Otterup Rifle Factory was founded by the gunner Hans Schultz in 1889. He was trained as a turner and had worked on improving rifles in the army laboratory. People from all over the country started sending rifles for repair and rebuilding in Otterup, and in 1904, Hans Schultz started his own gunsmith workshop.
Schultz and Larsen Rifle Factory
In 1916, he entered into partnership with his son-in-law Niels Larsen, and they bought a warehouse at the railway station in Otterup. From here, the new factory Schultz and Larsen Geværfabrik produced handmade guns for customers all over the world. Hans Schultz and Niels Larsen were even talented shooters, and Niels Larsen won both the gold and silver medal at the 1920 Olympics.
The handmade rifles were popular among connoisseurs and experts around the world, but since everything was handmade, it meant a very long production time and high production costs. Therefore, the rifle factory in Otterup had to close in 1994. But the antique rifles are still very much in demand.
The gun factory in Otterup today
Today there is a small exhibition with many exciting objects at Otterup Rifle Factory about the factory's history and the original owners.
Otterup Geværfabrik is still an impressive building with beautiful, industrial halls with room for art exhibitions, concerts and meetings.
