Arms, Armor and Militaria Online

9mm. 3.25" barrel. SN: A300571. Blackened finish, smooth wood grips with clear Lexan inserts to allow cartridge counting. Conventional double action tilting barrel semi-automatic handgun with removable magazine, modified for discreet concealed carry. Original Smith & Wesson markings mostly intact, although part of the four-line patent and address information on the left of the slide is machined away where the serrations were removed. The ASP was one of the first purpose designed concealed carry or backup duty pistols in a real duty caliber to be introduced to the firearms market. Using a Smith & Wesson Model 39 as the base pistol, the modifications to the gun were designed by Paris Theodore of Seventrees Custom Gun Leather and Armament Systems & Procedures, INC, thus the sobriquet "ASP". Theodore had a reputation of being sort of a real life "Q" as in the James Bond books and films and designed and built a variety of items intended for use in spy craft. Some of the primary modifications to the stock guns included shortening the barrel and slide, using a fixed barrel bushing, the addition of the unique "Guttersnipe" rear sight, the elimination of the front sight and bobbing the hammer. Additional improvements included de-horning the gun to remove the sharp edges and even the cocking serrations on the slide. He also installed clear Lexan grips that allowed the cartridges in the special cut-away magazine to be seen and counted. Another feature was the modification of the triggerguard to a hooked profile to provide a purchase for the off-hand index finger when supporting the pistol. Many of these design innovations were subsequently included in other Smith & Wesson handguns and are commonly encountered on current production firearms today. Theodore produced these guns from the 1970s through 1982 when ASP Corporation of Appleton, WI was licensed to produce the design. This appears to be one of the original Paris Theodore ASP pistols and includes a single original magazine as well as the original all Lexan grips, which are not currently on the gun. A rare opportunity to own one of the original compact concealed carry pistols that helped to inspire an entire segment of the modern firearms industry and was famous enough in its day to make appearances in James Bond novels. {MODERN}