ASP tactical collapsible baton

**andy_760901** · 20-10-2008, 23:01

hi all

i bought a number of years ago, a ASP 21" telescoping baton, which i think is awesome, i just wonder, do any of you employ a baton like this and what is your opinion of them as opposed to say a knife or taser etc? i dont like tasers, but i am just putting it out there.

would one carry a gun forst and formost as i do and a batin in addition to a knife, or would you then forego the knife in favour of the baton? what are your guys thoughts, at the moment i carry a pistol and knife, and do not usually carry my ASP, should i carry a gun, knife and ASP, or just a gun and ASP - or just stick tot he knife and gun???

what do you guys think, any thoughts or pearls of wisdom?

**Corné** · 21-10-2008, 07:50

Those battons are quite nice. I would say that it becomes a addition but where do you draw the line on how much equipment you are going to carry? A knife you can use in confined spaces but those batons you need more space to deploy them and use them. It would be handy o have it in the car or in easy reach in the office or house. I would say that you need to look at your personal situation and decide what would be more appropiate and how much gear are you prepared / able to carry?

**Count Bla** · 21-10-2008, 09:02

IMO, a knife is a last resort weapon. Mainly a retension device for when someone is fighting you for your gun. I believe I'll most probably rather use my knife to cut a safety belt after being in a car crash than to fight to the death with it. I still carry one though.

Also just my opinion, but I'd rather get shot than sliced up. Just heard that its the worst, and the photos that I've seen sort of confirms that.

Battons are great, especially when attacked with a knife. That, however, is where Mr. Fourty Smith & Wesson steps in. A knife is a deadly weapon and will be dealt with accordingly. IMO, a batton is great for maybe in the car or at home, but too much of a pain in the arse to haul around every day. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I'll out-draw a batton with a gun.

**Musgrave** · 21-10-2008, 09:28

I carry my knife and baton at work, as I'm not allowed to take my CZ to work. As soon as I'm home, the baton is replaced by the CZ. One I got used to the baton (which was quick), it never bothered me - I carry it in the belt, appendix style.

Who offers training in the use of the ASP?

**SSP** · 21-10-2008, 11:44

Originally Posted by Musgrave

I carry my knife and baton at work, as I'm not allowed to take my CZ to work. As soon as I'm home, the baton is replaced by the CZ. One I got used to the baton (which was quick), it never bothered me - I carry it in the belt, appendix style.

Who offers training in the use of the ASP?

Id contact the agents, Sharp edge, sharp shooter in Sandton city. Try to speak to Stan not one of the sales assistants.

**saps-za** · 21-10-2008, 12:28

I carried my ASP everyday for years, I also had my knife and firearm. The ASP is another weapon if needed. I did the ASP course in South Africa, its an easy course and tells you where to hit etc so you dont kill the suspect.

A mate of mine did the course with me, next week he forgot about it and hit the suspect right on the head, so much for training. hpy71

**harm** · 22-10-2008, 11:53

i carry an ASP with my gun and knives,and other impact tools.it is another tool in the tool-box.i did the ASP course,which is good for Police or Americans [avoid lawsuites] or American LEO's [avoid lawsuits],but i did some FMA based stick courses and the ASP.in our country the standard ASP strikes are not optimum,in my opinion,as u'd need to disarm and incapacitate an attacker while expecting another from somewhere else [the 1 is 2 rule.or more like 1 is 4 or 5].so i'd say strike to attacking limbs,neck head,whatever gets the job done.i'v been told this when i did the reservisttraining course - a strike to the head with a blunt instrument/club is an attempted murder charge [obviously if it isnt justified],but i'm not a lawyer so i cannot really comment.
Musgrave ,contact Barry or Stan Gordon as they're certified instructors,if u want to do the ASP course.but i would recommend an AMOK! class for practical stickwork,which works very well with the ASP.
ask Geoff Carter about 1 of the "mountain men" who was trained by Mark Human [or in his class,i forget],who used an ASP to defend himself against multiple attackers.

**Corné** · 22-10-2008, 12:32

The one thing I do have against the ASP and similar products is the way you deploy it and how it locks up. You really need to give it a firm 'whack' to get it properly deployed and thus not collapsing on you while deployed. SWATG did at a stage bring in another brand that worked slightly different in that it was not a friction lock design but a bearing lock design. It did not require a 'whack' to deploy it (but this still remains the normal deployment action) and you could just pull it into deployment with ease. It locked on a bearing system and is thus not relying on a good 'whack' to get a friction lock. However there is a problem bringing them into the country and as far as I know they are not available. In my mind this is a better option / version than the ASP and similar products

**saps-za** · 22-10-2008, 14:19

We could have this whole debate on ASP or another brand... happy0065

ASP quality is the best in my limited view, i had a Monadnock and it was not good. I have also seen these cheap ones and also rubbish....

But then aagin i guess ASP is like Glock, you either like it or not fighting0035

**Corné** · 22-10-2008, 14:30

I am not knocking the quality of the ASP but my view is that the locking mechanism on the one that I referred to (can't remember the brand name), has a advantage over the ASP system. Quality wise they also looked very good but I could not comment on a quality / strenght comparison between the two. If all else is equal, I would rather prefer the bearing locking system than the friction locking system. But yes, ASP is an excellent product....