Sean Connery's 007 pistol from 'Dr.No' sells for $256,000

In this file photo taken in 1982 Scottish actor Sean Connery is seen in Nice during the making of the film "Never say, never again" by US Irving Kerschner. - Connery's original James Bond Walther PP handgun used during the filming of "Dr. No" sold for $256,000. Credit: AFP

A handgun used by the late Sean Connery in the first James Bond film sold for $256,000 at auction in Beverly Hills on Thursday, topping earlier estimates for the piece of Hollywood history, Julien's Auctions said.

The deactivated semi-automatic Walther PP pistol, which along with its smaller model the PPK became one of the film franchise's best-known images, was used by Connery in the movie "Dr. No" in 1962.

Connery, the first James Bond in the franchise, died on Oct. 31 at the age of 90.

Julien's said the winning bidder, who asked to remain anonymous, was an American who had seen every James Bond movie with his or her children. The auction house had previously estimated that the gun would fetch between $150,000 and $200,000.

A helmet created for Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" also sold at the auction for $108,000, while a sword used by Bruce Willis in "Pulp Fiction" fetched $35,200.