James Bond and guns have gone together since Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale in 1953.
007 is usually seen with his Walther PPK and more recently a Sig P226, Jason Bourne used Sigs, and the Kingsmen use modified Tokarev TT-30’s.
If you’re going to live the Gentleman Spy lifestyle, that means being good with a gun.
BASIC FIREARM RULES
Before anything else, take note of the four cardinal rules of firearms safety:
- Treat all guns as if they are always loaded.
- Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to kill or destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you’re ready to fire.
- Be sure of your target, and what is in front of and behind it.
Do not neglect any of these. Every accidental shooting and negligent discharge comes from ignoring one or more of these rules.
TRAINING
Now, before you rush right out to buy Bond’s Walther PPK, obtaining some basic training is in order.
Most men – especially Americans – seem to automatically believe they’re gun experts. Unless you’re a competitive shooter or have recent special operations experience in the military, you need training. Even if you grew up shooting, unless you’ve had recent formal training, you have a lot to learn: everything from your shooting grip to your stance has progressed by leaps and bounds from where it was twenty, even ten years ago.
Get over the ego that tells you you can start with an advanced class. Start with a basic handgun course from a quality instructor before progressing to more advanced training like combat shooting schools.
WEAPON SELECTION
After your basic instruction, you’ll be looking to buy a handgun. While only the PPK might do for the Bond purist, you should understand that there are better choices.
The Walther is fine handgun, but the man who takes his life and self defense seriously is well served by a new generation of pistols. The modern, polymer frame, semiautomatic pistol will do everything the PPK will do, but better.
Sig, Glock, and Smith & Wesson are the leaders here. If you need a full-size handgun for home protection, the Sig P320, Glock 19, or M&P9 are the way to go. For those that will choose to carry your pistol every day, the Sig P365, Glock 43, and M&P Shield deserve special mention as they are dimensionally similar to the PPK making them easier to carry than a larger handgun while retaining excellent handling characteristics and shooting a full power caliber. For the fan who simply must have a Walther, the PDP and PPS are both excellent choices as well.
CONCEALED CARRY
The pistol doesn’t stand on its own. To put it to use as designed, you will need a quality holster and a concealed carry permit. Every state in America now offers some type of concealed carry permit, although they are more difficult to get in places like California, DC, Illinois, and New York.
For those that travel a lot, states like Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Utah offer non-resident CCW permits. These are fairly easy to obtain and allow you to carry in most states.
Your handgun won’t do you any good if it’s locked safely away at home while you’re inside a store that’s getting robbed or you get mugged walking down the street. Get training, get a handgun, and carry it every day.
Pistols aren’t the only weapons to be aware of, and you should also make an effort to obtain at least basic instruction in the operation of various rifle platforms – particularly the AR-15 and the AK-47 – as well as shotgun use. These all have their place for defensive, sporting, and hunting use and you should have more than just a passing familiarity with them.
QUICK-START GUIDE:
To get started today, find the closest NRA Instructor who teaches a basic handgun course to brush up on your skills, then get your concealed carry permit if it’s available where you live.
Go to the range, and start practicing.
More information on training, specific weapons, and carry options is available inside the full Gentleman Spy Program.