Restored Post 14: How Boothroyd Became an Acclaimed Gun Expert

Geoffrey Boothroyd was known for his association with Ian Fleming, the James Bond books' author. And an artist that Fleming called "Dickie" Chopping hand-painted many covers for the Bond books that included 1957's "Dr. No" that was my intro to the series in that very year (I read 7-8 books every week in my boyhood).

Today I discovered that Chopping had a sense of humor! Because secreted in plain sight, on his cover painting of Boothroyd's own revolver, is not the Crown hallmark of the King on Geoffrey's 1941 38 S&W revolver, but ER -- Elizabeth Regina who was Elizabeth II who had become queen just that past 1952.

Here's the comparison of Boothroyd's actual revolver, which Chopping had in hand in '56 while he painted the cover (no color photography available for the purpose then) and the cover shot's revolver. It was her father who was King in 1941 . . ..

14 expert by correspondence

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And although I had one as a child, I'm only just now noticing that Mattel's famed 'Snub Nose .38' of the very same year as 'From Russia With Love', was equipped with the high ramped front sight, chopped barrel, brown round butt, and plated cylinder (!) of the Bond revolver. Surely not a coincidence to end all coincidences:

Read more about Boothroyd and Ian Fleming's impact on gunleather in the second edition of my book, published 2022 and available at www.holstory.com .