Īt least the earlier Ortgies magazines could accommodate both 7.65mm (aka. To disengage the safety, a shooter simply would squeeze the grip, pressing the lever forward and locking it flush with the back of the frame. Thus, engaging the safety simultaneously reduced tension on the firing pin spring. The safety was a lever inset into the back of the grip and, with the gun cocked, forced backward out of the grip into the "safe" position by spring tension from the firing pin upon depression of a button under the slide. Unusual design features included the safety and the magazine. As in early Colt and Browning pocket pistols, the Ortgies striker also operated as an ejector as the slide traveled backwards after discharge. The hammerless action depended on a spring-loaded striker to fire the cartridge. Metal components were forged or machined, and assembly in general made no use of screws, even securing the wooden grips with a spring-loaded metal fastener inside the magazine well, although some examples do incorporate a single screw for that purpose. Although not expensive, at the time it was of advanced design and high quality construction with relatively few parts, well sealed against dirt. German military guns also had to be proofed, but the military used different proof markings.The pistol was produced in 6.35 mm, 7.65 mm, and 9 mm Kurz variants, all using blowback as their operating mechanism. German law required that any gun offered for sale had to have been successfully fired a cartridge with much higher pressure than would ever be used in the gun. The N stood for nitrate based gun powder (smokeless powder). The standard commercial proof applied by proof houses for Germany was a Crown over the letter N. I have not been able to find any information on any models that were marked Berlin. On the butt grip is an ornate 'D' formed by a symbolic animal. Later models are inscribed 'Deutsche Werke (monogram) Werke Erfurt' with the monogram in the center of this inscription. Early models carry the slide inscription 'Deutsche Werke Aktiengesellschaft: Werke Erfurt' and have the monogram 'HO' let into the butt grips. Another variation is the use of screws to hold the grip plates instead of the patented 'invisible' attachment that was originally used by Ortgies.
#Ortgies pistol size manual#
Some examples in both 7.65mm and 9mm are found with a manual safety catch on the left side of the frame at the top center of the butt grip. While the 6.35mm model is identical, except for size, to the 7.65 model, the 9mm model sometimes exhibits small variations which are probably due to Deutsche Werke. 7.65mm pistols were manufactured from 1920 to 1928, 9mm Short pistols were manufactured from 1922 to 1926, and 6.35mm pistols were manufactured from 1921 to 1928. At first under Deutsche Werke, only 7.65mm pistols were manufactured but Ortgies had also prepared designs for pistols chambered in 6.35mm and 9mm Short. Over 10,000 Ortgies pistols were manufactured by 1921 when Deutsche Werke AG purchased the Ortgies patents and machinery, and took up production of pistols in the Ortgies plant. After WWI, Ortgies returned to Germany and set up in business in Erfurt manufacturing Ortgies pistols in 7.65mm calibre. Ohn, Heinrich Ortgies lived in Liege for many years, while in Belgium, he designed an automatic pistol incorporating patents which were granted to him circa 1916 - 1918. What little that remained was dismantled once the war ended. The pistols were developed by Heinrich Ortgies.ĭeutsche Werke facilities and infrastructure was destroyed during World War II by bombing raids. Especially known are the so-called Ortgies pistols which were particular popular in the United States. Among the ships built here was the German battlecruiser Gneisenau.īesides shipbuilding Deutsche Werke also produced firearms. The company was owned by the government of the Weimar Republic and its headquarter was in Berlin.ĭeutsche Werke started building merchant ships but when the Nazi Party gained power in 1933 the production was changed to naval ships. It came as a result of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I that forced the German defence industry to shrink. Other Information: more wear on end of barrel, Original logo’d magazineĭeutsche Werke was a German shipbuilding company founded in 1925 when Kaiserliche Werft Kiel and other shipyards were merged.
#Ortgies pistol size serial number#
Markings: Crown N Proofs, Ortgies Paten right side frame, Serial number and GERMANY in front of trigger guard, DEUTSCHE WERKE –monogram- WERK ERFURT on left side of slide