The ASP .45 Compact
The ASP .45 Standard
The ASP .45 Long Slide
|The ASP-I 10mm Auto, manufactured for the Imperial Fiefdoms of Indeos|The ASP-SC 9mm Para, manufactured for the The Republic of Southern Cynocephali Defence Forces|
|ASP .45 Police Compact (Police duties)|ASP .45 DES Compact (Espionage duties)|ASP .45 Standard Internal Army (Paramilitary duties)|ASP .45 Military Standard Special (Special Operations duties)|ASP .45 Police Special Investigation and Prosecution Specification Long Slide (Law Enforcement duties)|ASP .45 MP Internal Army (Counter-Terrorism duties)|
ASP. One handgun, every role.
Designer: Arsenal Deimos IECpl
Designed: 2009
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos, IFAM
Unit cost: 820 NSD (Standard)
Produced: 2010-
Common Variants: ASP .45 Family (ASP Compact, ASP Compact Police, ASP Standard, ASP Long Slide, ASP MP), ASP 10 Family (ASP-I)
Weight (unloaded): 895g (Compact)/950g (Standard)/980g (Long Slide)
Length: 193mm (Compact, 213mm w/ threaded barrel)/206mm (Standard, 226mm w/ threaded barrel), 219mm (Long Slide, 239mm w/ threaded barrel)
Barrel length: 102mm (Compact, 122mm w/ threaded barrel), 115mm (Standard, 135mm w/ threaded barrel), 128mm (Long Slide, 148mm w/ threaded barrel)
Cartridge: .45 Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Short-recoil, locked breech, rotating barrel, DA/SA.
Muzzle velocity: 279m/s (Compact, 230 grain Arsenal Standard Anemonian)
Feed system: 14/20 round double-stacked detachable box magazines.
Sights: Drift adjustable 3-dot sighting system with non-radioactive photoluminescent inserts.
Background and History
Militarily, the Anemonian State is particularly unique in that its first recorded adoption of a combat pistol in any official application was in 1968, with the acquisition of the Colt M1911 .45 handgun for use as an officer's sidearm following an inquiry into the close combat capabilities of Anemonian forces. Initially only procured as a response to the inability of troops utilising heavy battle rifles as their primary weapon to perform close quarters operations effectively, the utility of the combat handgun, both in terms of self-defence but as an offensive close quarters weapon, was recognised to the extent that the M1911 was made a standard issue handgun, even after the introduction of carbine pattern rifles for close combat duties. The M1911 was replaced in 1994 by the USP .45, cementing the .45 ASA round as the Anemonian Armed Forces' pistol calibre of choice. The USP proved to be a worthy successor to the M1911; ergonomically capable, reliable and accurate, the USP was the perfect modernised platform for the .45 round.
However, by 2005, the desire to replace the foreign armaments acquired in the 1994 military reforms within the Holy Office of War had reached the point where numerous contracts had already been issued with the ultimate goal of fully replacing a stock of armaments acquired just over ten years ago. The 21st Century Army Modernisation Project was initiated due to the perceived cost effectiveness of the operation; by creating an opportunity for the Anemonian Arms Industry to rejuvenate its research and development capabilities, the strategic value of the industry would be restored to its former position while the products of the 1994 reforms could be used to replace the armaments kept within the Anemonian Strategic Reserve, which was, by this point, significantly outdated. A Request for Information concerning a replacement for the USP .45 was issued in October 2005, with a June 2006 deadline set for initial entrants into the contract competition.
Arsenal Deimos, unlike most of its competitors, took the unprecedented step of approaching the military complex directly in order to obtain a comprehensive list of the perceived frontline shortcomings of the USP pistol, as well as the concerns of the logistics departments of the Armed Forces. Though it was understood that fully developing a weapon around the complaints and requests of frontline soldiers was regarded as a poor approach to weapons design, Deimos's objective was nonetheless to create a weapons system that both answered the flaws of its predecessor while bringing yet more to the table in terms of capabilities. The result of this unique design philosophy was the ASP prototype weapon; a highly unusual combat pistol in its blending of several different capabilities, the lack of interference with the design group by higher levels of Arsenal Deimos's administrative structure allowed the group to proceed with their unique weapon design, producing an ergonomics-stripped mechanism prototype by the 2006 deadline.
Though IFAM had utilised their immense manpower base to create a fully operational prototype by the same date, the innovative design of the ASP was well regarded by certain members of the Holy Office of War. Due to a split in opinions within the procurement department and the higher command of the Armed Forces, a compromise was struck; both corporations would have until November 2008 to produce a final model for the consideration of the Holy Office of War.
