[mattw]

I've been told by my father (for those of you who haven't heard: retired USMC, LBPD reserve, GPFD, BSFD) that i need to keep an asp in my glove box of my jeep. I was thinking it might be a good idea to carry it with me while i'm outside of the car also.

So what do you guys think? 16",21",26" or 30"? Since i'm thinking i might like to be able to conceal it i can pretty much rule out the 26 and 30 inch, right? i'm not a big dude at all.. only about 5'7" 130lbs.

[MillCreek]

Depending upon where you live, possession or carrying an ASP or other collapsible baton may be a felony. Many jurisdictions consider them 'dangerous weapons' and as such, ban them. If this is the case for your jurisdiction, you may want to carefully consider if you really want one.

If it is not illegal to possess or carry one in your jurisdiction, I think they can be an excellent less-lethal carry alternative, as long as one gets the proper training. Back when I carried one, the 16" was quite concealable.

[mattw]

I live in Mississippi, I doubt the law will care if i have a baton in my glove box or pocket.

[Ala Dan]

I carried the 16" ASP while "serving and protecting" the public for many
years. I found the 16" to be quite handy for close quarters combat. It
will work wonders on knee caps and rib cages.

While we were taught to NEVER strike the head or neck area, if a perp
ducks it makes a nasty mess! :uhoh: :D

[Guns_and_Labs]

Personally, I like the balance of the 21", but the 16" is quite concealable.

[mattw]

how long is the 21" baton when its all folded up?

[Guns_and_Labs]

how long is the 21" baton when its all folded up?
8"

[mattw]

so the 16" is about 5 or 6 inches?

[Guns_and_Labs]

Yep, 6".

[Balog]

I've been looking at batons to take to Iraq, and I'm wondering if the ASP brand is worth the extra cost. I see a lot of "no-name" brands for half the price. Would they perform as well, or are they inferior in some way?

[ktd]

Sportsmansguide.com has one of those springy collapisble batons for cheap, my friend has one and it seems okay. Most guys in Iraq had actual ASP batons, and I think it is the better way to go, you can pick them up fairly cheap (got mine used for $35 in nickel), and a lot of places will discount them if they hear you are going overseas.

Mattw, personally, as a baton I do not think they are super great, but it is handy in a pinch, and impresses those who do not really need to be batoned. Mine is the 21 inch and that seems to be the most common.

On the other hand, one should only take to Iraq what they are willing to lose. If my friends saw the clothes and gear I was wearing over there they would have died laughing, considering all the nice gear I left at home.

k

[mattw]

I don't intend to show it to anyone that isn't going to get hit with it. I've seen them used with quite impressive results as far as compliance goes. I've even been hit with one.. they'll work for me, provided i have enough room to get a good swing or jab in.

[Elmer]

You might want to look at the Monadnock Auto-Lock baton. Instead of relying strictly on friction, they have a positive ball detent lock. The baton can be employed in very close quarters, by just pulling it to full extension, without fear of the baton collapsing. They can also be collapsed by just pushing a button, instead of beating it on the ground......

If went back into the field tommorow. it's what I would carry. I've instructed on both.

And as someone said, careful of where you travel to with it. It is a felony to possess in California and other states.

[mattw]

no trips to the left coast in the immediate future, no worries.

[stealthmode]

Balog

check your private messages

[loandr.]

16 or 21 will do fine, DONT go cheap and DONT go lightweright. Train Train Train and enjoy the new gear sir :)

Loandr.

[kannonfyre]

I've used the 21" version before and I'm roughly your height though 50lbs heavier.

I would strongly recommend the ASP 21" baton. The weight is just about right and not as heavy as other brands.

[Elmer]

The Monadnock 21" friction lock baton is exactly the same weight as the Asp 21", but the Monadnock baton is a stronger product in my opinion. The Monadnock Auto-Lock series weighs 2 oz more, but has a positive lock, the ability to open in a confined space, and the push button release keeps you from having to find a convenient concrete surface to beat it back closed. The 2 ounces more is worth carrying for the benefits in my opinion.

Asp, similarly to Glock, does a ton of "instructor" training, so there's a lot of folks that tout it because they're now an "expert".

[Sunray]

"...I doubt the law will care..." Find out. It's called CYA. The last thing you need is a criminal charge that'd cause you to lose your firearms. And if you ever come to Canada, leave it at home. They're illegal.

[1911JMB]

A while back I had the opportunity to play with a 31" asp that belongs to a cop my dad knows. I tried tucking it down my wasteband, and it fit there real well. ASP's shouldn't move too much in your wasteband if you keep your belt tight. You could probably get away with carrying a 31" or 26" inch despite your size. I'm 5' 11" and it was real easy for me to tuck the 31" away.

Most importantly, check your local laws before you get one. Here in Michigan anyway, they are illegal as hell, and the cops would go nuts if they caught you with one.

[deputy tom]

I used to carry a 21" on duty and a 16" off.I prefer the reach of the 21" but the 16" was easier to conceal.Those German springy things look interesting but I don't know what segment they would fall into within certain juristictions re: the law.tom. :confused:

[Phil Ca]

The 21" ASP was trained with and used when I was a reserve in a small department in Nor Cal. Unfortuately it is locked up now do to not being a reserve and still living in the PRK.

I was not aware that the ASP was OK for military to use but I am all for it in any case. a bunch of us in Vietnam carried personal handguns until they army played the "registration/confiscation" game in 65/66. In order to return with my handgun I had to obtain a export permit from the SVN govdotorg.

[ktd]

deputy tom, to my understanding, the springy german ones are verboten to civillians in Germany, but the ASP types are legal. I dunno, maybe I have it backwards. And I dunno if that is regarding possession and/or carry. As far as their legality here, I would assume it is like knives, kinda depends on the interpretation of the code by whoever is trying to hassle you.

Actually, now that I think about it, I am surprised no one mentioned the dual utility of the mag lite!

k

[RyanM]

Maglights don't collapse. They aren't supposed to, anyway.

[Phil Ca]

Until Sept 11, 2001 I carried my kubaton everywhere I went. I used it to protect myself from street thugs in Paris and was glad to have it.

There are other devices that are inoccuous and do not draw attention. one item is the cardboard roll in a faz machine. it passes the metal detector and the TSA dweebs ignore it with barely a shrug.

[SUPERMAN .45]

I carry my ASP baton together with my gun and a knife.

[rudolf]

deputy tom, to my understanding, the springy german ones are verboten to civillians in Germany, but the ASP types are legal. I dunno, maybe I have it backwards. And I dunno if that is regarding possession and/or carry. As far as their legality here, I would assume it is like knives, kinda depends on the interpretation of the code by whoever is trying to hassle you.

The springy ones are illegal in Germany since 1976. They also don't make much sense either.
The ASP's are legal, except for two or three states (Hessen is one) where the 16" is also illegal.