Colt SSP
| Colt SSP Handgun | |
|---|---|
 TColt Stainless Steel Pistol (SSP) submitted to the XM9 Handgun Trials, currently in the small arms museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland. | |
| Service history | |
| In service | Prototype |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Colt |
| Manufacturer | Colt |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | 9mm x 19mm Parabellum (NATO Standard) |
The Colt SSP (Stainless Steel Pistol) was a prototype weapon produced by the Colt's Manufacturing Company to compete in the XM9 Handgun Trial, which was conducted by the US military's Joint Service Small Arms Program. This program to select a new standard-issue handgun for American armed forces took place over several years and was run a total of three times, ultimately being won by a variant of the Beretta 92 pistol.
The SSP was a variant of the Colt Model 1971, an earlier attempt to develop a new service pistol to replace the M1911, with some minor mechanical alterations made for the trials.[1]
The trial's requirement was for each manufacturer who was interested in obtaining a contract for 325,000 handguns to submit 30 examples of their proposal for testing. Colt submitted 30 new SSPs out of a production run of around 50, but their pistol was not selected.[2]
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