Pieper Bayard Model 1908
Anciens Etablissements Pieper · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1908
Also known as: Pieper Bayard 1908, Bayard Pocket Pistol, Bayard 1908 Vest Pocket
Overview
The Pieper Bayard Model 1908 was an exceptionally compact blowback semi-automatic pistol designed by Belgian engineer Bernard (Bruno) Clarus, drawing on patents licensed from John Browning. Built by Anciens Etablissements Pieper of Liege under the 'Bayard' trademark (named after the medieval French knight Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard), the 1908 was for many years the smallest production pistol available in .380 ACP. Its tiny dimensions and high-pressure chamberings made it a popular concealed-carry option in the years before and after World War I.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 430 g (15.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 126 mm (4.96") |
| Barrel Length | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Height | 90 mm (3.54") |
| Width | 22 mm (0.87") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 240 m/s (787 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 130 J (96 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) · primary — also known as .32 ACP, 7.65mm Browning
- 6.35x16mm Browning (.25 ACP) — also known as .25 ACP, 6.35mm Browning
- 9x17mm Kurz (.380 ACP) — also known as .380 ACP, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Browning Court
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Extremely Compact, Vest Pocket Design, Exposed Barrel
Variants
- Bayard 1908 .25 ACP — Subcompact
- Bayard 1908 .32 ACP — Subcompact
- Bayard 1908 .380 ACP — Subcompact
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market · adopted 1908
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1908-1940
Production halted by the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940. Total numbers undocumented but believed to be in the tens of thousands across all three calibers.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Bernard Clarus
Discontinued: 1940
Notes
Despite being roughly the size of a modern .25 ACP pocket pistol, the Bayard 1908 was offered in .380 ACP - one of the smallest pistols ever produced in that caliber. Production continued until the German invasion of Belgium in 1940.
Background
The Bayard 1908 packed a .380 ACP cartridge into a frame barely larger than a pack of cigarettes - a feat of miniaturization that wouldn't be matched until pocket-pistol design caught up nearly a century later.