What Is An Expandable Baton?
THE EXPANDABLE BATON AS A SELF-DEFENSE WEAPON They come in many names – telescopic, collapsible, expandable and, more recently in some police circles, as RCBs (Rapid Containment Batons). Expandable batons are also known by their brand names – ASP (which has emerged as a genericized term for the weapon), Cosco, Winchester/Peacekeeper and the Monadnock Autolock. A typical expandable baton is composed of three sections – the top two smaller shafts collapse inside the larger, main shaft rendering it compact in size. At the flick of the wrist the baton is quickly deployed with the shafts locking into each other expanding its size to nearly three times its collapsed length. Expandable batons, which vary between 16 to 26 inches in length, are usually made of steel but some are made of lightweight alloys making them more convenient to carry. Accounts vary as to their history, with one writer saying expandable batons trace their roots to Ireland in the 1960s when gangs discovered car radio ante