Working on the ergonomic side of the weapon, and attempting to deal with the more complicated aspects of what was undoubtedly a highly mechanically complex handgun, Arsenal Deimos's design team attempted to obtain the best of many worlds, incorporating numerous aspects of highly successful and popular handgun designs, including the USP .45, and putting their weapon through limited and highly covert field testing in order to perfect the ergonomic layout of the weapon. From minor additions, such as a changeable backstrap, to more significant modifications like the modified safety selector and novel sighting system, Arsenal Deimos drew from a number of designs and added their own uniquely inspired design ethos to the original ASP design to create highly unique handgun. The semi-automatic model produced by IFAM in the 2008 testing period, though a highly competent weapon, nonetheless lacked the scope of the Arsenal Deimos design; labelled 'ASP', this ergonomically superior, automatic-capable DA/SA handgun, capable of fulfilling multiple roles with its automatic function and nonetheless a highly reliable, well built weapon, impressed the vast majority of the Armed Forces personnel present. As a result, in an unprecedented turn of events, the smaller of the two arms production companies, Arsenal Deimos, as awarded the contract to produce the new handgun for the Anemonian Army.
The final production version, labelled the ASP, was produced in June 2009, with production to commence in January 2010. By this point, however, partly due to the introduction of a further two configurations for the weapon and the realisation that its capabilities, both in terms of specifications and ergonomics, far surpassed the USP, further orders for the sidearm quickly came in. The Anemonian Armed Forces requested the Standard configuration of the pistol alongside the Internal Army, who also acquired numbers of the ASP MP machine pistol for usage within its special operations formations. The Directorate of External Security was the third launch buyer of the ASP combat pistol, purchasing the Compact variant with some modifications for field usage by its operatives.
At the time of its international release in 2011, the ASP .45 also entered service with the Metropolitan Police of Anemos Major, with a modified Compact version with no threaded barrel and its automatic capabilities disabled entering service as its standard issue sidearm to officers and other variants serving within its specialist units; for example, the ASP .45 Long Slide with a threaded barrel has entered service as the primary armament of the Metropolitan Police of Anemos Rei's Special Investigation and Prosecution department. Field employment has resulted in much praise for the ASP, proving to be a resounding success in battlefields as varied as the villages of Asakura to the backrooms of Anemos Rei.
Highly adaptable, highly dependable and highly rated, the ASP .45 is the essential sidearm for any purpose. Combining the sheer power of the .45 round with finely honed ergonomics born from a heritage of superior firearms design, adaptability and functionality that is not restricted to any battlefield through the weapon's plethora of options and capabilities, and the unique finesse of its striking aesthetics, the ASP .45 is a sleek and deadly combat weapon, effortlessly superior in its performance, handling and adaptability on any battlefield.
Design
The Arsenal Deimos ASP .45 Combat Handgun was developed to fulfil the role of standard service sidearm for the entirety of the Anemonian Armed Forces, subsequently being adopted by several other organisations in a variety of shapes and sizes. In order to successfully develop this weapon, Arsenal Deimos's objective was to create a combat pistol that surpassed the USP pistol in performance with the same .45 round, while bringing improved ergonomics and usability to the table in order to make it a weapon that would excel in any number of combat environments.
The frame of the ASP .45 is formed out of a matrix of thermosetting polymers reinforced with glass fibres, which forms 30% of the resultant material. Far stronger than conventional polymer materials, this glass-reinforced polymer construction results in a high resistance to hard impact, significantly increasing the durability of the ASP. The weapon's internals are constructed primarily of metal alloys, further increasing the resistance of the handgun to forces applied against it whilst remaining surprisingly light; in this way, the ASP manages to retain durability while remaining a highly portable weapon. Furthermore, this internal metal construction provides a vital role in its strength, absorbing much of the inevitable forces generated by the automatic discharge of a .45 sidearm through its construction, thus allowing the weapon to be utilised to the fullest extent possible without compromising its usability through what would otherwise be self-destruction through recoil generated forces. The barrel is constructed of cold hammer-forged steel, and is internally chromed; heat dissipation is accomplished through the polymer frame, greatly decreasing heat retention in the barrel and also decreasing the rate of degradation significantly. Depending on its configuration and model, the barrel can also be threaded.
The slide is kept in place by a lock mechanism in front of the slide stop lever; kept in place by a 'cap' with notches that fit into grooves on the right side of the weapon, the lock can be pushed out through the application of force to the left side of the lock after pushing the right side's 'cap' upwards into a groove halfway along the slide on the right side of the weapon, pushing the grooves into a position from which they can be pulled out of the notches and which will thus push it out of position; in this way, the removal of the slide lock is made an easy task.
