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​The history of Henri Pieper was largely forgotten until Michel Druart published his book “Bayard” in 2004. The book introduced many to the history of Henri Pieper, his family, and many of his inventions. The work was unparalleled at the time, and yet it had some limitations with distribution and language, being available only in French.

 

At the time Anthony Vanderlinden was already collecting documents and data about the Pieper companies. Years passed before Druart and Vanderlinden decided to collaborate on a much expanded English language edition. Druart contributed the content of his original book, while Vanderlinden used the reference materials and research he gathered over 20 years to expand and supplement the work. The original French language book was translated to English and chapters were edited and reorganized. A modern structure was established and chapters and content were added to reflect the new research and collector interests.

 

During this process Vanderlinden met several authors who were conducting their own research on specific models. The book project became a true international effort with chapters contributed by (in alphabetical order) Dr. Leonardo Antaris, Ed Buffaloe, Dr. Stefan Klein, and Dr. Dirk Ziesing.

 

The majority of factory records were destroyed in the 1950s, so the authors relied on surviving documents scattered throughout the world. Contributions and materials came from a multitude of places including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, and the United States.

 

While most collectors are familiar with John Browning and Fabrique Nationale, few know about the remarkable inventions of Henri Pieper, his contributions to manufacturing, and his journey to becoming Belgium's largest gun manufacturer. As a co-founder of FN, his factories were only seconded after FN was built. The book is structured to clearly identify the individuals, eras, and factories involved with the Pieper products.

 

Below are a few select chapter topics (this will be expanded to include all chapters before the book's release)

 

• Biography: Henri Pieper

• Biography: Nicolas Pieper

• Biography: Joseph & Declaye

• Factories: Henri Pieper's History

• Factories: Etablisements Pieper History

• Factories: Anciens Etablissements Pieper History

• Marketing & Trademarks

• The Diana, Modified Diana, Original Diana

• The Volley Gun (Mitrailleuse or Canardiere)

• The Belgian Military Rifle Trials

• The Gas Seal Revolvers

• The Reynoso-Garcia Revolver

• The Marksman Carbine

• The Martini-Henry Carbine

• Auto-ejecting Carbines

• The Model 1921 Carbine

• The Rationnel Shotgun

• The Etablissements Pieper (EP) Shotguns

• The Anciens Etablissements Pieper (AEP) Shotguns

• The Nicolas Pieper Pistols and History

• The Model 1908 Pistols

• Theodore Bergmann and his Pistols

• The Bergmann-Bayard Model 1908 and Model 1910

• The Model 1923 and Model 1930 Pistols

• The Model 1926 Revolver

• The New Model Pistol

• The Belgian Military Model 1935 and 89/36 Mauser,

• and more...

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Henri Pieper brought modern manufacturing techniques to the arms industry. His designs and products were sold worldwide and had a profound impact on gun ownership. The book focuses on the Pieper history, its products' successes and failures, and what ultimately led to the downfall of the Bayard brand.

 

Bayard and Nicolas Pieper guns are often confused, the book delves into the separate histories and models offered by AEP (Bayard) and Nicolas Pieper and how these are separate developments which are not connected.

 

For collectors, the book will clarify common misconceptions, identify models, correct designations, production years and eras, and focus on markings and variants. Accessories like holsters, shoulder-stocks, instruction booklets, and magazines are discussed in detail.

 

This will be a hardcover book in our popular 9x12” color format. Page count and additional details will be posted later as production progresses. The anticipated release will be later in 2026.

 

This book will be printed in the USA in limited quantity. Join our early notification list and benefit from our pre-publication special by sending us a message with your name, email address, and phone number. We will only contact you regarding the book and will only call you if email does not work. (We do not sell or share any customer information).

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