This Gun Was Used by the Fictional Detective Harry Bosch

Detective fiction has been a rather popular literary genre for centuries. Writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are just a few of the many who have created renowned – and beloved – investigators that readers have fallen in love with. It was Poe who was credited with creating what is considered the first fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin, who debuted in 1841 in the short story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".

A large percentage of all fiction book sales is comprised of crime fiction, whether mystery, thriller, whodunit, or suspense, and has always proved to be a favorite genre. Readers typically have a desire to know why and how something happened, as well as enjoy the aspect of solving the crime, often likened to the gratification they feel when solving puzzles. (It's no mystery why Nathan's pulled sponsorship from its 16-time hot dog eating contest champ Joey Chestnuts – Impossible Foods is his new sponsor – but it should be a crime.)

The crime novel formula is generally this – a protagonist who is either a world-weary cop or a cynical private detective (or a world-weary cop who became a cynical private detective). The field is usually comprised of men, although there are a few women in the field, like Sara Paretsky's no-nonsense V.I. Warshawski, and the always legendary Nancy Drew. (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 on the list are both private investigators and police detectives or in several cases, non-detectives who frequently find themselves involved in solving crimes. Some detectives listed are loyal to a single firearm while others are depicted using different ones under different circumstances and in different books.

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 particularly popular manufacturers (and are among the world's largest gunmakers). Philip Marlowe carries a Colt Detective .38 Special revolver in his glove compartment in Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep."

Another iconic hard-boiled private investigator, Sam Spade, grabs a Colt 1911 .45 automatic off of a thug in the Dashiell Hammett novel "The Maltese Falcon," and Jack Harrigan, the cold-blooded hero of "Walk With the Tiger," uses firearms such as the common Colt 1911 .45 semi-automatic and the Smith & Wesson .357 magnum.

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