berettaprofessor
Member
I picked up a 4th variation Ortgies in good condition at a gun show today, matching serials, original grips and factory magazine. What a marvelously engineered pistol; soft-shooting for the snappy 32acp, simple takedown and cleaning, great access to the firing pin and channel, and accurate as heck. In fact, I saw an internet reference that in the 1920's, 70% of competitive winners used an Ortgies.
And a bonus for the reloader; I shot 44 rounds through it and found every piece of brass! It doesn't launch brass to the stratosphere like every other 32 I own.
Good gracious those sights are small though.
Which brings up a question; occasionally we talk about what older pistols we'd like to see made again. Now I'm wondering why Remington didn't decide to upgrade the 380 Ortgies with decent sights rather than remake the R51? A target-sighted Ortgies 380 would sell, I think. Maybe make the palm safety a real one instead of a cocking mechanism, enlarge the trigger guard a little, and you'd have a REAL pistol.
Yes, I know, pictures or it didn't happen:
And a bonus for the reloader; I shot 44 rounds through it and found every piece of brass! It doesn't launch brass to the stratosphere like every other 32 I own.
Good gracious those sights are small though.
Which brings up a question; occasionally we talk about what older pistols we'd like to see made again. Now I'm wondering why Remington didn't decide to upgrade the 380 Ortgies with decent sights rather than remake the R51? A target-sighted Ortgies 380 would sell, I think. Maybe make the palm safety a real one instead of a cocking mechanism, enlarge the trigger guard a little, and you'd have a REAL pistol.
Yes, I know, pictures or it didn't happen: