Bayard Model 1930
Anciens Etablissements Pieper · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1930
Also known as: Pieper Bayard 1930
Overview
The Bayard Model 1930 is a Belgian blowback-operated semi-automatic pocket pistol, the final development of the Pieper Bayard line of compact self-loading pistols. Refining the earlier 1908 and 1923 models, it was manufactured by Anciens Etablissements Pieper of Herstal and chambered primarily in .32 ACP, with variants in .380 ACP and .25 ACP. Like its predecessors it used a distinctive layout with the recoil spring mounted above the barrel, giving it an exceptionally compact profile for a concealable civilian defense pistol.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 465 g (16.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 125 mm (4.92") |
| Barrel Length | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 183 J (135 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Automatic, 7.65x17mm Browning SR, 7.65mm Browning
- .380 ACP — also known as .380 Auto, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short
- 6.35x16mm Browning (.25 ACP) — also known as .25 ACP, 6.35mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Fixed Sights, Concealed Hammer, Recoil Spring Above Barrel
Production
Production years: 1930-1940
Final model of the Pieper Bayard pocket pistol series; production ended with the German occupation of Belgium
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Bernard Clarus
Discontinued: 1940
Notes
The Bayard pocket pistols were noted for their unusually small size relative to their chambering; contemporary expert Walter H. B. Smith praised the .380 version of the line as among the smallest, most compact .380 self-loading pistols ever built. Production of the Bayard line ended with the German occupation of Belgium in 1940.
Background
The Bayard pocket pistols packed their recoil spring above the barrel rather than beneath it, letting Pieper build one of the smallest .380 self-loading pistols of its era from what was essentially a scaled-up .25 frame.