Can anyone give me some information on a Bayard shotgun? It is rather plain 16gauge boxlock, non-ejector with the following markings.Both barrels are stamped "Demi Block" and the rib is stamped,"Eprouve A Toutes Les Poudres Pyroxilees". There is a knight in armor with a lance stamped on both barrels. Above the knight there is stamped "ANC ETABL Pieper" (left barrel) and "Herstal Belgique"(right barrel). These stamps are in a circle with what appears to ba a flower in the center.The left barrel is marked "Acier Bayard". Underneath the barrels there are a lot of numbers with Belgian proof marks. The left barrel is stamped 165 and the right is stamped 166. There is also a 65mm marking which I assume is the chamber length(2 1/2 ")
The gun has two under bolts, side clips to action and a top bolt that abutts the top rib.
At one time the shotgun was fitted with sling swivels but these are now missing.
Any information about age,quality,and shootability would be appreciated. The gun has been used but is tight.

WRDSMTH...Pictures will help alot with all your Qs
Slap her up here so we can see what you have..otherwise we've not a clue what you have there
franc

Bayard shotguns were manufactured by Henri Pieper and later by Anciens Etablissments Pieper, in Liege, Belgium. The factory was located at #12 Bayard Street.

Here are the Belgian proof marks.

http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

The gun was made after August 4, 1905 as that is when Anciens Establishment Pieper (AEP) was founded by Nicolas Pieper. It was not located in Liege, but rather in Herstal. No big deal, as Rue des Bayard is a short walk from Herstal.

Acier Bayard, simply means Bayard Steel. During this period, the company was purchasing all their barrels from Siemans-Martin.

Most of these guns are usable field grade guns, if they are good condition. Early on, Henri Pieper had invented the monobloc. Eventually the company stopped using this method and everything was made using the demi-bloc.

Post some pictures of the gun and the proof marks. I may be able determine the model. The gun is almost certainly nitro proofed.

Here is a very nice model 415 posted by CJO.


Pete

I'm going to speculate (I have very little French) that the "Eprouve ... Pyroxilees" language means that the gun was proved for all nitro powders. But the other proof marks will tell the tale for sure on that point.

The 165 and 166 would indicate the bore diameters at the chokes on their respective barrels, 16.9 to 17.1 mm (depending on the maker) being a straight 16 ga. I'd have to look at a conversion table to tell the chokes, and that doesn't account for the possibility that in the decades since it was made someone altered the chokes, but my initial guesstimate would be the 165 as an improved modified and the 166 a modified.

Pete, there you go showing off my gun again.

You only have if for temporarily storage! How come you have all the good toys? I am telling ma....

It is nice to know there are guns like that still floating around out there. I was contacted recently about a Pieper. It is the second one that I am aware of that has the name Pieper woven into the damascus. Bill Wise wrote about one a few years ago. It seems to appear on modified Diana's, judging by the 2 known examples.

Pete

Pete, I too heard about that Damascus Pieper. Particularly fortuitous that a blued barreled "Pieper" Damascus fell into the hand of someone who valued it. Just wish it was me. However, I can't complain. Recently acquired an interesting Ideal that was the subject of a thread on here in July.

To the OP, as previously requested, can you post photos?

Thanks for the information...I will try to post some pictures...if I can get my wife to show me how it is done!!!
My gun looks like the one pictured sans the fancy engraving and wood.Mine also has a small bolt through the stock just behind the action...it appears to be orignial to the gun.
By the way, what is Demi Bloc??

You can email the photos to me and I will post them movie@damascus-barrels.com.

Pete

Does it look more like one of these? Pete, I'll leave you to explain Demi-Bloc. It will be much clearer from you. LOL

http://www.hallowellco.com/abbrevia.htm#DA

Demi-bloc Barrels - (called Chopper-lump barrels in British) - A method of joining the two separate tubes of a set of barrels where the right-hand half of the pair of lumps under the barrels are forged integrally with the right barrel and the left-hand half of the pair of lumps under the barrels are forged integrally with the left barrel. Chopper-lump barrels can be recognized by the fine joint-line running longitudinally down the center of each lump. This method of jointing barrels is the best because: 1. It is the strongest in relation to its weight, and 2. Because it allows the two barrels to be mounted closest to each other at the breech end, reducing problems regulating the points of aim of the two separate barrels.

They have pictures and diagrams here:
http://www.hallowellco.com/lumps.htm

Here are a set of demi-bloc barrels that are still in the rough state. They have to be chambered, bored, ground and struck.


Pieper invented the monobloc.



Pete