ASP Pistol

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ASP
Real-world information
Production	1970s–1987
Designer	Paris Theodore
Manufacturer	Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc.
Type	Pistol
Weight	680 g (1.50 lb)
Barrel length	82.5 mm (3.25 in)
Capacity	x7 rounds
Fire Modes	Semi-Auto
Behind the scenes
First seen	Role of Honour
Last seen	Quantum of Solace (video game) (PS2 version)

"Simon pulled out the ASP 9mm. ‘Nice weapon, James. Very nice. Who would think it has the power of a .44 Magnum?’"

― Role of Honour.

The ASP pistol is a custom made 9mm handgun designed and built by Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc. The weapon functioned as James Bond's primary sidearm in John Gardner's 1981-96 continuation series; beginning with his 1984 novel, Role of Honour. It was also featured in Eclipse Comics' 1989 graphic novel, Permission to Die.

Novel appearances

TBA

Non-novel appearances

Permission to Die

While presenting the weapon to Bond, Major Boothroyd reveals that the gun is essentially a modified Smith & Wesson M39, but the gun given to Bond was a further modified American version of the firearm, featuring a shortened barrel and grip and lightened slide lexan grips featuring clear panels to allow the user to see how much ammunition was left in the clip. All edges on the gun were rounded down, including the spur and hammer to prevent it from snagging on the user's clothes upon the draw. The exterior metal was coated with teflon, all of which lead to Bond thinking it felt like a bar of soap.

The ASP boasted a "guttersnipe", in which the sights on the gun were painted yellow to allow for a distinct view of the target. In addition to this, amounts of the radioactive element Tritium were embedded in the sights to allow for accurate targeting in low-light situations. Q Branch further modified Bond's ASP to be compatible with a silencer.

The ASP fires special "Glaser Safety Slugs", which are capsules containing #12 shots suspended in liquid teflon originally developed to prevent overpenetration and ricochets. These specifications allow the slugs to pierce automobile glass, and to provide ample stopping power. It is considered by Boothroyd to be equally powerful to the .44 Magnum.

Quantum of Solace (video game)

Appears in the PS2/Eurocom version.

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Trivia

• Apparently EON Productions did plan to have the ASP replace Bond's PPK in the movies - and earlier than Gardner's decision to do so in Role of Honour - but it never came to fruition. This was planned to happen in the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only, with a scene depicting Bond acquiring an ASP from Q in a April 14 draft for the movie. This ultimately never made it to the final film, and PPK was only temporarily replaced in Octopussy by the Walther P5, until then replaced by the Walther P99 in Bond media from Tomorrow Never Dies up to Casino Royale.

See also

• Walther PPK