Craig’s Bond begins his career with a stolen pistol. In Casino Royale he takes a Browning Hi-Power from a desk drawer in an embassy during his escape, and more than a decade later he is back with the same model in No Time To Die. The Browning Hi-Power is the right gun for a man who improvises: a long-lived design that turns up where it is least expected.
In the film
In Casino Royale, Bond takes the Hi-Power from the desk drawer of an embassy worker in the Nambutu embassy, during the sequence in which he is trying to get out. In No Time To Die he carries a Hi-Power around his Jamaican compound after suspecting a visitor, then returns it to a secret cabinet drawer; the gun is also visible in a photograph at the house. The same model, fifteen years apart, in the hand of one actor.
The details of the Browning Hi-Power
A long history. Browning calls it John Moses Browning’s final design, completed by Fabrique Nationale’s Dieudonné Saive after Browning’s death. Wikipedia gives its design period as 1914 to 1935 and its service life as 1935 to the present, with Belgium and the United States both credited as places of origin.
The balance. Browning’s page praises the narrow grip, which suits most hands even though the magazine is double-column, and a single-action trigger. The frame and slide are forged steel, and the sights are fixed, low-profile three-dot units.
Capacity. A 13-round magazine is standard in 9mm; Browning notes 10-round versions where law requires it.
A long service life. One review description gives its production as 1935 to 2018, with service in more than 50 militaries. The film gun is catalogued as a 9mm made by FN Herstal.
Owning it now
Browning’s page is now headed “No longer in production”: dealer stock across the US is the last to come from the company, with custom versions still made by the John M. Browning Custom Shop in Herstal, Belgium. So, in practice, owning one now means buying from dealer stock or the second-hand market, and it means a firearm purchase through a licensed dealer with whatever licence or permit your country requires. Check local law first.
For a collector this is a straightforward story: a discontinued design with a long record, available while stocks last. Browning lists models in 9mm and .40 S&W. We know of no deactivated or replica option. For more equipment from the series, browse the weapons collection.
Specifications
| Model | Browning Hi-Power (FN Herstal) |
|---|---|
| Calibres | 9mm Luger; .40 S&W also listed |
| Magazine | 13 rounds standard in 9mm; 10 rounds where required by law |
| Frame and slide | Forged steel |
| Trigger | Single action |
| Sights | Fixed low-profile three-dot |
| Status | Out of production; dealer stock and custom shop only |
The maker’s page is Browning’s own Hi-Power page.
Questions
What pistol does Bond take in the Nambutu embassy?
A Browning Hi-Power, which he takes from a desk drawer in Casino Royale.
Does it return in a later film?
Yes. In No Time To Die Bond carries a Hi-Power at his Jamaican home.
Is the Browning Hi-Power still made?
Browning says it is out of production, though dealer stock remains and the custom shop in Belgium makes special versions.
Who designed it?
John Moses Browning began the design, and Dieudonné Saive of FN perfected it after his death.
See also Daniel Craig and the full list of Bonds.
