I sorry to hear that you had problems with your ASP. baton staying expanded. I had one ( my own) for over thirty years now, yes I'm a old timer. I have had no such problem. Try unscrewed the cap and adjusting the tension spring of call ASP customer service. Your ASP has a life guarantee and their customer service was helpful to me.😌
Depends entirely on the uniform. For a hard uniform/patrol officer/button down/long pants, leather looks better. For a soft uniform/"bike cop"/polo/shorts, nylon looks better.