Production is variously reported in English-language sources to have begun sometime between 19, but a German author Heinrich Ortgies organized his firm under the name Ortgies & Company probably in 1919.

He secured a number of patents for firearms and locks. He lived near Stamfort, Connecticut and worked as an engineer for the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company at least until 1938. Brauning later immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized U.S. In Kersten’s estate was found an Ortgies prototype with the serial number 01 which was originally owned by Brauning. Brauning reportedly worked for Fabrique Nationale in Liege, Belgium. Kersten in his book entitled Wapens en Munitie (1946), Ortgies bought the design of his pistol from a German gunsmith named Karl August Brauning. The nature of his work in the weapons industry is not specified, but since he started life as a merchant we presume he was aĪccording P.B.W. During his time in Belgium he wasĪppointed Turkish vice-consul, apparently due to his business connections in the Middle-East. At the beginning of World War I he was working in Liege, Belgium also for one or more gun manufacturers. Russia Baku, Azerbaijan and Tiflis, Georgia for various weapon manufacturers.

He became a merchant and moved to London at the age of 21. Heinrich Ortgies was the son of a Frisian farmer, born about 1870 near the town of Jever in Lower Saxony.

Ortgies pistol herkey