The world was different in 1982: Ronald Reagan was President, MTV played nothing but music videos, and the world had never heard of Glock. Hard as it is to believe, the iconic polymer striker-fired semi-automatic pistol that dominates the sales charts year after year isn't even 40 years old. It may be even harder to believe, but the very first Glock handgun ever produced was actually never sold in the United States ... until now, that is, via Lipsey's.
The all-new (and yet actually 38 years old) Lipsey's Exclusive Glock P80 is a historical reproduction of the original Glock pistol adopted by the Austrian Army in 1982. What's so remarkable about that is that Gaston Glock and his team of engineers had only designed that P80 the previous year, in 1981. To have such a new design adopted by such a notoriously stringent military was really nothing short of revolutionary. The Austrian Army called that first Glock as the Pistole 80. The P80 marked Glocks were never imported into the United States.
Back to the Future
Jason Cloessner, Lipsey's Vice President & Product Development Manager, saw that as a tragedy for firearm enthusiasts and Glock lovers. He wanted to allow modern Glock enthusiasts to acquire a piece of the company's unique history. "I have always wanted to do a retro Glock pistol," mused Cloessner. "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 Glockcame to be."
Bob Radecki, Glock, Inc. National Sales Manager was an instrumental partner in bringing this throwback concept to life. "Glock, in conjunction with Lipsey's, is very pleased to commemorate the adoption of the Glock P80 by the Austrian Army with a recreation inspired by the original Glock Pistole 80. The P80 was Glock's first pistol and was the catalyst that led to the introduction of the G17, which revolutionized the pistol market and launched Glock as the pistol manufacturer trusted around the globe for over 30 years."
After its American debut as the Glock 17 in 1986, the simple, yet proven, mechanics and materials have remained mainly the same. The original P80 and Gen1 G17 featured non-railed frames with no finger grooves and wrap around pebble grain texturing. Lipsey's worked with Glock to recreate the Gen1 single pin frame and the original flat extractor. The P80 markings are the same font used in 1982. The classic "Tupperware"-style container was also re-manufactured for this edition. Each Gock P80 includes a commemorative overbox and certificate of authenticity.
Please visit lipseys.com for more.
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