The previous A-C-E post, as well as an earlier one about James Bond handguns, speak of the ASP pistol (used in some novels but not in the movies)
Inspired by the work of Paris Theodore in chopping and customizing an S&W 39 for agents, Charlie Kelsey chopped one down to very close to the same dimensions (the slide was shortened by about 0.75" and the frame by about 0.6"). He called it the Devel 39 ("Devel" being an old Scottish word for delivering a sudden or severe blow). He also chopped, tightened, and "dehorned" M1911s.
His objective was to make a firearm feel like a bar of soap in your hand (but shaped so your hand would automatically move to the proper hold).
Ken Hackathorn shows photos of his three Devels. Wayne Novak shows one of only 21 Devel Gammon .45ACPs ever made. (In case you're not a backgammon player: If you win the game before your opponent removes a single piece, it's a gammon.)
Kelsey also designed the interesting Devel bullet.
For all his brilliance, Charlie Kelsey's life came to an sad end in early '03, still shrouded in mystery.
Optional ACE comments (and bonus image) in the continuation
"Tactical" handguns with upper and lower rails for mounting lasers and lights are all the rage now. That's great for spec op units and SWAT teams who are doing direct assaults with a bulky holster on a web belt, or just to have/show and fire at the range or in the field; but a secret agent (or a citizen with a CCW license carrying a concealed handgun) needs something small enough to conceal under typical clothes, powerful enough to do the job, and slick enough to be drawn smoothly with no snags. The ASP and Devel were customized with this objective in mind.
The Walther PPK Bond carried in many of the movies was a good size and smooth, but a bit anemic at .32 or .380 cal.
Some of the compact handguns being sold now feel awkward to hold, as you can only get two fingers on the grip and maybe one more on the mag extension (which makes the pistol bigger).
The Walther P99 James Bond carries in the last two movies only works well in Hollywood, where the scene can be stopped long enough to hand the pistol to him, or he can stand sideways and draw it from the other side. (I look forward to seeing how believable this is in the movie.)
Bonus image (gorgeous):
More Devel images at Novaksights.com
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