The COP .357 Magnum
by Phil Steinschneider
Introduction
Holden: The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun beating its legs trying to turn itself over but it can't, not without your help, but you're not helping.
Leon: What do you mean I'm not helping?
Holden: I mean you're not helping. Why is that Leon?
They're just questions, Leon. In answer to your query, they're written down for me. It's a test, designed to provoke an emotional response.
Shall we continue? Describe in single words, only the good things that come in to your mind about...your mother.
Leon: My mother?.
Holden: Yeah.
Leon: Let me tell you about my mother...BLAM
These are the unforgettable lines that introduce us to Leon's gun in the classic science fiction movie Blade Runner. Unfortunately, and for unknown reasons, the armaments in Blade Runner have almost never officially been discussed. Instead, a cult following has evolved around the movie's props and weaponry (as well as the film itself). Hopefully, this article will clarify many questions about what has until now been a very mysterious prop—Leon's gun.
Assistant Art Director Stephen Dane produced several preliminary sketches during pre-production of a gun that Deckard (Harrison Ford) was to use throughout the movie. The drawings all appear to depict a COP .357 or a derivation of it. In the end, probably at the direction of Ridley Scott, the COP was dropped as the gun to be used by Rick Deckard. Instead, the COP, in completely unaltered form, was employed as the weapon Leon uses to maim the Blade Runner Holden in the famous opening scene of the film (see fig. 1).
fig. 1
History and Critique
The now defunct COP Inc. of Torrance, California, originally produced the COP, or Compact Off-Duty Police. Here is an excerpt from the user manual describing the purpose behind the gun's commercial manufacture:
"The COP was specifically designed as a police off-duty or back-up handgun. It combines the flatness of the automatic with the instant readiness of the revolver. Many special features not available in any other handgun are built into the COP to make it a highly specialized personal defense weapon."
A fascinating weapon in appearance, the COP has some very interesting features: First, it provides the ability to fire four quick, successive shots. Second, it can safely be carried in the loaded and firing position with almost no chance of accidental discharge due to its very hard trigger pull. Third, it is virtually indestructible because of its stainless steel manufacture.
Nevertheless, some of the COP's primary features also act as some of its major distractions. The trigger pull, as mentioned earlier, is extremely long and hard. Furthermore, the weapon's stainless steel construction makes it a small but relatively heavy weapon to carry. At a hefty 28 oz. unloaded, the COP is certainly very noticeable when it is strapped to your calf or other back-up weapon location.
Functionality
COP has a very interesting and unusual firing mechanism. The weapon is loaded by releasing a catch on the top of the pistol and tilting down the four unified barrels, which pivot on a pin inserted through the frame to expose the breech. Once open, four bullets can be placed into the available chambers. One then reengages the barrel into the frame until a click is heard. The gun is now ready to fire. As the trigger is pulled, an internal ratchet (see fig. 3 - part 19), which is always centrally struck by a cocking hammer (see fig. 3 - part 9), lines up to one of the four firing pins (see fig. 3 - part 31). Once the trigger has traveled to the end of its stroke, the internal hammer is released, exerting force on the ratchet, which in turn pushes one of the firing pins forward, igniting the primer, and firing the bullet. Each subsequent pull of the trigger causes the ratchet to line up with the next firing pin in the sequence, firing the bullet in that chamber, until the gun is out of ammunition or the shooter stops pulling the trigger (see fig. 2).
fig. 2
Made entirely of stainless steel, except for the grips, which are fabricated out of checkered wood, the COP is comprised of over 50 separate parts (see fig. 3). Although the gun can be taken apart, it is not easily field stripped and requires that one screw and several pins be removed for disassembly.
Specifications
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In the Movie
No one describes the gun used by the replicant Leon Kowalski better than the man who played him in Blade Runner, deceased actor Brion James:
"The gun I fired at Holden was real weapon that's made in Compton, California. It looks space-age, but it's real. And it has four barrels on it. That way you can shoot four shots one right after the other; it's sort of like a quadruple-barrel gun."
Excellent background information is available on Leon's gun and its creation, as well as the above quote from Mr. James, in Paul Sammon's book Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner on pages 109 and 239.
Additionally, there is one important detail which will now be revealed for the first time: According to Art Shippee, Jr., the property master responsible for the weapons in the movie, the COP .357 used in Blade Runner had been altered to fire two barrels simultaneously. This modification helped create the greater than expected flash that is visible in the movie (see fig. 4).
fig. 4
Price and Availability
The COP .357 has been out of production for many years and is relatively difficult to locate. Nevertheless, with a little luck, good examples of COPs can still be found and purchased for a reasonable price. According to the forty fourth edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values, depending on condition, a COP should retail for between $300 and $895 with $300 representing a gun in 60% condition and $895 being the price for a pistol in 100% or mint condition (add 10% for box in 98%+ condition). The following places are excellent sources for those looking to acquire a COP handgun:
Gunbroker: https://www.gunbroker.com
Guns America: https//www.gunsamerica.com
It has been this author's experience that although the suggested price for a mint COP is $895, in general, the usual cost for a NIB (New In Box) version will run as high as $2000 and up.
COP Prop Reproductions
A decade ago, there was only anecdotal evidence that some replicas of the COP had been produced by the Japanese. Although it was not confirmed at the time, this author stumbled on photographs of replicas of a Stephan Dane design prototype and the COP pistol in Spinner Dokuhon Final Plus 44 (see fig. 5).
fig. 5
Since this article was originally published, various replicas have appeared on the market, manufactured by both Japanese and Chinese airsoft companies. The Marushin COP 357, which was the one that appeared enigmatically in Dokuhon, proved to be very successful, and has since appeared in different finishes and configurations. Today, when available, the Marushin retails for around $300.
In Conclusion
Blade Runner has been a science fiction fan favorite for many years. Since the release of the Director's Cut in 1992, the Blade Runner cult has grown immensely. In 1996 Westwood released the Blade Runner game and a new generation was introduced to the movie's story, concepts, props, and social commentary. And today, Blade Runner continues after Blade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to the first film. Thanks to its legions of loyal fans, a movie that was unsuccessful during its original release is now considered one of the top five science fiction films ever produced.
Hopefully, this article will shed a little light on one of the two mysterious Blade Runner guns. It is about time that the hand props of this classic film were given the coverage they deserve.
Additional Photographs and the Owner's Manual
Click here to download the owner's manual in Adobe Acrobat format (2.2MB).
Bibliography and References
Sammon, Paul M., Future Noire: The Making of Blade Runner: Harper Paperbacks, 1996.
Fjestad, S.P., 44th Edition Blue Book of Gun Values: Blue Book Publications, Inc., 2023 - [Online] http://www.bluebookinc.com
Spinner Dokuhon Final Plus 44: TVC-15 Publishing, 1999.
The Blade Runner Sketchbook: Dolphin Publishing, 1982.
Firearms News: Primedia, 1999 - [Online] https://www.firearmsnews.com
Links
BladeZone http://www.bladezone.com
RACPropshttp://www.racprops.com