Few Bond props have such a short production run. In The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton’s Bond uses a Walther WA2000 during the extraction of a Russian KGB general, and the rifle is far rarer than the film suggests. The Walther WA2000 was built in the 1980s in tiny numbers, and it remains one of the most sought-after sniper rifles in collecting.
In the film
Bond takes the WA2000 to disable a KGB sniper’s rifle as the general is brought out. The rifle is also listed among the weapons in a Bond video game. See more across the films and the Bond actors.
The details of the Walther WA2000
A bullpup layout. It is a semi-automatic bullpup, meaning the action sits in the back of the stock, which makes for an unusually short weapon for its barrel length. The frame is built from rectangular tubes and steel plates, with a walnut forearm and a thumbhole grip.
Where it came from. Rock Island Auction records that the design was a response to the failed West German police rescue at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and was meant as a dedicated sniper platform for the “final rescue shot” in a hostage situation. A gas-operated rotating bolt with seven lugs and a muzzle brake designed to cut recoil by up to 50% were part of the design.
Built around the shooter. The walnut forearm, comb and thumbhole grip are fitted independently so the rifle can be adjusted to the user, and an optional bipod mounts on the upper rail. It is a rifle designed as a system, which is part of why so few were made.
Calibres and numbers. It was made in .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) and a 7.5mm Swiss round. Only 176 were produced, and the same auction house believes only about 15 reached the United States.
Owning it now
Walther stopped production in 1988 and does not sell it, so the route is a specialist dealer or an auction; we have linked a GunBroker search. Expect a collector’s price: one example sold by Rock Island Auction in 2020 was one of the last made. Laws on owning this class of firearm vary widely by country and state, so check before you bid. The practical alternative is an airsoft replica; Umarex lists a Walther-branded WA2000 airsoft rifle through retailers. Neither is a screen prop.
Specifications
| Maker | Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen |
|---|---|
| Type | Semi-automatic bullpup sniper rifle |
| Production | Ended 1988; 176 produced |
| Calibres | .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO), 7.5mm Swiss |
| Action | Gas-operated rotating bolt, seven lugs |
| Appears in | The Living Daylights (1987) |
Further history is on Wikipedia.
Questions
Is the WA2000 in The Living Daylights?
Yes. Timothy Dalton’s Bond uses a Walther WA2000 to disable a KGB sniper’s rifle during the extraction of a Russian KGB general.
How many Walther WA2000 rifles were made?
Our sources say 176 were produced before production ended in 1988.
Can you still buy a Walther WA2000?
Only second-hand. Walther no longer makes it, and examples appear through specialist dealers and auction houses at collectors’ prices.
What calibres did the WA2000 come in?
Three: .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) and a 7.5mm Swiss cartridge.
More from Bond’s arsenal is in Weapons.
