Colt 2000

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Ozzieman

New member
Local gun store had an interesting Colt that I have never seen before. The all American 2000 9MM. I was able to find information on line and my one big question is “What was COLT thinking?”
The Grip is interesting and I like it since it’s a very close copy of the Beretta Cougar. It also had a rotating barrel like the Cougar.
The trigger is double action only and somewhere in the 4000 pound class. It had an odd trigger that's somewhat like a Glock??? Only opposite in that the trigger has to move a slight distance before it makes contact to a small bar that runs down the back of the trigger. It had a slide release that was big enough to use as a row boat paddle. I felt that it was very top heavy (empty) but I have no idea what it would be like loaded.
It holds 15 rounds of 9mm and had serviceable sights.
I have no idea what the true value is but the 1100$ the num nuts wanted “It is a Colt and VERY rare being built for only 2 years” was his reasoning.
I also found out that Eugene Stoner was the designer.
Had it been in the 500$ class I might have considered it just to have an odd ball.
Anyone own one of these odd balls.

They also made them with polymer and aluminum frames. The one he had was polymer.
 
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It IS a Colt, and pretty rare. They made 20,000 of them before calling it quits. There is a good article here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_2000

I got mine, S/N PF132xx, for $250 when they dumped them on the market; my old Blue Book shows them at $750 NIB, and they seem to run, used, at around $500. I suspect some day they will be worth $1100 or more, but that day has not yet come.

But that gun was truly awful. The trigger bar runs on wheels (!) and was hyped as super smooth - in fact it is terrible and I never could hit anything with the gun. Also, it was not a pleasant gun to shoot; the grip is awkward, and does not fit me at all well. It was supposed to be the salvation of the Colt company; instead it drove another nail in the coffin and was just another of a long series of management decisions that were the exact opposites of where the market was going. But it is an interesting gun, and I plan to keep mine. Maybe some day I will get $1100 for it.

Jim
 
Thanks James.
I also found it interesting in how easy the entire trigger comes out of the gun with no tools in seconds.
Have you handled a Beretta Cougar? I felt it the grip was much like it and I find it comfortable. But then that’s my useless opinion.
 
I have seen one or two but the prices they wanted were not any where this side of Pluto. While it is a rare bird that still does not make it valuable. I never have heard anything good about them?
 
If you're looking for collectible, get one of the First Edition guns.
Colt used to make FE versions of just about every new gun, and it often was just fancy grips, unique rollmark, and limited production numbers, but the FE All American 2000s had aluminum frames.
Maybe there was an initial intent to offer both plastic and aluminum as production models, but only the FEs had aluminum frames.
The prototype was designed by Reed Knight, and he was apparently not impressed with the way Colt "developed" it.
Another oddball, limited production/success was the Colt Z-40, which was a collaboration with CZ to make a new service pistol.
The Colt was DAO, had a 1911esque grip, while the CZ variant was more obviously a CZ75 derivative with selective DA/SA/cocked 'n' locked action.
 
Doesn't seem to be anything very desireable about the gun. No wonder there weren't many made.
 
The Colt was DAO, had a 1911esque grip, while the CZ variant was more obviously a CZ75 derivative with selective DA/SA/cocked 'n' locked action
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The only real differencesbetween the Colt Z-40 and the CZ-40B was the action (DAO in the Colt vs DA/SA in the CZ) and the rollmark -- and while almost all Z-40s were DAO, I think they made a few DA/SA models, too. The 40B were all DA/SA in the 75B style. I suspect that just removing the SEAR in the DA/SA model would make it DAO. Internally the parts were the same. Despite the fact that most of the Z-40s were DAO, they had the safety used on the DA/SA CZ-40B models. Very unusual for a true DAO handgun.

The one Z-40 I handled (at a gun show) had a very, very slick trigger. I believe that only about 800 Z-40s were made. The CZ-40B (I had one of the first, and foolishly sold it) was a great shooting .40. and used standard CZ .40 mags with a different baseplate.

Re: the Colt 2000

A friend inherited a Colt 2000 when his father-in-law died. That one had been recalled and updated by the factory. It was an ugly, horrible gun to shoot. I wouldn't have one -- unless I could buy it for practically nothing, and could immediately sell it.

.
 
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I recall that when they came out a major gun magazine had a glorious full color 3D breakdown and spread about the gun for the new age. It was also supposed to be a basis for a smart gun.
 
Like the guys on Pawn Stars say, just because something is old or rare doesn't mean it's valuable.
Could be nobody wanted it then or now.
 
here is mine... I got it and a Double Eagle for a great price. Colts black sheep. The 2000 is all aluminum
 

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James K said:
my old Blue Book shows them at $750 NIB, and they seem to run, used, at around $500. I suspect some day they will be worth $1100 or more, but that day has not yet come.
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We had one in the shop for $250. It sat on the shelf for months.

It's a Colt, and it's a bit rare. However, those factors don't seem to make it desirable.

When it came out, a friend remarked that it seemed designed by committee. "Look at that Austrian pistol that's selling so well! What makes it so popular?"

"Well, it's striker fired, so let's make that."

"Also, it's a 9mm that holds 17 rounds. Let's do that."

And so on. The result speaks for itself. Between that and the Double Eagle, Colt really didn't do a very good job of catching up with the market in the 1990s.

That said, if I ever come across one for $150 or so, I'll grab it. Really, it's only of value to me as a historical curiosity.
 
This line from the Wikipedia article pretty much sums it up:

Colt historian, Rick Sapp, has called the pistol "one of the most embarrassing failures in the company's history."[8] Massad Ayoob was particularly critical of the design calling it "sad and ugly with pathetic accuracy".[9]
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I doubt they will go down to $150, but it is the failures that become collectors items, at least ones from the big name companies. If the Paterson venture had been successful and a half million made, they would be worth a fraction of what they bring. So I'll just hang on to mine and see where things go.

BTW, the rotating bolt does have a connection; Gene Stoner was co-designer of that pistol.

It was another of a long string of costly mistakes on the part of Colt. Colt dropped the SAA just before the first cowboy craze hit; they dropped their DA revolvers just as CCW laws loosened; they blew off the civilian market just as commercial sales took off; they put all their eggs in the AR-15 basket just before the Army gave the contract to FNH; they spent a pile on the Double Eagle, a good idea but a poor design; they sank tons of money into a new DA revolver design, then were unable to promote and develop it; they dropped another pile on the AA2000; they made deals to market Spanish guns just before GCA '68 banned those imports; et horrible cetera. Other companies, notably Ruger and S&W, profited by Colt's mistakes. So now their entire line consists of 1911 variations, Spanish origin pocket pistols, and the SAA. Too little, too late.

Jim
 
Despite the fact that most of the Z-40s were DAO, they had the safety used on the DA/SA CZ-40B models. Very unusual for a true DAO handgun.
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The Z-40 didn't have a manual safety; there's a round plug in the frame.
It wouldn't surprise me if the CZ40 safety would fit, so there very well might be a Z-40 with a safety.
 
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