Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Colt's SSP, lost opportunity

So the story of Colt is full of lost opportunities, failure to capitalize, or just plain stupidity. The SSP is a pistol that probably wouldn’t interest anyone today, but it was well ahead of it’s time in 1970. Full sized, high capacity, stainless DA wonder-nine with a modular fire control group like a CZ-75. Had it been fully developed and was reliable, Colt would have had a very good jump on the “Wondernine” craze. Really the only ther DA hi-cap was the S&W 59 so the market was VERY ripe for the taking. But Colt designed the gun, asked the Army what they thought, Army said Meh; Colt dropped the whole thing.

Well dam, I never knew of such a pistol. I remember the All American.

Looks kind of like a Sig 210.

Looks like a pistol with a lot of potential.

I remember when there was some buzz about it, but that was it, then it was done. It just went away quietly.

One could give Colt the goose that laid golden eggs and within a fortnight all they would have is an over cooked goose dinner.

Interesting stuff. First time I've heard of it.


RS

Interesting handgun. Wonder what the grip felt like, that tang looks to be pushing the hand really low.

One thing to remember is that a lot of the Army Brass (and other branches of the Military) are really clueless what the average combat soldier needs in a real fire fight having never been in one themselves. I am speaking about the present Brass. Perfect example was dropping the 45 Cal. for the 9mm. Which has the better stopping power when you have a doped up guy coming at you. During Vietnam, how many lives were lost with M16's jamming because they hid they heads in the sand and wouldn't try to solve its problems even when troops were wiring home to send them cleaning supplies. Made fun of the AK-47 because it was a cheap stamped made firearm. At least the Sniper rifles we now have were and are one exception. Why am I so down on the Military hardware procurement Brass? Well I had a gunshop during this times and had returning veterans coming in and telling me these horror stories. That and when they got home because of their age they couldn't buy a pistol yet it was OK for them to go over there. Do I sound bitter, you bet.

I hope the guy that designed that slide release and safety was punished. When the project died he probably went to Sweden and designed those refrigerator-looking Volvos.

Colt (mis)management is legendary. If not for the M16/M4 military contracts they'd have long ago gone belly up

Yeah, um....no.

Anyone jumping on the DAO bandwagon at that stage in the game probably got shot with a wheelgun....it may have even been used single action.

"Here it is, the wave of the future; people in law enforcement will be clamoring for its 15lb trigger pull"....

And people call glocks ugly

Colts number one entry into the junk category

The Double Eagle was no beauty contest winner, either.Colt's made a lot of ugly guns over the years, that 1878 DA based on the SAA, especially with the larger triggerguard was sure no prize.Colt took too long to get modern with the 1911, too. Colt is just poorly run, and always has been.

The Double Eagle was FUBAR. I think the Colt P2000 was in the same boat.

Back in the 90's a couple of three of my partners carried the Double Eagles. They where good pistols, I don't recall any jams or malfunctions when we qualified. Except for one time, but that wasn't the guns fault.

Colt didn't want to pay Charlie Kelsey for his DA conversion design, so they came up with their own idea on the Double Eagle.