The M418 in Fiction
The Beretta 418 is also known as the favourite pistol of James Bond. In the James Bond novels his pistol is described as having a skeleton grip (i.e. grips removed - frame only), and either a threaded barrel to support a silencer or completely sawed off barrel. It was his weapon of choice up until the start of Dr. No, when Major Boothroyd, introduced as the MI6 armorer and "the greatest small-arms expert in the world", insists that Bond trade it for a pistol with more stopping power. Bond is issued a Walther PPK, and a Smith & Wesson Centennial Airweight revolver for situations where he needs more range than the PPK can offer. In the film adaptation, the first in the series, Boothroyd only offers the Walther and Bond reluctantly turns in his Beretta.
In reality Ian Fleming received a fan letter in 1957 from Geoffrey Boothroyd, a Bond enthusiast and gun expert, criticizing the choice of firearm for Bond calling it "a lady's gun" and suggesting several alternatives, among which were the PPK.
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