In our last post with this week’s theme ‘HANDGUNS OF WWI’, we visit Belgium to discuss a fine Bayard 7.65mm Br Model 1910 pistol that was made by Pieper and adopted as a sidearm by the Imperial German Army.  Read on for another LSB journey in firearms history…

Henri Pieper was born in Soest, German Westphalia, on 30 October 1840. He emigrated to Belgium in 1859 and, in 1866, he purchased a barrel manufacturing factory in Nessonvaux producing fine double-barrels for Remington shotguns. He resided at 18 Rue des Bayards, Liege where he also had a large workshop. By 1870, he was manufacturing complete shotguns, mainly for the export market.

In 1887, Henri Pieper became a member of the arms manufacturer’s association of Liege, which included important firms such as Jules Ancion, Dumoulin brothers, Joseph Janssen, Pirlot-Frésart, Laloux & Co, Albert Simonis and Nagant. The objective was to participate in lucrative government contracts. Within a year, he responded to a military request for a new repeating rife by submitting two Mannlicher style rifles. Mauser won the tender with the model 1889 rifle.  but Pieper was contracted to join in setting up Fabrique Nationale (FN) that would manufacture the M1889 rifle.  He became a major shareholder and administrator of the firm.  His next attempt at participating in a government contract was when he submitted a design for a gas-seal revolver for the Russian government. Although the Nagant brothers won this tender, Pieper’s 1893 revolver design gained considerable popularity in Mexico as a revolving rifle.

The Pieper workshops turned their attention to automobile manufacture around 1897. Henri patented a design for a fuel-electric hybrid automobile. His ‘mixed drives’ invention comprised an internal combustion engine connected to a dynamo motor and a storage battery or accumulator in circuit with the dynamo motor. Meanwhile, in Detroit, USA, Henry Ford built the first mass assembly lines to produce the Ford Model T. The hybrid vehicle concept lost out to Ford’s affordable, mass-produced fuel-powered car.

Henri Pieper died in 1897 when he was just 57. His second son Nicolas, who was born in Liege on 31 October 1870, took over the running of the Liege workshop. In 1905 he renamed the firm ‘Anciens Établissements Pieper’ and registered the ‘Bayard’ trademark that was soon to become famous. His brother Edouard Herman took over the barrel factory in Nessonvaux while the car manufacturing business was taken over by Imperia and Auto-Mixte built vehicles from 1906 to 1912 under the Pieper patents.

Nevertheless, in a few years, the over diversification of the firm led to its bankruptcy. Nicolas Pieper rebuilt his own business with the help of his brother-in-law, Auguste Lambrecht, who provided a new location in 42 Rue Bonne Nouvelle for arms manufacture. The new firm was called ‘Fabrique d'Armes Automatiques Nicolas Pieper’.

Nicolas Pieper purchased the rights from Theodor Bergmann to manufacture 3,000 ‘Bergmann–Bayard Model 1903’ pistols for the Spanish Army, which was designated as the ‘Pistola Bergmann de 9 mm. modelo 1903’. He also bought the rights to manufacture and sell a commercial version of the Bergmann Mars. Pieper purchased several patents for automatic pistols from Jean Warnant, which he improved and manufactured under the brands ‘Démontant’ and ‘Basculant’. He also designed a pistol that was later produced by Waffenfabrik Steyr as the M1909. The Bergmann-Bayard M1903 was also sold to Denmark, which adopted it as the Bergmann–Bayard model 1910.  Just 4,840 pistols were delivered to the Danish military before the German occupation of Belgium in WWI put an end to further deliveries. Pieper also produced a ‘Bayard’ pocket pistol in three calibres, 7.65mm Br (Model 1910), 9mm Br (Model 1911) and 6.35mm Br (Model 1912).

After WWI, the firm moved its premises to 292 Rue Vivegnis. Pieper acquired the patent for the Hippolyte Thonon semi-automatic pocket pistol of pocket, which was based on the FN 1906, and produced it under the name ‘Légia gun’ in 1922. The German firm C. G. Haenel licensed Pieper to produce Hugo Schmeisser’s MP 28 machine pistol. These were produced in small quantities and some were exported to Finland in 1940.

Nicolas Pieper died in Liege in 1933 but the company lived on till 1954.

When Belgium was occupied by the Germans in 1914, the Pieper factory was taken over to produce rifles and ammunition for German military use. The 7.65mm Br Model 1910 was kept in production and issued to German officers. They are identified by the Imperial German military acceptance stamps and are quite rare today. The pistol which we are featuring today is in fine original condition, with matching numbers throughout and 97% original finish. It was formerly in the Geoffrey L. Sturgess collection before it was acquired by LSB.

If you wish to own this scarce and interesting firearm, please send us a private message or phone us on 99471091. It will be reserved for the first client who pays a deposit by Mobile or Online bank transfer. Police applications will be filled in after we receive the deposit and a scan/photo of the client's 2020 Collector Licence A or Target Shooter Licence A, or the Special grade of these licences.

While our photos are as detailed as possible and do not hide any flaws, you have the option of examining the firearm physically, by appointment. Do not take any risks with overseas online auctions when you have the chance of knowing what you are buying. LSB’s knowledge and experience in historical firearms assures you of a good investment. We offer a lifetime guarantee on the genuineness of the pieces in our vast inventory so that you may buy in full confidence.

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We take great pleasure in bringing you these daily snippets of firearms history and we hope that you enjoy reading them.