Golden gun

Golden Gun
Type	Pistol
Service history
Used by	Francisco Scaramanga
Production history
Designed	1975
Manufacturer	Colibri Lighters
No. built	1
Specifications
Cartridge	4.2mm Golden Bullet
Caliber	4.2mm
Feed system	Single Shot
Sights	Iron

The golden gun is a fictional weapon that was used as one of the James Bond series firearms, used in The Man with the Golden Gun 1965 novel and 1974 film. It is used by the villain, Francisco Scaramanga, and also used by James Bond in the novel during a show of skill.

Differences

In Ian Fleming's novel, the golden gun is a long-barreled gold-plated Colt Peacemaker .45-calibre revolver that shoots golden bullets that are jacketed with silver that are cross-cut at the tip on the dum-dum principle for maximum wounding effect. In addition, Scaramanga also packed a golden derringer with a poison-laced bullet as his back-up gun.

For the film, the gun was a single-shot weapon that fires a custom-made 4.2-millimeter golden (23-carat gold with traces of nickel) expanding bullet. The instant kill technology relies on the bullet "flatten[ing] on impact for maximum wounding effect", as explained to Bond. Scaramanga uses such a weapon to emphasize his peerless skill as a pistol marksman and the fact that he needs only one bullet to kill a target.

In addition, the novel specifies that Scaramanga himself makes the ammunition, whereas in the movie the bullets are manufactured by a contact, Senhor Lazar.

Features

The gun separates into a gold cigarette lighter, a gold cigarette case, a gold cuff link, and a gold pen so as to avoid detection. The pen operates as the barrel, the lighter creates the bullet chamber, the cufflink is used as the trigger and the cigarette case forms the butt of the gun.

Usage

Scaramanga used the golden gun in numerous assassinations of officials, political enemies, gangsters, and a 00-agent (Bill Fairbanks, 002). Scaramanga later used the golden gun to kill British scientist Gibson and Scaramanga's own employer, Hai-Fat.

Popularity in games

It was featured in the video game GoldenEye 007 in a multiplayer scenario, The Man with the Golden Gun. Only one player could have the gun at a time, acquired by picking it up at the spawn point; it is the only gun that breaks once its user dies or when it runs out of ammo. The weapon, which provides one-shot-kills, was also used in the game's Egyptian level (which unlocks after completion of all the other levels on the hardest difficulty), locked away in a shatter-proof glass box that requires completion of a puzzle in order to open. The gun is needed to defeat the level's boss, Baron Samedi, who has so much health he can withstand several of the one-shot-killer bullets and had to be killed three times as well.

Because of the popularity of both the game and the weapon itself, it would later be featured in other James Bond video games: The World Is Not Enough, Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, Everything or Nothing, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, From Russia with Love and Quantum of Solace. Many of these games also feature golden variations of other weapons (such as the Walther PPK, Walther P99, Desert Eagle, and a rocket launcher). A golden revolver (similar to the original golden gun described in the novel) can be found in GoldenEye 007's spiritual successor, Perfect Dark, where it is used by Trent Easton (one of the main antagonists) and by Joanna herself if she manages to disarm him. The Golden Gun also appears in the enhanced remake of GoldenEye 007.

Japanese video game director Suda51 has also been known to pay homage to the golden gun in his games, most notably 2005's killer7 (used by Emir Parkreiner) and 2008's No More Heroes (used by Dr. Peace).

Theft

The golden gun prop used in the movies has been stolen from the Elstree Props company, which is based in Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. The prop, which has been estimated to have a black market value of £80,000, was discovered missing on October 10, 2008.