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Peiper/Bayard .22 self ejecting .22

35K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  DK PHILLIPS In Memoriam 
#1 ·
Shown are pictures of a .22 rifle that a Canadian sold me this weekend. He was stationed in Holland and bought it from another soldier. Pulling the bolt back, cocks and opens the action. The lever on the left side releases the bolt. Firing causes the bolt to cycle open and the case is blown into the chamber area. There is a pushout rod screwed into the bottom of the buttstock to dig a case out if required. While the barrel is marked .22 short, long and long rifle, I doubt that high speed long rifles would be good for it as it is of pre WWI vintage. The buttstock carvings may be in Flemish or Waloons and seem to say Canada's glory and Holland's ruin.
 
#4 ·
While there might not be a problem with high speeds in a bolt gun, consider the early Colt Woodsman .22 pistols had broken mainspring housings due to design/material defects using high speed ammunition. Colt had to redesign the housing.

The self ejecting design is balanced to work with the then available ammo--standard velocity. Since bullet weight is the same between standard and high velocity--to get the higher velocity a higher chamber pressure is required. This may not adversely affect the rifle but I don't have spare parts available and a catatrophic failure can ruin your day. It is not worth the risk when standard velocity will work anyway. These guns are for fun--not target work.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I too have one of these curosities. It's a Bayard/Pieper "half automatic" single shot boys rifle chambered for .22SH. I believe that they were manufactured before WWI, about 1909. There's a brief description of these little rifles in the Dope Bag section of an issue of American Rifleman, can't remember what issue at the moment, and in James Grant's "Single Shot Rifles - Finale", pg. 122.

Here's a few pictures of my example:








LDHare
 
#7 ·
Nice Rifles.

If and when I ever decide to add foreign-made to my .22rf single-shot collection, the Bayard/Pieper would be one of the first I'd start searching for. Right now I've go enough on my plate with just U.S. and Canadian.

Good looking pics, LD.

Best regards ~ ~ ~ FloridaFialaFan
 
#8 ·
GGN: Thanks for the compliment. I'm a little confused though since I thought you also collected Gevarms, in addition to the Fiala's. At any rate, the europeans did make some very interesting firearms. Some were a bit unusal, especially some of the Belgium and French examples, so you maybe missing out on some really neat oddballs.


LDHare
 
#9 · (Edited)
About Those Gevarms...

I can understand your confusion LD. To set the record straight - my main thrust in collecting is for older, .22rf single-shot pistols and rifles. At the head of this group is my Fiala herd.

All others in the collection are of secondary interest and I am concentrating on obtaining only ONE of each variety I happen to like, rather than buying multiple specimens - like the Fialas.

Over the years I've owned a dozen of the little E1 Gevarms. I have only one left now. Also have their beautiful Model A7, which is at the other end of the scale for their .22rf rifles.

Nowadays they're just out of sight in price. There's an E1 on GunBroker right now with an opening bid of $500! That's the same gun that sold for $49.95 at K Mart back in the '60s!!! I can no longer afford to COLLECT THEM! ;)

I love most guns, especially the more unusual ones. Recently added two such single-shot .22s on revolver frames, from two of America's largest iconic handgun makers: a Colt Camp Perry and a S&W Model of 91. A side latch and a top-break, both from Greg Martin out in CA. One WITHOUT recoil shields and one WITH the shields!

I digress.... Anyway, LD, Fialas are my main squeeze, but I'm guilty of having the occasional "affair" with some other oddball U.S.-made, S-S, .22rf, pistol or rifle.

Best regards ~ ~ ~ FloridaFialaFan

Have you seen or heard about THIS oddball? Should be on its way to me...
Photo furnished by seller...
 
#10 ·
Hello Breakeyp

You can translate Hollands roem by Hollands fame or Hollands pride. They carved a mill in the buttstock, and a mill is something typical for Holland. They have a great history in that and nowadays you can still find them around there.

Good luck with the nice piece of belgian craftsmanship you have!
 
#15 ·
Just for fun, will your broken gun chamber accept a .22 long rifle cartridge? I wonder if someone opened the chamber and fired .22 high speed resulting in your broken part. That would confirm my admonisment to not use high speed ammo in these old guns.
 
#18 ·
Good thought - and yes it does accept a .22 long. The only history I have for the rifle is that a previous owner was using very low powered rounds called "buzzbees" in it, and that it had a very healthy ejection- the brass apparently really flew quite a distance. I inherited it literally in pieces mixed up with other bits, and put it all back together. I didn't notice any problem with the striker, but then, I wasn't looking either. I managed to put a very few .22 shorts thru it before it jammed and I found the striker to be broken.
 
#20 ·
Hi All, first time poster here! I inhereted a rifle from my grandfather when i was a child and am now looking into restoring it (some 25 years on). I kept it because i was told it was rare (semi auto single shot) and being much older and wiser now I understand a litle more about it and its workings. I have had a hell of a time finding info about it until i found this page - so a huge thanks!

