Smith & Wesson recalls `James Bond gun` Walther PPK

James Bond’s gun of choice is being recalled - reports the Boston Herald.

Smith & Wesson said today that it’s recalling all Walther PPK and PPK/S guns manufactured between March 2002 and early this month.

The Springfield firm said a defect could allow the weapon to go off without anyone pulling the trigger.

“While we have no reason to believe that the condition affects every pistol produced during the designated period, we have chosen in the interest of safety to replace the hammer block in every (weapon) that is returned,” Smith & Wesson said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Smith & Wesson Vice President Liz Sharp said the firm’s in-house engineers discovered the problem during routine tests, and that the company had no reports of any consumer injuries.

However, an Illinois police officer sued the firm last fall over wounds sustained in 2006 when his PPK/S allegedly went off on its own. Smith & Wesson has denied any responsibility for the accident.

Still, the gunmaker plans fix all PPK and PPK/Ss for free, including covering shipping costs to and from the company’s factories.

Smith & Wesson estimates the recall will cost a total of $900,000 to $1.3 million.

The Walther PPK is famous the world over as Agent 007’s pistol, appearing in most of the 22 James Bond movies released since 1962.

Local gun dealers say the weapon is also popular with real-life consumers, as it’s small, easy to carry and holds seven rounds.

Jim Wallace of the Northboro-based Gun Owners’ Action League said he hadn’t heard any of his group’s members complain about the PPK, “but it sounds like Smith & Wesson is doing the right thing.”

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