Walther PPK/S .22LR

It’s likely that every review of Walther’s new PPK/S .22LR will include some Bond reference – and why shouldn’t they?  Bond made the PPK/S iconic, and according to Walther’s marketing team, the PPK/S .22 was re-introduced due to a re-kindled Bond fervor.  This is certainly in no small part due to (a) Daniel Craig’s surprising fittedness in the role and (b) the re-introduction of the PPK as Bond’s sidearm in Skyfall.  (Please ignore the fact that the Skyfall PPK had three LEDs that would have likely blinded the operator when in use).  To give you some background that likely won’t be covered in other articles on this variation of the PPK:  Ian Fleming, Bond’s creator, was issued the diminutive and hardly-lethal “Baby Browning” .25ACP when Fleming served in WWII-era Naval Intelligence.  

VIDEO

Resultantly, Fleming’s James Bond carried the similarly non-lethal .25ACP Beretta 418 because Fleming considered that appropriate (although he confessed in print that his firearm-related knowledge was extremely limited).  Boldly, Geoffrey Boothroyd, a firearm expert and prolific writer himself, wrote Fleming to inform him that the 418 was “a lady’s gun”, and instead suggested that Bond carry the more powerful S&W Airweight revolver instead.  When Fleming insisted on an automatic, Boothroyd suggested the PPK in .32/7.65mm.  Consequently, in Dr. No, a service armorer named “Major Boothroyd” made a brief appearance to issue Bond his new PPK.  While Fleming immortalized Boothroyd out of gratitude, he and Boothroyd also inadvertently propelled the PPK to legend status.  Fifty-five years later, the Bond franchise is going strong, its fans prompting the Stateside re-introduction of the PPK/S in .22LR.