# James Bond's gun stance **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335 "2014-09-23T11:51:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/1 "2014-09-23T11:51:21Z")
Every on-screen James Bond has held his pistol in a weird way; up at the side of his head. [Connery](http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/ob/Conneryas007.jpg), [Moore](http://www.thegunzone.com/images/007c-sabrina.jpg), [Lazenby](http://news.doddleme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bond.jpg), [Dalton](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130916034531/jamesbond/images/5/5d/Timothy-Dalton-as-Bond.jpg), [Brosnan](http://www.thegunzone.com/images/007e-sabrina.jpg) and [Craig](http://cmster.com/media/3tW5e964422V3579k7415084c2h3pg105w485T9vui546yIS6Fr5z3R775kqs813.jpg) all do it. Craig even takes the trope one further with an [SMG](http://cdn.hitfix.com/photos/374143/Daniel-Craig-as-James-Bond-in-Quantum-of-Solace._gallery_primary.jpg) (!). But…why? I’d always heard that the best way to hold a pistol is with finger out of the trigger guard and the barrel pointed at the ground in front of you, so if it discharged you don’t blow your head off. Bond is no amateur, so what’s the deal? Is it a thing in the books, to show his recklessness maybe? Is it a Rule of Cool cinematic invention? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/2 "2014-09-23T12:01:16Z")
Looks cool. Note that they’re also wearing tailored suits or tuxedos whilst preparing for gunplay. And, no hearing or eye protection. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/3 "2014-09-23T12:13:35Z")
Dalton looks to be doing something that might be depicted in a situation where he’s negotiating a crowd or other field of obstacles - and needs the gun near eye level for immediate use (i.e. bringing it up from a downward-pointing position might be too slow or obstructed by surrounding objects. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/4 "2014-09-23T12:34:17Z")
The gun is held up by the head so both the weapon and the actor’s face can be in the same shot. Finger is in the trigger because it looks threatening. Proper gun safety does not a publicity still make. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/5 "2014-09-23T12:42:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The gun is held up by the head so both the weapon and the actor’s face can be in the same shot. Finger is in the trigger because it looks threatening. Proper gun safety does not a publicity still make. True, I mean, Connery clearly isn’t doing anything practical with that gun. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/6 "2014-09-23T12:43:15Z")
Fleming had Bond carry a .25 Beretta in the first novels because it looked cool. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/7 "2014-09-23T12:47:51Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > True, I mean, Connery clearly isn’t doing anything practical with that gun. Well, perhaps he has an itch. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/8 "2014-09-23T12:51:22Z")
I’d have thought he would just rub up against a random female to scratch that. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/9 "2014-09-23T12:55:16Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The gun is held up by the head so both the weapon and the actor’s face can be in the same shot. Finger is in the trigger because it looks threatening. Proper gun safety does not a publicity still make. This, exactly. Further, note that Connery is holding an air pistol. Also note that the slide is locked back on Lazenby’s pistol. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/10 "2014-09-23T15:38:13Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Looks cool. Note that they’re also wearing tailored suits or tuxedos whilst preparing for gunplay. And, no hearing or eye protection. The first part I’ll give you but the second? That is a bit of a stretch. How many hunters, soldiers, cops, gangbangers and/or hitmen leave the house saying “ya know, I better just put in some earplugs in case I have to cap someone’s ass today”? (although there was that one scene in Freebie and the Bean) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/11 "2014-09-23T15:41:50Z")
Interesting short article [here](http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/collecting_auction_walther_air_pistol_from_russia_with_love.php3) about the photo session that produced the iconic Connery photo, why an air gun was used, and the gun itself ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bonds-gun-stance/699335/12 "2014-09-23T16:13:59Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > The first part I’ll give you but the second? That is a bit of a stretch. How many hunters, soldiers, cops, gangbangers and/or hitmen leave the house saying “ya know, I better just put in some earplugs in case I have to cap someone’s ass today”? > > (although there was that one scene in Freebie and the Bean) Hunters, cops, gangbangers and (other) hitmen just want to look cool, too, so they don’t wear hearing protection, either. Not sure about soldiers… don’t they wear hearing protection under their helmets if they’re going into a firefight?