COP 357 Derringer
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The COP 357 was a 4 shot Derringer type pistol chambered for the .357 magnum round. It was designed by Robert Hillberg, based on earlier work on the Hillberg Insurgency Weapon.
Manufactured by the now defunct COP Inc. of Torrance, California, the double action COP packed the power of 4 rounds of short-barreled .357 magnum in a package only slightly larger than the typical .25 ACP pistol, which made it a good choice for a defensive weapon or a police backup gun.
COP stood for Compact Off-Duty Police.
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[edit] Specifications
- Caliber: .357 Magnum (Can fire .38 Special as well.)
- Weight: 1.75 lb (0.8 kg) empty.
- Height: 4.1 inches (10.4 cm).
- Length: 5.6 inches (14.2 cm).
- Width: 1.062 inches (2.7 cm).
- Action: Break-open with extractors for reloading, double action trigger with rotating firing pin selector.
- Capacity: 4 rounds
[edit] Construction and operation of the COP 357
The C.O.P. 357 is quite robust in design and construction. It is made of solid stainless steel components. The pistol actually has a unique 4-into-1 barrel. Cartridges are loaded into the four separate chambers by sliding a latch that "pops-up" the barrel for loading purposes, similar to top-break shotguns. Each of the four chambers has its own dedicated firing pin. It uses an internal hammer, which is activated by depressing the trigger to hit a ratcheting/rotating striker that in turn strikes one firing pin at a time. Older "pepperboxes" also used multiple barrels, but the barrels were the part that rotated. The COP 357 is unique in that it uses the ratcheting/rotating striker, which is completely internal, to fire each chamber in sequence.
Two frequent complaints about the COP 357 are that it is too heavy to be used as a backup gun, and that the trigger pull is too heavy for rapid fire—even heavier than most modern revolvers.
[edit] Film appearances
A modified version of the COP 357 was used in the movie Blade Runner. In addition to some minor cosmetic changes to the gun, the ratcheting striker was modified to fire two cartridges at a time. Using two blanks fired simultaneously created a huge flash for dramatic effect. It should be noted that modifying the striker to fire two (or more) bullets at a time would violate the National Firearms Act and could be categorized as an unlawful machine gun by BATFE. Furthermore, such modifications could create too much chamber pressure and cause the barrel to explode seriously injuring the shooter and bystanders.
Monica Bellucci's character in The Matrix Reloaded uses a COP 357, supposedly loaded with silver bullets, to shoot a primitive henchman program.
In the Battlestar Galactica episode "Home, Part II", James Remar's character Meier has two Cop 357s and gives one to Grace Park's character, Sharon. Aaron Douglas's character Chief Tyrol refers to the COP as a "Stallion", noting that it's "old" and "not military issue". In the episode "Sine Qua Non," attorney Romo Lampkin threatens Lee Adama with a COP 357.
In the Stargate SG-1 episode "Bad Guys", a security guard character named Jayem Seran attempts to capture two of SG-1 using a COP357. The gun is never named or fired.
In one of the final scenes of "Bad Boys" (1995), the main villain "Fouchet" (Tchéky Karyo) draws a COP .357 from his ankle in an attempt to kill Detective Lowrey (Will Smith).
Replicant Brion James has one in the opening scene of "Blade Runner" (1982); during the psychological evaluation.
In Training Day, Roger has a COP 357 under his book when he gets a visit.
In the 2007 movie War, Kira threatens a henchman with a COP 357.
