Lipsey's Reintroduces Original GLOCK P80

In 1980, the Austrian Armed Forces announced it was seeking a new, modern duty pistol. Among the list of criteria were the pistol be self-loading, chambered in 9×19 Parabellum, use assist-free magazines and secured from accidental discharge.

By 1981, Gaston Glock, who had extensive experience in advanced synthetic polymers, had assembled a team of engineers to design his first firearm. By the following year, the pistol had been submitted and won the military contract. Adopted by the Austrian Army, the pistol was given the name Pistole 80, or P80, and GLOCK was born.

Better known as the G17 in the U.S., these first GLOCK pistols were only imported for a few years before being updated to Gen2 models in 1988, but made an immediate impact on the American handgun market for their simple, yet proven mechanics and materials.

Now, more than 30 years later, Lipsey’s has teamed up with GLOCK for a reissue of the P80 with original features and style to allow modern GLOCK enthusiasts to acquire a piece of the company’s unique history.

Like the Gen1 G17, the P80 is built on a non-railed frame with no finger grooves and wraparound pebble grain texturing. Lipsey’s also worked with GLOCK to recreate the Gen1 single pin frame, smooth trigger and original flat extractor, as well as use the same P80 markings in the same font as used in 1982. Even the classic peel-lid “Tupperware” style container was remanufactured for this edition, with each GLOCK P80 also coming in a commemorative overbox and certificate of authenticity. MSRP is $669.

A statement from Lipsey’s:
“I have always wanted to do a retro GLOCK pistol. GLOCK took painstaking measures to recreate the original frames and packaging to make this P80 edition as close to the original as we could get. Not only is this edition a great shooter, but it also helps tell the amazing story of how GLOCK came to be.”

Editor’s Note: Watch Will Dabbs’ First Look video on the Lipsey’s exclusive GLOCK P80.