These recoil generated forces are primarily transferred to the handgun's frame and metal reinforcement through the internal construction of the weapon. A DA/SA weapon utilising a short-recoil operated, locked breech system with a rotating barrel, the action used by the ASP caters to the uniquely large size of the .45 calibre pistol round. Utilising a top projecting stud, the ASP's internal construction rotates the barrel on recoil, thus unlocking the breech from the side. Spring buffered, this internal construction is designed to transfer much of the recoil generated by the handgun to the frame and, primarily, the metal reinforcement of the handgun, thus absorbing much of the force and negating the powerful recoil of the .45 round significantly. Though this partly decreases the longevity of the ASP due to the stress placed on its parts, the resistance of the ASP's construction to force allows it to function nonetheless for as long a period of time as any other modern handgun, if not longer, with all the reliability expected of it. The weapon can be used in DA/SA as desired during semi-atuomatic fire, but the weapon is mechanically restricted to SA during automatic operation.
The feed device utilised in the ASP.45 is a double-stacked, 14 round .45 magazine. Though double-stack magazines are frequently criticised for their inherent unreliability, the ASP manages to circumvent such problems through a series of innovative design solutions. The follower, a vital component in the feeding process, is strengthened through a fibreglass construction similar to that found in the frame of the ASP itself. The construction of the magazine lips are such that they are made highly resistant to warping (which would compromise the loading process) or any other alteration of shape through a thickened construction and reinforcement. Furthermore, the shape of the magazine's internals are such that the bullets are naturally 'led' into the correct position which being pushed up the magazine; in this way, the double stack layout of the ASP is able to retain high levels of reliability whilst significantly increasing the magazine capability of the weapon, remedying one of the significant problems of the previously used USP .45. The magazines are PVD coated to increase resistance to adverse external conditions and elements, particularly fine grains such as sand.
The weapon's sights are a standard 3-dot sighting system. Though the front post is built into the weapon's slide itself, the rear sights are drift adjustable through disassembly and modification if necessary. The layout of the open-topped sighting system is such that the shooter retains a clear sighting picture due to the width of the rear sights, allowing easier focus on the vital front sights and facile, rapid utilisation and target acquisition in close combat, where the sighting picture is wide enough to quickly aim and fire without compromising the accuracy of the sighting picture.
In terms of safety features, the ASP .45 utilises a three step safety system to ensure that it is only operated when desired. The first, most basic safety device is the selector lever; when moved to safe, the selector automatically disconnects the trigger from the firing mechanism. Furthermore, the selector also acts as a decocker for the weapon; utilising a 'two-way' system similar to that of the Walther PP, the act of setting the weapon to 'safe' also engages the decocker, retracting the firing pin before dropping the hammer. Thirdly, a firing pin block engaged when the pin is retracted in a resting position (safe) prevents the weapon from accidentally discharging. This simple, three-stage safety system, all engaged by the simple act of setting the weapon to 'safe', guarantees a complete absence of accidental discharges while utilising the ASP.
Ergonomically, the ASP is a highly accomplished weapon. Featuring a lightweight polymer build, it is not too heavy a weapon to use in its role as a handgun, but not too light a machine pistol, striking an effective balance. The rear of the weapon is curved to allow for a comfortable grip using either hand, and the backstrap is removable and replaceable through a button located just behind the magazine insert, on the underside of the backstrap assembly, which releases the catches attaching it to the weapon and allows for its removal. The trigger is curved to fit the trigger finger, and the curved trigger guard is notched to provide maximum grip while utilising a Weaver stance or its derivatives while firing the ASP. The large slide stop and selector switch are both designed to be easily accessible with the thumb and are fully ambidextrous; as a result, both levers can be accesed without breaking firing position, greatly increasing the close combat utility of the weapon; together with the innovative ambidextrous magazine ejector, located under the trigger guard where it cannot be operated accidentally in a position where the middle finger can easily access it, the shooter is able to eject the weapon's magazine and reload it utilising his left hand, maintaining a one-handed firing stance throughout. The hammer is curved, to fit the shape of the finger and thus make it more ergonomically usable. The ASP features a rail interface system in front of its trigger assembly in every configuration, permitting the attachment of a wide variety of pistol-specific additions to the weapon. Furthermore, the threaded barrels found on some models permit the attachment of specialist equipment such as silencers and compensators.
The ASP MP variant of the ASP is a machine-pistol variant of the weapon, and is equipped with an inbuilt compensator to control the recoil generated by the automatic discharge of the weapon. The ASP MP also features a standard issue 20 round extended magazine, and the notched forward trigger guard assembly has been replaced by an elongated trigger guard; with a forward grip that folds down to a 45 degree angle, this elongated trigger guard is designed to accomodate the thumb of the non-firing hand in a fashion that utilises it as a portion of this forward grip (much like that found on the Beretta M93R).
The ASP is also produced in 10mm Auto for the Imperial Fiefdoms of Indeos. All requests for purchases and information should be directed to the Anemonian State Arms Export Authority.