Colt All American 2000 - Remember it?

[DFW1911]

So I went to the range with a friend recently and sure enough, he breaks out a Colt All American 9mm. I must admit the thing is in pristine condition and has a unique / comfortable grip...that's about the end of the good stuff.

Just as I remembered when he bought it new (years ago) , it had several ftf, several misfires, and generally proved unreliable with all sorts of ammunition. Fortunately he relies on a Colt 1991 .45 for HD now.

I've forgotten what the marketing ploy was for the All American; maybe something about its firing mechanism and ergonomics?

What are your thoughts and experiences with the All American?

Thanks,
DFW1911

 

[atblis]

Yeh

Gotta love that trigger!

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If you like to collect oddities, this is the gun for you.

 

[Deanimator]

A friend bought one when they first came out.

What a piece of garbage. It was one of the things which knocked Colt to its knees. The WORST trigger pull I've ever seen in a semi-auto pistol. It's amazing the way it just kept stacking until it went off.

 

[GEM]

I remember when Shooting Times had a giant fluff article on it with a tremendous set of expanded graphics. They described the gun as if God Almighty brought it out of the sky with a host of angels singing.

OH, well.

 

[cuervo]

It's two big claims were a rotating barrel for lock-up and a trigger that used bearings to (supposedly) make it smoother.

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg170-e.htm

 

[Silent Bob]

Remember it? Trying to forget it!

 

[NG VI]

it looks like it sucks, and I have to admit, minus revolvers I am not a fan of colt. the company itself is mostly what I don't like, way to introduce ONE crap-tastic new pistol in like forty years, and what else, a .380 version of their only autopistol other than that? whatever colt...

ps- I'm not into 1911s yet, so maybe I'll soften on them, but I doubt it. I'd rather buy from a company like Para, whatever shortcomings they may have they do their best to introduce models the civilian shooting public wants, and a variety of them. plus I love those 'protect your rights' models they have.



flame on

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I remember when Shooting Times had a giant fluff article on it with a tremendous set of expanded graphics. They described the gun as if God Almighty brought it out of the sky with a host of angels singing.

I remember that. I think this author also once wrote that he fired hundreds of thousands of magnum handgun cartridges per year. Actually, some design elements were, if not new, at least unique to that gun at that time.

 

[DFW1911]

It's two big claims were a rotating barrel for lock-up and a trigger that used bearings to (supposedly) make it smoother.

That's the marketing scheme I was looking for. Rotating barrel? Fine. But bearings for the trigger pull? No way. Try gravel instead.

Another neat feature of my friend's gun is you get to pull that fantastic trigger repeatedly on a chambered round until it finally ignites.

Thanks,
DFW1911

 

[buzz_knox]

The original version was designed by Reed Knight and Eugene Stoner and was supposed to be quite a good item. Colt apparently "improved" it in the production version, resulting in the All American.

 

[DougDubya]

Colt took a great Reed Knight design, made it bigger and bulkier, and doubled its trigger weight.

I still say, the All American with its proper 6.5 pound trigger would have conquered the planet if Colt hadn't been STOOPID.

Knight really needs to put out a version based on the original. Slightly larger than a Glock 26 but with better ergos, it'd kick the market in the teeth.

 

[RNB65]

Ah, yes. The Wondernine that was going to save the Colt Firearms company from bankruptcy. It didn't. Piece of junk. Makes the S&W Sigma look like a classic in comparison.
-

 

[deanodog]

All this good/bad comments . What would one unfired in box be worth. Be kind, I'm only asking.

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Aas has been stated, the original design was by Reed Knight - Colt was so convinced that this was the gun that was going to turn the company around that according to rumor, they basically traded with Reed - they got the rights to the pistol and he got an extremely large portion of their experimental and extremely weird M16 museum collection. There was a set of pictures from the collection after Reed took it over posted here somewhere.

 

[Grunt]

I think the phrase I heard once that best described the trigger was that it is similar to a squirt gun. Glad I never bought into that one!

 

[bannockburn]

Ah, the Colt AA 2000, the gun that was going to show Glock a thing or two about innovation, and was going to retake the police market back from them. What a pretensious notion; too bad the gun didn't even come close to performing as well as all the hype that surrounded its introduction. I remember one article where the author played up the simplicity of the design and how easy it was to field strip the gun for cleaning. Of course, that would mean that you actually fired the gun enough to get it dirty, something most shooters probably didn't do given the nearly 12 lbs. of trigger pressure needed to break the sear. And don't forget the 1/2 inch of trigger travel, both ways, to fire the gun, and then to reset the striker mechanism. It was a wonder that: 1) your trigger finger could get through even one magazine, given the kind of workout required with each shot, and 2) that you could keep even a couple of rounds on paper at 7 yards.
Just like the Double Eagle design, the AA 2000 fell far short of what was needed to carry Colt back into the marketplace; another dismal attempt at producing something that could have been much better, if left to the actual designers who knew what they were doing.

 

[Janos Dracwlya]

My brother had one and I got to try it out on a range trip back in 1995. The trigger pull was a bit heavy, but the ergonomics seemed very nice and the gun proved quite reliable, at least during that trip to the range. I don't know whether he still has it.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Saw one at a local show in excellent condition Saturday for $250. A few people looked, nobody bought.

 

[Texas Colt]

Well, I must be blessed... I bought one last year for $250 and it's a great shooter - once you get used to the trigger. I think the trigger is very similar to shooting a DA revolver. Mine is completely reliable too!

 

[DFW1911]

Texas Colt you may have the best grouping in the history of the All American

Thanks for the post.

Take care,
DFW1911

 

[Janos Dracwlya]

Saw one at a local show in excellent condition Saturday for $250. A few people looked, nobody bought.

I would definitely pick one up for that price.

 

[Moonclip]

It is a Colt and that grip does seem comfortable. At $250 it should be bought, someone will want it eventually down the road as a curiosity. it seems a lot of guns they brought out at this time didn't make it like the Double Eagle,saw one of those with a high asking price recently in a local shop.

I hate heavy DAO pulls in an auto, I recently sold a Ruger like this because of a horrible DAO pull. Anyone I have heard that has messed with the AA2000 hated the trigger. Colt is like a monster that can't be slayed it seems, lesser companies would be long out of business by now, that little pony on the side of the gun sure keeps them alive. It seems when there is a choice to be made by Colt, they always make the wrong one, I know people like that too.

 

[Fourbits]

Remember it! I've got one NIB with wood grips. I'm hoping my great-great grandkids will get a fortune for it after all the rest are sold for $250.

Fourbits

 

[LiquidTension]

I remember it NOT being something I'd wear to a barbecue.