Hi All,
I thought these might be of interest, despite being pre-WW2-
While not nearly as prevalent as in WW2, there are several models of beutewaffen/occupation-produced handguns in WW1.
Belgium, with its robust firearms industry, was naturally of interest to the occupation forces. Henri Pieper was one such producer that was commandeered by the Germans (Bayard was a brand used by Pieper for marketing-- it was named for a legendary horse in the medieval era). They produced a couple of models (specifically the M1908 and Bergmann 1910), as well as Gewehr 98 receivers(and possibly other parts) during the war.
In this post I'll share my 1908s and I'll do a later one on my 1910 Bergmann.
The 1908 Pieper was the smallest 32 ACP pistol used by the Germans in WW1 (it almost looks comical next to the grotesquely oversized 1910)
The nicer one pictured is typical of most production. The "Bayard" logo is on the grips and the full array of roll marks. The German eagle fireproof is on both the slide and frame and there is an crown/letter acceptance character next to the frame fireproof.
The second is is the rarer version and typical of very late war production- the grips are simple wooden slabs, most of the roll marks have been eliminated and a simple "7.65" stamped next to the Bayard logo. The fireproof on the slide was eliminated by this point, and you can see that there are significantly rougher tool marks. The FEU mark (Fire---safety off) was also omitted on these late models.
Thanks for reading--
I thought these might be of interest, despite being pre-WW2-
While not nearly as prevalent as in WW2, there are several models of beutewaffen/occupation-produced handguns in WW1.
Belgium, with its robust firearms industry, was naturally of interest to the occupation forces. Henri Pieper was one such producer that was commandeered by the Germans (Bayard was a brand used by Pieper for marketing-- it was named for a legendary horse in the medieval era). They produced a couple of models (specifically the M1908 and Bergmann 1910), as well as Gewehr 98 receivers(and possibly other parts) during the war.
In this post I'll share my 1908s and I'll do a later one on my 1910 Bergmann.
The 1908 Pieper was the smallest 32 ACP pistol used by the Germans in WW1 (it almost looks comical next to the grotesquely oversized 1910)
The nicer one pictured is typical of most production. The "Bayard" logo is on the grips and the full array of roll marks. The German eagle fireproof is on both the slide and frame and there is an crown/letter acceptance character next to the frame fireproof.
The second is is the rarer version and typical of very late war production- the grips are simple wooden slabs, most of the roll marks have been eliminated and a simple "7.65" stamped next to the Bayard logo. The fireproof on the slide was eliminated by this point, and you can see that there are significantly rougher tool marks. The FEU mark (Fire---safety off) was also omitted on these late models.
Thanks for reading--
