The Iconic Gun of Fictional Detective Harry Bosch

Books, like movies, contain numerous genres, and while there is no definitive number – it is believed to be more than 50, even more when subgenres are added – some of the most popular are crime fiction. This genre encompasses mystery, detective fiction, and murder mystery, and has been one of the most popular genres. These stories have given us fictional detectives that have become so beloved, that even their weapons have become emblematic, like the iconic gun of fictional detective Harry Bosch.

A large percentage of all fiction book sales is comprised of crime fiction, where readers crave the whodunnit landscape, trying to solve a crime along with their favorite detectives. People have an innate curiosity and enjoy figuring out why and how something happened. Fictional detectives have an interesting outlook on life, and can see things others often miss. They also tend to carry specific weapons that play a significant role in their sleuthing. (These are iconic guns used by famous Hollywood spies.)

24/7 Tempo consulted firearms sites including Glock Talk, ColtForum, and Guns.com, as well as CrimeReads and websites devoted to some of the authors listed below to assemble a list of the iconic guns of famous fictional detectives. The detectives listed here are both private investigators and police detectives or in several cases, non-detectives who frequently find themselves involved in solving crimes. Some detectives are loyal to a single firearm while others are depicted using different ones under different circumstances.

No matter how difficult a case is, these sleuths always solve the case. That may often mean using dubious, morally questionable methods, and firing a gun. Many of crime fiction's most famous private eyes are associated with a particular firearm – with Colt and Smith & Wesson being rather popular manufacturers and are among the world's largest gunmakers.

Here are the iconic guns of famous fictional detectives.

• Weapon: Smith & Wesson 5906 9mm semi-automatic pistol
• Author: Michael Connelly
• Noteworthy book: The Black Echo

• Weapon: Dan Wesson 8-2 .357 magnum revolver
• Author: Robert Crais
• Noteworthy book: The Monkey's Raincoat

• Weapon: Heckler & Koch P7 semi-automatic pistol (and many others)
• Author: John Sandford
• Noteworthy book: Rules of Prey

• Weapon: .40 Glock 27 pistol
• Author: C.J. Box
• Noteworthy book: Treasure State

• Weapon: .41 Colt Thunderer revolver
• Author: Randy Wayne White
• Noteworthy book: Deep Blue

• Weapon: Walther PPK pistol
• Author: Philip Kerr
• Noteworthy book: Berlin Noir Trilogy

• Weapon: Colt 1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol
• Author: Mickey Spillane
• Noteworthy book: I, the Jury

• Weapon: Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver
• Author: Paul Smith
• Noteworthy book: Walk with the Tiger

• Weapon: Škorpion .32 ACP machine pistol
• Author: John D. MacDonald
• Noteworthy book: The Deep Blue Goodbye

• Weapon: Colt Detective .38 Special revolver
• Author: Raymond Chandler
• Noteworthy book: The Big Sleep

• Weapon: Heckler & Koch P7 semi-automatic pistol
• Author: Sue Grafton
• Noteworthy book: G Is for Gumshoe

• Weapon: M14 carbine
• Author: C.J. Box
• Noteworthy book: Off the Grid

• Weapon: Colt 1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol
• Author: Dashiell Hammett
• Noteworthy book: The Maltese Falcon

• Weapon: Colt .32 Pocket Model semi-automatic pistol
• Author: Robert B. Parker
• Noteworthy book: Looking for Rachel Wallace

• Weapon: Cheyenne Tactical M200 Intervention rifle(Barrett M82A1 shown)
• Author: Stephen Hunter
• Noteworthy book: Black Light

• Weapon: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver
• Author: Sara Paretsky
• Noteworthy book: Hard Time