Robert Hillberg
Encyclopedia
Robert Hillberg is a firearm designer. He was the former head of High Standard Manufacturing Company
. His designs included the folding shotgun stock, the Whitney Wolverine
, the Wildey .45 gas-operated pistol, and the four-shot COP 357 Derringer
. Hillberg developed a variety of insurgency weapon
s, primarily multiple barrel shotguns, which could be covertly distributed to partisan forces fighting in the United States' national interests.
Gun Digest
editors have described Hillberg as a "national treasure".
where he began to learn about how firearms are designed. He moved on to Pratt & Whitney
and later Republic Aviation. During World War II he worked on adapting weapons designed for use on the ground to aircraft use, with all the challenges inherent in that problem. While at Republic Hillberg designed several automatic pistols, including for the first time in the gun industry solving the problem of having interchangeable barrels for multiple calibers in the same gun.
After the war Hillberg went to work for High Standard as head of research and development.
High Standard Manufacturing Company
High Standard Manufacturing Company Inc. is an American manufacturer of firearms, based in Houston, Texas. The company was originally founded in Hamden, Connecticut in 1926 as a supplier to the numerous firearms companies in the Connecticut Valley.-History:...
. His designs included the folding shotgun stock, the Whitney Wolverine
Whitney Wolverine
The Whitney Wolverine was an advanced, "space-aged", light-weight aluminum, semi-automatic, .22 LR caliber pistol created in 1956. It had a 10 round magazine, and weighed only 1.3 lbs.-History:...
, the Wildey .45 gas-operated pistol, and the four-shot COP 357 Derringer
COP 357 Derringer
The COP 357 is a 4 shot Derringer type pistol chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum round. It was designed by Robert Hillberg, based on his earlier work on the Hillberg Insurgency Weapon.It was manufactured by the now defunct COP Inc...
. Hillberg developed a variety of insurgency weapon
Insurgency weapon
An insurgency weapon is a weapon, most often a firearm, intended for use by insurgents to engage in guerrilla warfare against an occupier, or for use by rebels against an established government...
s, primarily multiple barrel shotguns, which could be covertly distributed to partisan forces fighting in the United States' national interests.
Gun Digest
Gun Digest
The Gun Digest is an annual firearms book published in the United States.It was first published in 1944 and included articles written by well known writers such as Jack O'Connor and Major...
editors have described Hillberg as a "national treasure".
History
Hillberg worked initially at Colt's Manufacturing CompanyColt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
where he began to learn about how firearms are designed. He moved on to Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
and later Republic Aviation. During World War II he worked on adapting weapons designed for use on the ground to aircraft use, with all the challenges inherent in that problem. While at Republic Hillberg designed several automatic pistols, including for the first time in the gun industry solving the problem of having interchangeable barrels for multiple calibers in the same gun.
After the war Hillberg went to work for High Standard as head of research and development.
Guns
- Browning BPS shotgun
- COP 357 DerringerCOP 357 DerringerThe COP 357 is a 4 shot Derringer type pistol chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum round. It was designed by Robert Hillberg, based on his earlier work on the Hillberg Insurgency Weapon.It was manufactured by the now defunct COP Inc...
- Colt Defender Mark IColt Defender Mark IColt Defender Mark I was an American 8-barrel shotgun intended for law enforcement or military use, completed in 1967.The shotgun had a semi-automatic like fire without the complexity of being a semi-automatic weapon. Each barrel was chambered for the 20 gauge 3 inch magnum shell...
- Modern pepper-box rifle
- Winchester LiberatorWinchester LiberatorThe Winchester Liberator is a 16-gauge, four-barrelled shotgun, similar to a scaled up four-shot double action derringer. It was an implementation of the Hillberg Insurgency Weapon design...
Partial list of patents
Hillberg holds numerous patents for firearms, including:- 1974 for a folding gun stock
- 1980 for a firearm grip assembly
- 1980 for a firearm hammer block safety mechanism
- 1981 for a firearm magazine safety mechanism
- 1982 US patent #D262567 for a new break-action rifle design.
- 1983 for a handgun strut assembly
- 1983 for a multi-barrel handgun firing mechanism