With a rarity on par with Himalayan Snow Leopards, the WA-2000 has something of a legendary status surrounding it. Were they any good? Some say yes, some say no. Some shooters say the price expensive to the point of extravagance, while others point to Walther’s history of premium rifles and the near-handcrafted nature of these rifles as part of their cost.

The precision semi-auto bullpup came with a $12,800 price tag back in 1982, and was chambered in 300 Win Mag, .308, or 7.5x55mm Swiss. The most consistent count states that 176 WA-2000 rifles were produced, and today they command prices anywhere from $40,000 and $75,000 when available. They saw a very limited adoption with German police forces, and never got the widespread military or SWAT contracts that the rifle was designed for.

But the distinctive wood and metal combination, along with the price and rarity, have created a fiction that lives on. Bond fans will recognize the rifle as carried by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, while video gamers may have noticed it featured in the Call of Duty and Rainbow Six series.

What I can say for sure is that the photos in this post have never seen the harsh light of the internet before. The current caretaker of this particular rifle is very shy, and wishes to remain anonymous. I had to negotiate a fair bit to get these photos taken, but still hope to put rounds through this rifle myself one day.

This is a first generation WA-2000, recognizable by the barrel-style flash hider and the fluted barrel. You can see some wear on the top-mounted bipod, but other than that the rifle appears functional.

So enjoy. There’s only a few of these historic pieces left in the world, and not many of them see the light of day.