Why Isn’t Someone Making the ASP Pistols?

[Rick H.]

Looks become secondary when your favorite ASP is dropped on concrete or worse yet, having a case # Electro-Penciled into it by a police evidence tech where upon you may not see that pistols for years and years. Be smart, buy something modern that works when it should and is easily replaceable. Save the ASP's of the world for the range.

Way back in about 1979 I sent a Colt Commander in satin nickel finish to Seecamp for a double action conversion. I was a young police officer and read all the glowing reports in the gun rags about how well these conversions worked and I just HAD to have one. After all it had to be better than an ASP because it was a .45ACP right? I saved up for that conversion for months and waited for months for the pistol to come back to me. It never, ever worked right after the conversion...ever! I sent it back to Seecamp several times and the poor thing couldn't make it thru 2 rounds without jamming. I was not only P.O.'d, but was actually heartbroken in a way. I destroyed a perfectly fine Colt Commander in an ill thought out plan to make it better and worse yet, I spent good money doing this! I was fortunate that I managed to get rid of that Colt but I still regret ever doing that project. I promised myself never again would I do something like that and I never have.

Rick H.

 

[Green Frog]

If you can keep “cool” and “soul” hidden away until needed, while carrying it all day, every day and it works for you, that gun is fine... for you. I’m personally still a revolver person with my preference for EDCC being a Baby Chiefs Special, but if I really want to carry it so it’s not likely to be detected, a little pocket 380 or 9 Luger is what I’ll want. The smaller and lighter (even plastic ) the better. YMMV.

Froggie

 

[Handcycle]

S&W ASP

Paris Theodore originally owned Armament Systems and Procedures. It’s said that it took over 200 machining operations to turn a model 39 into an ASP.

As lawandorder mentioned, it was the first truly compact 9mm and was revolutionary at the time. Todays market is flooded with 9mm pistols that are the same size or smaller.

Wow, and it even had a see thru grip!

 

[18DAI]

Beautiful ASP with all the goodies s&wchad! I never get tired of looking at it. Thanks for sharing it with us!

And how did the shield get into a thread about desirable, custom made, 9mm ASPs? Talk about comparing apples and horse apples. Regards 18DAI

 

[KS_SW_guy]

Great Thread, tons of wisdom and it appears many of you actually carry a gun everyday(rarer than you might think). There is something really cool and soulful about the "ASP" custom gun that appeals to all of us. I have a decent collection of S&W's mostly revolvers, and I want to carry several of them, but at the end of the day, few if any are more accurate than my Shield 2.0 PC and none of them are lighter, higher capacity etc. A few years ago I purchased Mag Guts conversions for my EDC gun making it a 9 and 10+1 gun..even still I had to purchase the Shield Plus...because it is cool! BTW, it really does appear to be retro compatible except of course for the magazines.

 

[Gryff]

My father appreciated the custom compact semi-autos of the 1970s and 80s. Eventually, he had the Behlert-customized 39 and 59, the Devel 39 and 59, and eventually the ASP. Sadly, when he passed, three of the five had disappeared, but he still had the Behlert 39 and the ASP.

Those two have come to me, and it is wonderful to see the quality, innovation, and firearm history that they represent. But it is also a wistful because, like most aspects of technology, their innovation has been eclipsed by evolution.

Below are the two Devels that disappeared :sigh:.

 

[Echo40]

Maybe it's because I have transitioned over to the dark side as of 2019 and finally started carrying polymer framed pistols, but all the comments about how polymer guns have no soul has become increasingly silly to me.

Frankly, I'm not comfortable with the idea of carrying a deadly weapon that is haunted/possessed by spirits, (it sounds super-bad) and the only soul that I'm concerned with when it comes to self-defense is my own or by extension those of my loved ones, primarily with the end goal being to keep said soul(s) from prematurely exiting the body.

 

[SWTIM255]

S&W ASP 2000

They tried a "remix" of the ASP in 1998/99.
The ASP 2000
This is a version that Novak did
#2 of 2
My 2ed fav S&W

 

[Weldmeister]

Be wary of the P365SAS sight system.