It appears to be exactly like the two specimens shown here! the barrel seems to have been affected by external rust pitting prior to me getting it and hence the markings were almost unidentifiable however with some super-sluthing i can make out what is clearly pictured in the first post.

My piece has a broken stock but apart from that; with a good clean, new stock and a thorough service i can't see why it wouldn't be able to fire once agian. Any info about a replacement stock would be greatly appreciated along with any info from someone else perhaps even in Australia that may have a similar piece... also... can someone post picutres of the face of the bolt. Mine appears to be rough like blow back damage to the face of the bolt or is this normal??

Thanks again and thanks in advance for any further info - Cheers Ben
 
#21 ·
FYI - here is the content of an info sheet i have compiled on my gun... Thought it may come in useful for someone and i can't post pics so sorry this is all i have - but PM me if you'd like some pics and i can email them to you.

Thanks Ben

Hand-Me-Down Rifle

Cal .22 Semi-auto single shot rifle (or Half Auto) possibly Bayard??

Barrel Markings:
ANCIENS ESTABLISSEMENTS PIEPER HERSTAL BELGIUM BREVET S. C.(0. or G.?)D.G. PATENTED JAN (or CAN?) TE? (or MONTH, DAY, YEAR)

Specs:
  • Has a rifled barrel (looks like left hand twist) which is about 24 inches long from muzzle to mounting surface where bolt pull back handle strikes when breach shut.
  • Has one solid notched back site held in with a single screw with one front site post on muzzle.
  • Hard-wood (Walnut??) stock with no butt-plate, single brass fitting on underside of butt (could be tapped) near rear sling swivel.
  • Front sling swivel on leading edge of stock facing 45 degrees forward.
  • Stock can be removed from gun with single bolt/screw in forearm.
  • Stock approx 24.5-25 inches long.
  • Some pattern carving on hand grip.
  • Removable trigger guard held in with 2 screws.
  • Single shot, not magazine fed and when fired ejects casing right and bolt stays open - been told...
  • Left-side rocker-type action closer
  • Safety on left side as well


Apparently these were manufactured from 1907-1939 and existed in two types this one is the standard. The n° 1 (standard) measuring 980 mm, barrel 485 mm for a weight of 1600 gr. There was a longer luxury model also. Also came with a “pick or stick” to help clear obstructed barrels when the casing didn’t properly eject that screwed into underside of base of stock in brass fitting.

http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20p/a%20pieper%20s%20a%20anciens%20ets%20carabine%20gb.htm

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=PA369&lpg=PA369&dq=bayard+half+auto+.22&source=web&ots=sapynaQCxQ&sig=xpNXYWPkvyTOJzD5zidfjLnJE90&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=14565
 
#22 ·
benhl, here are some pics that may help out-

First, from an old catalogue:


top of the bolt:


bolt face:


bolt face:


underside of the bolt, and bolt face:


underside and striker:


and again:


Take a close look at the striker, where the square section joins the cylindrical bit. That's where mine is fractured, so check yours out just in case.
I still haven't done anything about mine, but it's fairly low priority, really. One day...
 
#24 ·
I have these guns my father bought 2 in eqypt and 2 possibly in Vegas, one states "Pieper & C (ie) Brevete 5751. And the others, I'm not sure where they are from, I replied on this post because the gun posted above looks very similar. Thanks for everyone's help on this one!
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I have this gun my father bought 2 in eqypt and 2 possibly in Vegas, one states "Pieper & C (ie) Brevete 5751. And the others, I'm not sure where they are from, I replied on this post because the gun posted above looks very similar. Thanks for everyone's help on this one!
 
#25 ·
Bayard 22

I have been given the same gun from my father. I am in the process of restoring this gun and cannot find any diagrams or pictures of parts. I am missing a spring and striker, but I do not know what else is missing and none of the local gun smiths can even find this gun in their literature.
 
#26 ·
I had one of these interesting rifles , until I fired a HV .22 LR . round through it, causing the cocking knob to blow off flying past my face , phu!! Needless to say I soon lost interest in this little shooter. One thing that bugged me was you couldn,t tell when it was cocked, because when the action was closed , there was no cocking indicator. Yer , I know it is marked for short or long cartridges, my own fault. Sold it at auction, and was surprised how much it went for. Cheers.
 
#27 ·
I know this thread is old, but had to share the fact I just got a bayard half automatic down here in OZ for a very good price. not a lot of finish left on it, wear in the throat, but rest of rifling good, marked .22 L, so that is a bonus. 1912 patent date, thought I would keep the pressure down so tried shorts first, fired, but not enough grunt to cycle action, went with the Winchester Z longs, same again, fired, wont cycle, picked up 500 highland 36 grain super quiet sub sonics so tried them, perfect, fires, cycles, and is quite accurate at 50 metres. stock has a lot of thick varnish on it, was this the original finish? small downside, according to the bloke I got it off, a dog has chewed the butt, and eaten the toe and heel, got an old piece of carcano stock to repair it with, so that gives me a project. all in all, very happy with it, grandkids will love it. any more info on these little gems much appreciated.
 
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