The recent behind the scenes video on SPECTRE, taken on location in Austria, ended with Daniel Craig knock out a heavy before firing his gun at someone off camera. A photo released at the same time revealed that the gun was not the usual PPK; in this article Paolo Tagini reveals its identity.

In the first shots of SPECTRE, taking place in Austrian Alps, Daniel Craig has a pistol in hand. We don’t speak of the Walther PPK used by the same actor in Quantum Of Solace, nor Skyfall‘s smartgun PPK/S that recognizes its owner’s hand.

Is this pistol the Walther P99 that comes back from Casino Royale? Or has 007 switched to the new PPQ M2?

Pictures leave no doubt: the pistol in James Bond’s hands is a Heckler & Koch VP9. Obviously it’s not possible to know if this gun has been supplied by the Secret Service or has been seized by the British agent during his mission.

As for the pistol, it’s a new model by the German firm, on sale in the U.S. from mid-2014 where it’s known as VP9; sales are beginning in the other countries with the acronym SFP9 (Striker Fired Pistol calibre 9mm).

A “betrayal” to Walther, but we should remember that in the past times Bond had used Heckler & Koch pistols: in John Gardner’s novels 007 used a VP70 (For Special Services) and a P7 (Icebreaker). Also, Daniel Craig himself shoots a Heckler & Koch sub-machine gun model MP5 UMP 9mm (with silencer) in two movies: Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Paolo Tagini is the chief editor of Armi & Balistica, an Italian monthly gun magazine; he is also the author of a book about James Bond guns.

Photos: Daniel Craig armed on set in Austria (top), detail from publicity photo; Heckler & Koch VP9 from manufacturer website.