Found a new in box ASP 9mm...

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bc1023

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Its one of only 450 built. They were built 30 to 40 years ago, so I'm sure considerably less are still in existence today. Of those, I'm not sure how many are still unfired since being built, but here's one of them.

The ASP featured over 200 modifications to the customer supplied S&W 39. It was the ultimate "stealth" deep cover gun of its day and way ahead of its time.

Other than one of the three mags being opened so it could be in the gun, this ASP is just as it left Theodore's shop. :)

Just thought I'd share. Please enjoy the pics...


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Wow! Nice catch. If you don't mind me asking, what did it set you back?
 
The best of the cold war customs. Had to leave one in a hurry a long time ago. Never was able to replace it. Still trying to talk an acquaintance out of the guttersnipe sight he has stashed away so I can build another a clone.
 
That was a Grail gun of my youth. As my access to funds increased, the price of them increased just enough to keep one out of my reach...it has been over 10 years since I last handled one.

Very nice indeed
 
ASP 9mm....

The ASP pics look great. :D
How were you able to find a NIB/unfired ASP?
I've seen a few used/good condition ASP 9x19mm models on www.gunsamerica.com but none were unfired/brand new.

Combat Handguns did a article about a year ago detailing the ASP 9x19mm & Paris Theodore. The gun press item stated the security supervisor for the US Embassy in Saigon(now Ho Chi Minh City) packed a ASP 9mm. :cool:

Theodore was way ahead of his time re; firearms & custom features.
The Coal Creek Armory ASP2000(based on the newer S&W 3913) was good but the original Theodore ASP pistol was better.

RS
 
Drool!

I was fortunate once to handle one a few years ago, but the price was prohibitive to purchase it.
 
I remember those when sold new, as well as the competing Devel. Very nice find. It competed with the cut down 1911's being made at that time by Austin Behlert. All interesting customs.

Willie

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Stop taunting us with this awesome gun on every message board on the whole dang interwebz!!!

Can you tell I'm jealous? :D
 
What an awesome score. I'm not the collector sort, but the ASP is just so interesting for so many reasons.

I fondly remember in Jr. High (and I'm in my mid forties) ordering a James Bond book called "Role of Honor" from the company that produced the gun. They sold it because it featured James Bond using the ASP pistol, and the book came with an ASP manual and some other factory trinkets (no pistol sadly though :( )
 
If your worried about running dirty Wolf Ammo through it, you could always have the slide hard chromed ;)
 
Blueduck said:
If your worried about running dirty Wolf Ammo through it, you could always have the slide hard chromed ;)
Click to expand...
... Or just run quality brass ammo in it, because if you're buying an ASP now, you probably have the coin to shoot proper 9mm through it.
 
John Gardner....

I had a chance to meet author John Gardner, the authorized writer of several James Bond novels in the 1980s/1990s in 1991(Charlottesville VA). He armed 007 with a few different pistols(Hi-Power 9mm, HK P7m8, VP-70) before his Q character gave Bond a new ASP 9x19mm with Glaser Safety Slugs(blue).
Of the many custom changes, the modified trigger guard & the "Gutter-Snipe" target sights are the most interesting. I never understood why more US gun firms didn't R&D any similar combat sights or replicate the clear magazine grips.

I did notice the ASP grips have a slight brown tinge. I guess the age & wear made the plastic that color.
The Teflon fit & finish on the ASP still look great.
I'd keep it unfired but if I owned it to carry, Id get the pistol mags Metalife treated or replaced with modified S&W model 39 magazines w/o the cut outs.
 
Other than the cut out magazine, window grips and fiber optic sight, what other mods were made to this, and did they ever base a similar model off the double stack 59 series?
 
bc1023

Very, very cool! Would love to have one, along with one of the Devel Model 39 conversions.
 
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