Geoffrey Boothroyd (1925 – 20 October 2001) was a British expert on

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s who wrote several standard reference works on the subject. He provided weapons advice to author

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., ...

for the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

novels and their film adaptions.

Career

Boothroyd was born in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

and employed by

Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at M ...

in the manufacture of

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

. He wrote over a dozen books about firearms, beginning with ''A Guide to Gun Collecting'' (1961) and ''Guns Through the Ages'' (also 1961). His last original book was ''The British Over and Under Shotgun'', published posthumously in 2004 and co-authored with Susan Boothroyd. Several of his textbooks have continued to be revised and issued as new editions after his death.

James Bond

Boothroyd read

's early James Bond novels and wrote a letter in May 1956 to Fleming professing admiration for the character of James Bond, but not his choice of weapons. Boothroyd was particularly critical of Bond's sidearm, the .25 calibre Beretta, which he described as "really a lady’s gun". Fleming responded to Boothroyd, and their subsequent correspondence about weaponry has been published multiple times. Fleming had previously thought the subject of guns to be dull and uninteresting, but responded enthusiastically to Boothroyd's suggestions. Boothroyd initially suggested that Bond should use a

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six r ...

, but Fleming preferred a

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single- chamber handgun (pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actu ...

. Boothroyd proposed a compromise solution of the 7.65mm

Walther PPK The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional doubl ...

, which provided higher

stopping power Stopping power is the ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target (human or animal) to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapon' ...

than the Beretta and had a double action, allowing a more rapid first shot after drawing from a

holster A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are often attached to a belt or waistband, but they may be att ...

. Fleming adopted this suggestion, giving Bond a PPK in the novel '' Dr. No'' (1958). The choice of the PPK directly influenced that gun's popularity and notoriety. The novel also contains a character named "

Major Boothroyd Q is a fictional character in the James Bond films and film novelisations. Q (standing for Quartermaster), like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch (or later Q Division), the fictional research and development divis ...

" who issues Bond with the weapon (the real Boothroyd held no

military rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

). Boothroyd also advised Fleming on the use of silencers and suggested various firearms for use by Bond and other characters. In the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962), Major Boothroyd is played by

Peter Burton Peter Ray Burton (4 April 1921 – 21 November 1989) was an English film and television actor. Early life Peter Ray Burton, was born in Bromley, Kent, to Frederick Ray Burton and Gladys Maude (née Frazer). Career He is perhaps best known fo ...

. For the cover of the novel '' From Russia, with Love'' (1957), Fleming wanted a design incorporating a pistol and a rose. Boothroyd posted his own weapon to illustrator Richard Chopping for use on the cover: a .38

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 185 ...

snubnosed revolver A snubnosed revolver (colloquially known as a snubbie, belly gun, or bulldog revolver) is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 4 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or ...

, modified by removing a third of the

trigger guard A trigger guard is a protective loop surrounding the trigger of a firearm designed to prevent unwanted contact with the trigger, which may cause an accidental discharge. Other devices that use a trigger-like actuator mechanism, such as inhalers, c ...

. Boothroyd was questioned by police when a similar weapon was used in a triple murder in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

; the revolver was determined to be unrelated and

Peter Manuel Peter Thomas Anthony Manuel (13 March 1927 – 11 July 1958) was a Scottish-American serial killer who was convicted of murdering seven people across Lanarkshire and southern Scotland between 1956 and his arrest in January 1958, and is believed ...

was later arrested, convicted and executed for the murder. In 1964, the BBC broadcast a

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called ...

about Boothroyd's influence on Bond's weapons, entitled ''The Guns of James Bond''. It was introduced by the Bond actor

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origi ...

, filmed in costume on the set of '' Goldfinger'', and featured demonstrations of the weapons by Boothroyd in his home and on a

firing range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by military ...

. The documentary was later re-released on the ''Dr. No'' Ultimate Edition DVD and is available on the BBC website.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boothroyd, Geoffrey 1925 births 2001 deaths British non-fiction writers Gun writers British male writers 20th-century non-fiction writers Male non-fiction writers