In 1983, Robert Hillberg designed a four-barrel, compact pistol that used a “reverse pepperbox” concept. A “pepperbox” pistol, like Hillberg's design, had multiple barrels but unlike a traditional “pepperbox” weapon in which the barrels rotate to be engaged by a single firing pin, Hillberg's pistol had a firing pin for each barrel. When the double-action trigger was pulled, a internal hammer struck a ratcheting striker that rotated, hitting each firing pin in turn as the trigger was pulled. Interestingly, this concept was not new, with a similar firing mechanism having been used in the Sharps 4-barrel pepperbox which first appeared in 1859. It was Hillberg's intent to put the pistol into production with the aim to sell the weapon to law enforcement as a backup pistol, a defensive weapon, or as a hold-out pistol (the latter mainly categorized by small size). Within the same year, the pistol was put into production by COP, Inc. in the United States with COP standing for Compact Off-Duty Police.
The COP .357, as the name suggests, was chambered initially for the .357 Magnum round though it was later offered in .38 Special. The COP was small, falling into the derringer-class of weapons. It was 5.6 inches long of which 3.25 inches consisted of the barrel. Total height was 4.1 inches with a 1.1 inch width. Thanks to its stainless steel components, the COP enjoyed a strong frame but this came at the cost of a 1.75 pound weight. To load the COP, by releasing a latch, the barrel assembly rotated upward, much like a break action shotgun.
Unfortunately for Hillberg and COP, Inc., the COP .357 was not a commercial success. One of the first issues potential law enforcement customers had with the weapon was the cost which retailed for $250.00 back in 1983. In today's value, it would retail for $699.00. Another issue was the weight. As the weight loaded was on par with many service revolvers then in use as the main sidearm of policemen, it was the equivalent to carrying a second revolver. The COP also had both a long and heavy trigger pull though this was offset to a degree by said pull being both smooth and even. There was a reason for the long and heavy pull. That reason? The COP had no safety. Instead, it depended on the trigger pull to prevent accidental discharge. The biggest problem many had with the COP was the atrocious accuracy. Although short-barrel, small size weapons such as the COP aren't generally known for being accurate, the COP was in a class of its own. The COP did have simple iron sights except that none of the barrels lined up with them. This meant that when firing, the shooter had to guess which barrel would be discharged (assuming he or she lost track of the ratchet positioning) and compensate the aim. As a result, accuracy beyond 20 feet was horrific. The COP also was not tolerant of multiple uses between cleaning with problems occurring after only two to three sets of rounds in the form of casings sticking to the barrels (making extraction difficult) and misfires due to the striker not hitting the ammunition primer hard enough. The COP was also particular about ammunition as well.
Despite the poor sales, in 1982, the Mini-COP appeared, chambered for .22 Magnum ammunition. Still, even the smaller Mini-COP couldn't save the company from folding in 1989. Still, in 1990, the American Derringer Corporation manufactured the COP .357 and the Mini-COP, ending the run for both weapons that same year. In 1995, an American Derringer COP .357 was worth $275 in perfect condition. Today, though, the COP is considered a collector's item for its uniqueness and prices into the low four digits are not unusual condition depending.
The COP has had its fair share of silver screen time because of how it looks. The image here shows the COP .357 in the hands of Kira Yanagawa (played by actress Devon Aoki) in the 2007 movie “War” which starred Jet Li and Jason Statham. Other big movies the COP .357 has appeared in include “Blade Runner” (1982; used by the replicant Leon Kowalski), “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003; in the hands of Persephone), and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014; used by the Winter Soldier).
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