The K-80 by Krieghoff is the product of the finest in precision German manufacture and design backed by a century of gunmaking experience and a distinguished American heritage. Today the K-80 stands alone as the top competition shotgun in America and is emerging worldwide as a leader in international shooting venues as well.
The secret of the K-80's success lies in part in its unique history and design. In the early 1950s a group of American and German shotgunning enthusiasts acquired the rights to the discontinued Remington Model 32 and went to Europe in search of a gunmaker. The Model 32's design was one of the most innovative in American gunmaking history. It had a devoted following since its introduction in 1932 and enjoyed an excellent reputation, but it was viewed as obsolete in the 'modern' world of mass produced autoloaders and pump action shotguns.
When the master gunmakers at the firm of H.Krieghoff, in Ulm, Germany, were invited to study the blueprints and consider making the gun, they immediately recognized the unique properties that summed up its potential: a sliding top latch that provided both extremely strong lock-up and easy interchangeability of barrels; a sturdy steel receiver capable of withstanding hundreds of thousands of rounds; and an intriguing though rudimentary trigger system that showed promise.
H.Krieghoff, which was founded as Sempert & Krieghoff in 1886, had been producing European hunting guns for more than sixty years, but that market had not yet begun to recover in post-war Germany. The company recognized an opportunity in the emerging American clay target market and made a commitment to produce the Krieghoff Model 32.
In so doing the firm of H.Krieghoff began a relationship with the American target shooter which continues to this day and embarked on a course that has seen the development not only of the Model 32 and its successor, the K-80, but also of the KS-5 single barrel trap gun. The KS-5, which is described in more detail in the KS-5 section, is a unique gun that was created by Krieghoff to fill an important niche in the trapshooting market and, with the introduction of the KS-5 Special, is another example of the company's drive to continue its well-established tradition of performance. The K-80 is manufactured today in H.Krieghoff's modern factory in Ulm, as is the KS-5. Both are imported into the United States by Krieghoff International, whose founder and chairman, Dieter Krieghoff, represents the Krieghoff family's fourth generation in the gun business.
K-80s are known above all else for their reliability and their versatility. They are reliable simply because Krieghoff took the fundamentally sound basic design recognized in the original Model 32 and continually refined and improved upon it. And they are versatile because any K-80 receiver can, with minimal fitting, be used with a wide variety of interchangeable barrels and stocks. During the more than thirty years since Krieghoff introduced the Model 32, the company has made countless 'improvements in internal design, manufacturing methods, and materials. From new sear springs and hammers to improved barrel dynamics; from state-of-the-art machining centers to new grades of steel, always refining and perfecting the design, never fully satisfied regardless of the gun's great success. And that original trigger? The K-80's trigger now bears little resemblance to its rough predecessor from forty years ago and has become instead the crisp, quick mechanism that sets the standard among competition shotguns. While Krieghoff has never rested on its laurels and is always seeking improvement, it has never indulged in change for the sake of change. No series of models distinguished only by meaningless variations. No repackaged product from two years ago to try to gain some 'marketing' advantage. No planned obsolescence. In fact, many of the important design changes in the K-80 can be successfully retrofit not only to earlier K-80s but also to all but the oldest Krieghoff Model 32s. Call it planned innovation. Call it the reason that so many older K-80s are out there on the line. And the reason that so many shooters at every level remain loyal to the Krieghoff line throughout their shooting career.
The K-80 is also the most versatile shotgun on the market because of the variety of barrels and stocks that can be fitted to a receiver. In less than a minute, a 34" trap gun, for example, can become a skeet gun with choke tubes - simply by changing wood and barrel. So the shooter who enjoys all three of the clay target sports can have the best possible gun for each by adding extra barrels and wood, which are available through authorized Krieghoff dealers. Ease of interchangeability also makes it possible for the competitive shooter to customize his gun, choosing stock, barrel length, and rib style to achieve his preferred balance, feel, and sight picture - the small intangibles that can add up to a competitive edge.
Only the K-80 provides such versatility, and no other gun is so readily adaptable to an individual's particular shooting style and to the complete range of shotgun sports.
