ASAI One Pro .45

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Nick_90

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Dear Friends,

I am thinking of buying an ASAI One Pro .45. It seems that the company in Solothurn (Switzerland) still exists but I have never heard of them.
Have any of you had experience with those guns? I read on a forum that someone had owned three and that the slide had broken on all of them. It seems unlikely, but one never knows...
I would be interested in reading your opinion...

Kind regards,

Nick_90
 
I actually registered solely to answer your question about my experiences with the One Pro. About a decade ago Springfield Arms was importing the ASAI One Pro and the reviews couldn’t have been better!

When I saw my first One Pro I was super impressed in the smooth trigger pull and excellent design quality, not to mention the sturdy all steel construction. I was NOT a double action fan but I bought this pistol anyway (I believe the serial number was relatively low as well.) The magazines were limited to 10 shots back then.

Now after serving in the U.S. Marines as well as being a Tucson Police Reserve officer and a firearms collector for many years I know that I should NEVER carry and depend on any firearm that I have not tested on the firing range! But so high was my confidence on a Springfield product and the quality I believed the ASAI people engineered into the One Pro that there came the occasion on my first week with that pistol that I loaded up both the 10 shot magazines with 9 rounds of flat point .45 FMJ with another in the chamber and used it as my personal protection piece on the way out to my property where I had a good backstop and had set up my own range.

I was utterly flabbergasted when with the exception of the first round in the chamber every single round failed to feed! Switching to round nosed hard-ball proved no better! That day I had to carry a bull barrel Ruger .22 LR pistol for self-defense until I got home to my safe; not a horrible experience but one that made me mad at myself for lack of preparation!

I had purchased the pistol at a cherished dealer in Southern Arizona (West of the Pecos Gun Shop) and with their expert advice we ordered another pair of magazines for the pistol but had the exact same experience. The people at West of the Pecos (and Springfield Arms) refunded the full purchase price and a fine customized M1911A1 took the place of the one pro and NEVER has given me any problems at all.

Fast forward almost 5 years, a friend that was one of my good trading buddies saw a One Pro at the Tucson gun show for a pretty hefty price as the we never saw these in quantity. He sought out my advice and I told him the exact same experience that I had with the pistol. Despite this he pulled off a trade with the owner and got into the thing at a price I considered foolish!

A trip to a local indoor range proved as disappointing as my first One-Pro and he was unable to fire more two to three consecutive shots of 230 grain FMJs without a stoppage! The tests with hollow points was even more frustrating and he had a sick appearance as he put the pistol away never to be fired again.

When he tried to sell his One-Pro at a table we had rented at a Phoenix gun show I removed it and told him he couldn’t sell the ‘problem child’ to someone else adding that such behavior might be at the cost of someone’s life and I ended up trading him out of the thing for a more serious investment than I knew to be reasonable.

After tailoring hand loads and gaining assistance from some really great gunsmiths of the Southwest, the performance was not any better. I gave the pistol to a member of the Pima Pistol Club with the caveat that he not consider it for serious self-defense or sell or trade it to anyone else, (which he did almost immediately!) It still surfaces from time to time looking for yet another unhappy victim.

I see new high cap’ magazines (that the pistol was originally designed for,) are now available, however based on my experiences I cannot recommend the pistol for any serious purpose, but it breaks my heart to say so!

Hope this was of some help to you!
 
We had OnePro pistols at Jensen's when I worked there, and Old Joe bought one. It broke the slide stop almost at once. He got another one. It did the same thing. One through 6 opf the things, I believe. Had the worlds greatest DA trigger, but the most horrible construction. I would rather carry a Jennings JS-9 than a OnePro.
I never saw one at West O'The Pecos - you must have bought the only one! BTW,. not as good a shop anymore, don't know why.
 
We probably worked together at Jensen's. Miss Dianne and Butch, Bob most of all! Dave and Rick always have my heart at West of the Pecos, but haven't been for a long while. I was offered management of Miller's place before they sold it to the West of the Pecos group but sent the buyers to see Dave at Silo who needed it more than I, hear he is co-owner now.

Two small children now so I lock up my guns and collect cameras until they are grown. Always faithful (till death and beyond) to the wonderful second amendment folks though!!!

The first gun shop I used to press nose to glass though was Carmichael's near where I went to school! Oh, the Single Actions and the Winchesters!!! Will NEVER be another place like that!

If when I die I still have a .44 Special Single Action, a S&W Model 27, a Pre ’64 in 30-06 a 12 bore repeater and a Rock Chucker press, they’ll bury me with a smile!
 
ASAI One Pro .45, or not ?

I actually registered solely to answer your question about my experiences with the One Pro. About a decade ago Springfield Arms was importing the ASAI One Pro and the reviews couldn’t have been better!

Similarly, I have joined this forum to rebut your posting. I have a OnePro from ASAI, as I am the original owner. It was imported by Magnum Research, I have all of the original papers to prove it. It has been a fine functioning pistol in all respects, feeding and firing any kind of .45 ammo that has been loaded.

So far as I know, Springfield never imported this pistol, which calls into question the rest of what you say. Are you certain you you speak of the same pistol as the Original Poster inquired about ? There are many companies with pistols using Pro in the name. Maybe it was a similar name ?
 

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The ASAI One1Pro series is a Martin Tuma design. Just like with CZs of years back, Mr. Tuma insisted that the slide stop with the slide stop.

Personally, love the fellow, but a thousand jokes can be made from that.
 
ASAI OnePro45 and my experiance

After finding this thread, I had to weigh in myself. I have a fond place in my heart for the ASAI OnePro 45 and if it is EVER imported again, I will give it a second chance. It was my first handgun. My serial number was super low also, like 1126. By the time I bought it in 2000, It was already ill-fated. I had only a couple hundred rounds through mine when the steel guide rod somehow sheered off the barrel Lug. A seemingly impossible failure. The folks at Magnum Research were really great. They shipped me a replacement barrel and low and behold, after about thirty or forty rounds through the new barrel, the lug cracked off again. I was devastated. By this time, they stopped importing them, and had nearly exhausted their spare parts supply. They said they had Metallurgy problems with the steel. They offered to apply a credit to another gun and I ended up with some 10/22 carbon fiber race gun. But I miss that Handgun. It had the most amazing, almost dangerously light trigger. Its grip was awesome, you could buy a 400 corbon conversion kit, and I have seen nothing since then as cool. Every now and then a safe queen pops up on GB, but I won't buy it because of my history with it. And so it goes... If it were available today with a Rail, it would be the bomb. So I wait till CZ makes the 97BD with a rail! Guess I should just be glad they are making a de-cocker model.
 
One Pro

I have one. Bought it new from Jensen's/ Tucson in 03/2000 and it was indeed imported by Magnum Research. It's very functional; excellent trigger and overall workmanship.
 
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