weight burden. And thanks to those efforts, along with advanced
engineering and materials, the future of impact weapons is here—
this month, we feature ASP’s all-new Talon Infinity Baton.
We’ll review the things that make this version of the company’s
gold standard of impact weapons unique, and why many armed
professionals are quickly making the switch from their classic steel
friction batons. ASP sent us the Airweight version of the new baton
(we were one of the first media outlets to receive one), so we will
focus on that:
SPECS
So, let’s get right to what makes the Infinity design so special. This
isn’t just a simple rework of the original ASP Friction Loc platform,
or even of the earlier Talon models; it’s a true generational change,
from the ground up.
This revolutionary baton uses a disc-locking system that
engages an internal groove machined into each tube. The Infinity
design incorporates fewer moving parts than earlier Talon iterations,
improving performance, strength and reliability. Extension is
lightning-fast, positive and secure in both the upward (“to the
sky,” as taught in ASP training) and downward (“to the ground”)
deployment. The new locking system allows for not only a smoother,
more positive extension, but release and retraction as well. Just the
overall mechanical simplicity of this design clearly lends itself to
being one of the most reliable collapsible batons on the market
today.
The new engineering and material combination also eliminates
need for routine lubrication and makes it virtually maintenance-
free. This is a valuable point to note, as low-to-no maintenance
reliability positively contributes to office/operator safety. Over my
tenure as a law enforcement officer, I witnessed and/or used ASP
W
Model: Talon Infinity
Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum middle shaft & 4140 steel (all-steel
version available)
Lengths: 40mm, 50mm and 60mm (extended length)
Weight: 8.8 ounces, 11.2 ounces and 12 ounces (Airweight models)
Price: $165.32 - $176.02 US
batons hundreds of times to assist in securing an arrest, subduing
violent criminals, and entering homes and vehicles via defeating
glass barriers. On all those occasions putting the ASP into action,
I rarely remember officers, (myself included) taking the time to
properly maintain their batons other than wiping them down with
Clorox wipes. The Infinity design aids in making sure this vital piece
of equipment will continue to work when needed.
Talon Batons feature an easy-to-use pushbutton release, which,
unlike the original Friction Loc Batons, eliminates the need to strike
the end of the baton into a hard surface to collapse it. This in turn
makes it quicker to secure when performing tasks such as arresting
and cuffing a suspect, and allows the operator to do so without the
need to kneel and find a hard surface to strike; again, an officer
safety consideration. Not to mention, having worked the bulk of
my career in very rural areas, hard ground surfaces weren’t always
immediately available after chasing a suspect into the woods or
heavily vegetated fields.
Weight is another key reason I really like and appreciate the
Talon Airweight version in particular. After spending over a decade
carrying all-steel ASP Friction Loc batons, I can confidently attest
to the concept of ounces turning into pounds as the hours go by.
The weight difference between the all-steel designs and the Infinity
Airweight Talon may not seem like a lot to the inexperienced user,
but I promise, you will feel it over the course of a day. You would
be hard-pressed to find someone in the field who formerly carried
the older steel design, who isn’t eternally grateful for the Airweight
option for this reason alone. Also, its light weight makes it possible
to slip the baton into a pocket without “sagging,” while its large grip
surface area makes it easy to retrieve from concealment.
The Talon also features a larger tip, when compared to friction
models. This not only provides an enlarged striking surface, but adds
the ability to covertly deploy the baton by quietly pulling the baton
open with just your fingertips.
Our sample baton featured the new Vector Grip option. Having
used batons with foam grips for years, the new, molded Vector
surface gives a good bit more felt “traction”. When reaching behind
me to draw the baton from under my cover shirt, I felt I had more
control with indexing the grip and delivering pinpoint strikes.
Whether the grip was dry, wet from rain or sweat from training in
pmcimagazine.com