Asp baton + spray, isn't that great?

F

Fking

Joined
Mar 1, 2006
Messages
47
Ok i really like the idea of the ASP baton with spray attached to the end:
http://www.redhotpepperspray.com/asp-f16-tactical-safety-system-with-defender-oc-dispenser.html

It's been around for several years, but still i can't find any review, video on youtube or much at all about it. Other than stores descriptions.
Does anyone have it and would like to share his thoughts about it?
How's the asp spray compared to the rest?

I've got the palm defender in my pocket for years, but never actually used it.
Those days i would prefer foam spray, but like the idea of an baton+spray so much that i might still go for it anyway.
Let's discuss it a bit :)
 
ok looks like for some reason nobody but me is interested in that, in the whole internet :)
 
You ever play with an expandable? The size of the thing is generally prohibitive to carry, unless you're going for a 16-18 inch model. While they are nice to carry, it's a compromise that doesn't give you a long baton, but worth it for the easy of carry. Adding the pepper spray, you're adding length to the baton, which may be equivalent to a non-expanded model which has 7 inches extra of expanded baton (didn't take that long a look, maybe more like 4 inches). Then, this small expandable baton plus an extension which doesn't make a much longer baton, is meant to be awkwardly manipulated from the back end to use pepper spray, to the front end, to use the baton. I suppose you can try reverse grip/tonfa like tactics, but doesn't seem very useful. Finally, if you actually need to use said baton, your hand is on the back of the baton, possibly activating the button, spraying yourself in the middle of a fight.

So, let's review. You take a small baton, which is less than ideal, and make it longer when not deployed, negating the advantage of the smaller baton while not compensating with the longer expanded length of a larger baton. Then you stick a pepper spray cartridge on the back that leads to awkward twisting of the baton in the middle of a fight- at the very least, changing your hand position. You're better served by two separate items, for the reasons discussed, butalso so that you can deploy each with different hands, and not have all your hopes wrapped up in one weapon which can be dropped, taken, etc. Anyone that uses batons will want as much length for as small a package as possible; and anyone that uses spray wants it to be maneuverable, and probably able to be palmed surreptitiously. Otherwise, they'd have bear spray.

Zero
 
i've got bunch of expandable batons, i'm quite a fan of them actually.
Yeah they are hard to carry concealed, but it's still the most convinient way to carry a 21+ inches long steel stick. Having a pepper spray available and one free hand is just a big plus for me.
You look at it as keeping all your eggs in the same basket, i look at it as a smart way to have both available at all times in one hand, and another hand free for something else... :)
I guess it all depends on your point of view.

About accidently activating the spray while fighting well, i can't say anything since i haven't used it, i haven't even seen it for real actually, so wanted to discuss it here a bit :)
But i believe ASP have thought about that and they are ok.
 
What are you DOING with that extra free hand? If the spray doesn't work, it doesn't work- and I drop it, hence I have a free hand. Anything more than 2 force continuum options (besides fists) should be more than enough for any non LEO. Simple is better. Further, pulling a baton is a lot less surreptitious than getting a hold of pepper spray. I think of spray as going somewhere easily accessible, like a keychain, etc.

In terms of combinations, the tigerlight has been relatively well received, combining a maglite-type flashlight and pepper spray, because the transition there makes sense- you see with the light, and you can transition to spraying. As I understand it, when you pull a baton, you want to expand it immediately, as it can take quite an arc, so you generally get one chance. Manipulating multiple different ways sounds... hazardous.

To be honest, I think the length thing explains most people. If they're gonna carry a baton, they want as much baton as possible.

Looking at the website, I noticed the defender was marketed towards officers. Who have to deal with uncomfortable belts as part of their job. Comfort matters more for me- dispersion of items works better as far as I'm concerned, as I'm not regularly pulling these weapons while messing with a clipboard or whatever- or pulling them as regularly as officers need to. I also don't carry handcuffs and tasers on myself either- that's just too much to carry. One of the unenticing things about authorities are those huge, heavy, uncomfortable, something-poking-you-every-direction belts. I already am looked at as weird for carrying as much as I do.

Zero
 
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