I made the mistake of buying a P365SAS. The neat sight shot 4" right and 7" low at FIVE YARDS. This is a common problem with them. Ended up cramming some .005" shims under and to the side of the sight, now it is good windage and only an inch or so high at the same range. A friend of mine bought that sight and mounted it on his 1911. Same story. It is a cool design that just doesn't seem to work without some rudimentary blacksmithing. YMMV.

The SIG P 365 SAS is a modern iteration of the ASP.

 

[CCHGN]

Way back in about 1979 I sent a Colt Commander in satin nickel finish to Seecamp for a double action conversion. I was a young police officer and read all the glowing reports in the gun rags about how well these conversions worked and I just HAD to have one. After all it had to be better than an ASP because it was a .45ACP right? I saved up for that conversion for months and waited for months for the pistol to come back to me. It never, ever worked right after the conversion...ever! I sent it back to Seecamp several times and the poor thing couldn't make it thru 2 rounds without jamming. I was not only P.O.'d, but was actually heartbroken in a way. I destroyed a perfectly fine Colt Commander in an ill thought out plan to make it better and worse yet, I spent good money doing this! I was fortunate that I managed to get rid of that Colt but I still regret ever doing that project. I promised myself never again would I do something like that and I never have.

Rick H.

WHAAAT? YOU actually did that to a Colt Combat Commander? That's inconceivable! Karma is a biocth....lol My Dad gave me a Combat Commander when I graduated USMC boot camp back 77. I took it to a gunsmith and had a beaver tail put in it, polish the feed ramp and ported ejection port, pachmyer grips, a combat hammer and I'd read that Givern put a gold bead as his front sight and so did I.

 

[CCHGN]

Maybe it's because I have transitioned over to the dark side as of 2019 and finally started carrying polymer framed pistols, but all the comments about how polymer guns have no soul has become increasingly silly to me....

Agreed. My M&P9 has plenty of soul..lol A virtual polymer sprite! Shooting it is a spiritual experience...lol

 

[Rick H.]

WHAAAT? YOU actually did that to a Colt Combat Commander? That's inconceivable! Karma is a biocth....lol My Dad gave me a Combat Commander when I graduated USMC boot camp back 77. I took it to a gunsmith and had a beaver tail put in it, polish the feed ramp and ported ejection port, pachmyer grips, a combat hammer and I'd read that Givern put a gold bead as his front sight and so did I.

Yep, sure did! You have to put it in the timeframe though. DA .45 ACP's were non-existent from the manufacturers so conversions like Seecamp were the only option. Many departments up north and elsewhere frowned on single action semi-autos with cocked and locked carry so one had little choice. The Seecamp conversion was at least at face value a valid choice and of course the gun writers extolled the virtues of such a conversion and rarely ever found anything wrong with them, at least that they reported. I was quite proud of that Commander when I got it back from Seecamp as it looked terrific, but trying to get it to work with any type of ammunition was sheer torture and led to utter frustration. I think it went back to Seecamp 3 times before I gave up ultimately realizing I could not trust that gun in a life and death situation. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement and one that my wife didn't let me forget for a long time. Money was super tight for us at that time as a new cop and nurse (wife) didn't make much and spending a small fortune on something that didn't work did not make either of us happy. Wish I had just left that gun alone and let it appreciate in stock form.

Rick H.

 

[Buford57]

Still, none of the new compacts look as cool as the ASP

True, but I carry concealed and if I have to draw it on someone, I'm not concerned about his opinion on its looks.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Speaking of Cool - My Ex Girlfriend got mad at me because I picked her in my SUV and not my BMW.
We were headed to a fairly Dress Up Dance thing.
She wanted to arrive in Bmwer Style, not Truck Style!
I tried to explain since it was at the Convention Center, we would be parking up in the parking garage building.
We probably wouldn’t see anybody except maybe car thieves and taggers.
Didn’t really want to give them a shot at my BMW.
I wish we had an Acura to drive there!
She had one!

 

[JohnHL]

I know the feeling, Pilgrim!

I once went to Las Vegas in a $50 Ford.

I came back home in a $350,000...




Greyhound Bus.

John

 

[TNZ71]

The 3913 was S&W's answer to the popularity of Paris Theodore's ASP. I thought it was plenty good, and still consider it the best discreet carry 9mm that Smith has ever made. This is my 3913NL, bought in 1995.

John

I'm thinking the Model 469 was the Mother Ship's answer to the ASP.