Click pictures for a larger version.

Original style Gen 1 wrap-around pebble grip.

Original style flat extractor.

Original Gen 1 smooth trigger.

In 1980, the Austrian military decided to replace the venerable Walther P-38 pistol as its issue standard, and thus set in motion events that would change the course of handgun evolution for generations.

Gaston Glock was, at the time, making knives for the Austrian military; he had no experience in firearms design, but he did have experience in polymers, and he set his fertile mind to designing his first pistol to submit for the Austrian military trials. By 1981, he had taken his concept from design to production; in 1982, Glock's innovative design won the Austrian military trials, and was adopted as the P80 (for "Pistole 80"). Shortly after Austria's adoption of the P80, Norway and Sweden followed suit, and Glock's company was off and running.

The commercial version of the P80, with minor variations, became known as the Glock 17, and was introduced in the United States in 1986. Thanks to the pistol's innovative design, coupled with Glock's masterful marketing strategies, the Glock 17 soon became the ubiquitous pistol of the latter 20th century. One of the earliest articles ever written by my brother Jeff had the rather incendiary title, "I Hate Glocks". Currently in its fifth design generation, the Glock 17's popularity remains undiminished to this day.

The original Gen 1 Glock 17 was not exported to the U.S. for long; in 1988, Glock started shipping the Gen 2 Model 17, so the early Gen 1 Model 17s are not often seen. The relative rarity of the Gen 1 Model 17 in the U.S., however, pales in comparison to that of the original P80 pistols; in Europe, a pistol's slide is the serialized part, so no P80s were able to be legally imported, as pistols in the U.S. must be serially-numbered on the frame. To my knowledge, there are only two original P80 pistols currently in the U.S.: one is in the Glock collection, and the other is in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Recognizing the historical importance of the Glock P80 pistol, and acknowledging the huge collector appeal of Glocks in today's American market, the folks at Lipsey's distributors decided it was high time that the P80 was reintroduced in its original, classic form. Lipsey's has offered limited-run Glock pistols in the past, but undertaking the reintroduction of the P80 took their commitment to an entirely new level. Glock had never before offered a "retro gun", and it took almost three years for Lipsey's to shepherd the P80 to market. Back in the day, no one had ever imagined that a market would ever exist for a "classic" Glock pistol, so sometime in the 1990s the original P80 frame molds had been "re-purposed". Glock had to re-create these molds, as well as reverse-engineer other parts that would be required to make an authentic reissue, and as a result, Lipsey's had to make a large financial commitment to bring the project to fruition.

The result of Lipsey's commitment to the project, and of Glock's willingness to undertake it, is a wonderful tribute that is true in nearly every way to the original P80 design. All parts for these reissue P80s were produced by Glock; there was no Polymer80 involvement in the project. The reissue P80 has many features that hearken back to the original P80, making it as true a reissue as can be produced. Unlike the original P80s, which had no serial number on the frame, the new P80s must have their serial numbers on the frame in order to comply with U.S. law; thus, Glock's familiar serial-number plate is embedded underneath the forward area of the frame.

Lipsey's EXCLUSIVE Glock P80 9mm Pistol

Standard Capacity: Lipsey's Item #GLP81750203

10-Rd / State Compliant: Lipsey's Item #GLP81750201

- Special Features -

Shooting the P80 proved to be both fun and unsurprising. Glocks are famous for their workhorse reliability, and the P80 proved to be satisfyingly accurate and 100% reliable using a wide variety of ammunition types and brands...with one exception. CCI Blazer Brass 115-Grain FMJ just would not function in the P80; nearly every round failed to feed, which is unusual for ball ammo. I determined that the Blazer ammo just didn't quite have the requisite power to cycle the slide with enough authority for reliable function. This is not the fault of the pistol, nor is it really the fault of the ammo, as the Blazer has proven to be very reliable in most pistols; the Blazer is just not a fit for this particular pistol. A spring kit would doubtless have fixed this, but I prefer to simply choose a load that is 100% reliable, and there is no shortage of those for this Glock P80. This does underscore a point that cannot be stated too strenuously or too often: when choosing a load for "Social Work", one must run enough of that load through the pistol - ANY pistol - to assure 100% reliability. A pistol that is to be entrusted with the life of the bearer, or the lives of the bearer's loved ones, MUST function with ABSOLUTE reliability, EVERY TIME. Using the right loads, the Lipsey's Exclusive Glock P80 is every bit that reliable; it is equally at home on the target range or the Mean Streets.

Glock USA: www.us.glock.com.

For a Lipsey's-affiliated dealer in your area, click on the DEALER FINDER at

Buy ammo online at Lucky Gunner: www.luckygunner.com.

Armscor Ammo: www.armscor.com/ammo/.

GECO Red Zone Ammo: www.geco-munition.de.

Super Vel Ammo: www.supervelammunition.com.

Buffalo Bore Ammo: www.buffalobore.com.

SIG Sauer Ammo: www.sigsauer.com.

Boge Quinn

Click pictures for a larger version.

P80 comes with original style "Tupperware" plastic box, manual, two magazines, magazine loader, cleaning tools, and instructions.

Original style "Tupperware" peel-top plastic box.

Collectible outer box with magnetic latch.

Author tested the P80 with a variety of 9mm loads.