Greetings,
I just purchased a new 21" ASP Baton and have yet to receive formal training for its use.
Would you relay your experiences with it, ie. good/bad manuevers, its strengths/weaknesses, etc...

Respectfully,

ktmhk53

I've got a second or third cousin who is was (is?) a cop in new orleans area. When I was 14 and down there for a family reunion, he was showing me all of his equipment, and he took out an old used and beat up asp baton and gave it to me. I was thrilled as a 14 year old to have such a bad ass toy. His only words of advice were "don't hit anyone in the head with it, cause the knob on the end will go through a skull. If your gonna hit someone, do it on the side of the knee, or jab it up under the rib cage." I still have the thing, but I've played with it so much that it doesn't lock open very well any more.

edited to add, does anyone know if it would be legal to carry that thing around concealed on me in Wisconsin?

Careful... They DO bend and become inoperable.

They're just like a light-saber, except without all the burning 'n stuff.

I am a certified MEB Instructor.  Which is Monadnock Expandable Baton.  Monadnock is the original marketer of PR-24 (sidehandle batons), they also market an expandable simular to the ASP, called the Auto-lock.  It has a lock mechanism on the end cap used for collapsing the baton, instead of having to strike it on a surface for closing.  There are several replacement tips for the various expandables, used to lessen the damage that can be caused by the steel tip.  All straight baton training is applicable to expandables, Monadnock mandates a 4 hour class for certification.  The advantage of expandables is their portability, when exiting your cruiser in a hurry it won't be left behind.  ALL standard batons are primarily used as defensive purposes.  Head strikes are your last resort to fend off a deadly attack, they can and do cause severe trauma.  Different jurisdictions have differing regulations for civilian possession and use check your local laws.  Training is available through several sources, check with local contract security agencies in your area or check the ASP or Monadnock websites.  Training usually runs $150-200 for the certification.  If you intend to use it for civilian defensive purposes, you should really get the training for liability purposes.  If you are certified by a Monadnock instructor for use of their device, Monadnock has legal councilors who can provide assistance in the event you properly use the device for it's intended purpose and face civil litigation.  RedMan is the way to go for law enforcement, because it gives you the opputunity to combine multiple defensive techniques. But, it is very intense, and unless your serious about learning how to use non-firearms techniques, don't try it.  I don't know if this is offered to non-LE anyway.

Hope this helps.

btw, if you play around with it (open close open close open close) it well wear out a bit and not stay open as well as when new

1_153_370_371_407:
Yes it would be considered to be a concealed weapon if you were to carry it concealed on your person in WI.
Underneath the endcap is a clip. If you take that clip and pry the ends apart a little, it should renew the locking and stay open better again. A little should go a long ways when prying them apart, so try a little at a time. Adjusting it helped mine when it was first locking too much, then not enough...
 

My instructor told me years ago: "If you have too, grab the handle with both hands and swing away"  best ASP advise I ever received. Oh, by the way....it will break bones...easily.

If you ever use it for a sloar plexus jab strike, be sure to deflect the person to the side as they bend forward, so they don't vomit on your shoes [:)]

I think the clip is what holds it closed. Friction between the tubes it what keeps it open.