James Bond: You Only Live Twice, Gyrojet Ammunition

replica movie prop

The elite ninja forces of the Japanese secret service who assisted Bond in storming Blofeld's volcano headquarters were armed with futuristic pistols and carbines which fired rocket-propelled projectiles, producing a distinctive sound very different from 'normal' firearms. The MBA Gyrojet was a real weapon, in actuality a type of miniature rocket launcher, manufactured between 1960 and 1969. Gyrojet ammo contained solid-grain fuel which, when ignited, vented through 4 ports at the back of the round, propelling it downrange at increasing speed, unlike standard bullets which achieve their maximum velocity at the gun muzzle. The exhaust ports were canted, causing the round to spin, resulting in gyroscopic stabilization in flight.

The Gyrojet had several advantages over traditional projectile weapons, including light weight, low recoil, excellent ballistics with a nearly flat trajectory to target, a powerful punch at distances of greater than 50', and even the theoretical ability to fire it with effect underwater. However, the design never became popular. The weapon was slow to reload, the ammo was prone to malfunction for a variety of reasons, and the relatively low muzzle velocity made it less effective at close range. And there were other issues - for example, the weapon was banned for use in hunting game, as a round that missed its target could potentially start a fire.

Authentic Gyrojet rounds are scarce, especially in unfired condition. These solid copper replicas are very close to the real thing.

By Kleynen.