asp 9mm the best ever?
This weapon was comceptulized (?) by Paris Theodore and Maj. George C. Nonte. George was a writer for Pjs (Handgunner magazine among others) and Paris had Seventrees Holsters and other interests in this vein. They attempted,at a time when modified guns were mostly one-offs by a given smith, to market a concealment weapon for close in combat. The asp was chopped and shortened in the frame and bbl and the grips were transparent so that the shooter could visually check the loads. The actions and springs were reworked to improve the trigger and assure reliability. The slides were slotted for the guttersnipe sight, an innovation of questionable value at eye level, and that's about it as I recall.
Both parties (Nonte & Theodore) could have benefitted from a good business manager as both seemed to have trouble focusing on a single task. Initial production stuttered along and then sales started to pick up a little. As I remember it the suppliers started dropping off (maybe payment problems) and the production languished. I think later Smith & Wesson produced a similar clone for awhile, but I don't know m uch about that.
If the gun had any merit other than a cutting edge design at the time of it's manufacture. I don't know what it would be. The initial weapons (model 39's) were supplied by myself and other friends of George Nonte and much of the subsequent work and frame mods were made after they were built and shot in by the same people. It had much to reccommend it as a concealment weapon and the reliability was what you would expect from the orignal model 39. As a 7 to 12 yard gun it was acceptable. The guttersnipe sight was alright for aiming up to eyelevel, but of little use otherwise;at least to my eyes and to the other shooters with me. I know that I gave mine away to another officer who was doing drug work undercover at the time.
I guess, in summation you could say it was a good idea whose time is past.
