Shotgun — Don’t look for the PPK in this film because it is never really seen, but Bond does kill an assassin with a Holland & Holland Royal double-barreled shotgun.

Moonraker, Wrist Dart Gun — Bond also takes out the main villain with a special wrist dart gun – which begs the question why he doesn’t use it in later films?

This one is typically summed up as Bond in space! It came out at the height of the Star Wars craze and as such deviated greatly from the book. While the first half of the film was actually a decent spy thriller where Bond needs to unravel the villain’s plan, it ended up being worse than a Pink Floyd laser light show by the end.

Missing from the film completely is the Walther PPK, despite actor Roger Moore holding one in some publicity stills. Bond did use a Holland & Holland Royal double-barreled shotgun in one sequence to kill the villain’s sniper — quite a feat actually! At the end of the film Bond killed Hugo Drax, the film’s villain, with a wrist dart gun; all despite the fact that Bond was held captive previously and somehow the weapon wasn’t discovered.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

After the over-the-top Moonraker, the series returned with the more grounded For Your Eyes Only, a far more traditional spy thriller where Bond must recover a top secret British naval communication device. The film downplayed gadgets and offered easily the best story of the Roger Moore era.

This film featured a diverse number of small arms, with most being used by the various henchmen. However, Bond stuck with his Walther PPK (pictured), which is described at one point as “Standard issue, British Secret Service.”

Octopussy (1983)

Octopussy, Walther P5 — Instead of the PPK Bond carries the new Walther P5, which is fitting as it was developed in the 1970s and largely replaced the PPK among West Germany’s police forces.

Octopussy, Czech vz. 58 — Some writers have mistaken the Czech vz. 58 for the AK-47, but in fact Bond uses the Czech-made weapon, which he captured from a henchman.

Octopussy, AR-15, M16 — Early in the film Bond uses a captured AR-15/M-16, which he took from his guards – who probably should have had AK-47s given that the appeared to be supported by the Soviets.

Roger Moore was starting to show his age by the time he made this 13th entry in the official James Bond series. It also didn’t help that he managed to dress up as a clown or ride in a submarine designed to look like a crocodile. Yet, Octopussy still offered a reasonably good story — even if it is a bit confusing at some points. Selling copies of Russian crown jewels to fund a way to start World War III wasn’t among the best ideas a Bond villain has had.

As for weapons this one is notable in that the PPK was only seen in the opening credits of the film. Instead, Bond was issued the new Walther P5. In addition, in the pre-credit sequence Bond uses an AR-15/M-16 while on a mission in a nondescript Communist Central American country. Toward the end of the film, Bond was seen wielding a Czech Sa vz. 58 V — a rifle that has an appearance similar to the Soviet AK-47.

A View to a Kill (1985)

A View to a Kill, Walther PPK — For reasons not explained the PPK was back for Roger Moore’s final outing as Bond.

A View to a Kill, Shotgun — Bond uses a shotgun, but is it a Remington Model 31 or a Winchester Model 12 Field Gun? It depends on the scene!

Roger Moore should have called it quits a few years earlier, as he is simply too old in his finale outing and it showed! The film’s plot was stale too. It borrowed some plot points from Goldfinger and has an opening that was a bit too reminiscent of The Spy Who Loved Me.

Interestingly, the Walther PPK made a return in Moore’s final Bond movie. Later in the film Bond was seen carrying a shotgun provided by “Bond Girl” Stacy Sutton (Tanya Roberts). At first it was a Remington Model 31, but in subsequent scenes it became a Winchester Model 12 Field Gun. In either case, when Bond used it against the henchmen he found it loaded with rock salt rounds.

The Living Daylights (1987)

The Living Daylights, Walther PPK — Yet another new Bond, but once again the old favorite PPK is here.

The Living Daylights, Walther WA 200 Sniper Rifle — In cinematic fashion Bond assembles the Walther WA 200 sniper rifle.

The Living Daylights, AK-47 — This time Bond uses an actual AK — the first time it seems that he does use the famous Soviet assault rifle.

Timothy Dalton took over for Roger Moore in this 1987 film that has Bond rescue the girlfriend of a Russian defector. Along the way he headed from Prague to Vienna before going to Afghanistan where he helped the Mujahedeen fight the Soviets. This meant that in the 1980s Bond aided those who would later become the Taliban, so it is best not to think too hard about it.

Bond carried his standard PPK throughout the film. Early on he used a Walther WA 2000 sniper rifle to “take out” a KGB sniper, who in fact wasn’t a sniper but rather the violist girlfriend of the defector. This was also the first time Bond was seen using an AK-style rifle; in this case it was an AKMS he acquired from some Czech soldiers in Afghanistan.

License to Kill (1989)

License to Kill, Walther PPK — Despite having his “license to kill” revoked, Bond still has his PPK in this film.

License to Kill, Taurus PT-92 — In a pre-credit sequence he is loaned a Taurus PT-92 from good friend Felix Leiter.

License to Kill, Beretta 950 Jetfire — He doesn’t kill anyone with it, but does inadvertently subdue Q with the Beretta 950 Jetfire.

License to Kill, Camera Gun — Q shows up to help Bond – poses as his “uncle” and brings a camera gun, because well, he’s Q so that’s what he does.

Dalton’s second and final Bond film suffered from cartoonish villains and a lackluster story that had the super spy going rogue to avenge the attack on his friend Felix Leiter. In this one, Bond traveled to a fictional Latin American country — clearly modeled on Panama — to take out a drug lord. Not surprising it marked the end of the run for the series for six years.

Dalton’s Bond once again was armed with the PPK. He also uses a Taurus PT92 provided by Leiter in the pre-credit sequence. Later in the film Bond acquired a Beretta 950 Jetfire. However, among the more unusual firearms in this one is the Signature Camera Gun provided by Q. It featured a fingerprint recognition mechanism in the pistol grip and fired a .22 high-velocity round.