Bayard Model 1930
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 57 mm
- Weight, empty
- 465 g
- Introduced
- 1930
About
What it is, and why it matters
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.
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.
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.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Anciens Etablissements Pieper
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1930 to 1940
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 57 mm
- Overall length
- 125 mm
- Weight, empty
- 465 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 290 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 183 J
- Effective range
- 25 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Fixed sights
Concealed hammer
Recoil spring above barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 123 .32 ACP pistols | 465 g | 670 g | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 124 .32 ACP pistols | 125 mm | 155 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 126 .32 ACP pistols | 57 mm | 87 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 127 .32 ACP pistols | 6 | 8 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Bayard Model 1930
How much does the Bayard Model 1930 weigh?
The Bayard Model 1930 weighs 465 g (1.03 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Bayard Model 1930?
The Bayard Model 1930 is chambered in .32 ACP, .380 ACP, and 6.35x16mm Browning (.25 ACP).
How many rounds does the Bayard Model 1930 hold?
The Bayard Model 1930 holds 6 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Bayard Model 1930?
The Bayard Model 1930 is 125 mm (4.92 in) long overall, with a 57 mm (2.24 in) barrel.
Who makes the Bayard Model 1930?
The Bayard Model 1930 is made by Anciens Etablissements Pieper (Belgium). It was designed by Bernard Clarus.
When was the Bayard Model 1930 introduced?
The Bayard Model 1930 was introduced in 1930 and discontinued in 1940.
How does the Bayard Model 1930 operate?
The Bayard Model 1930 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/bayard-model-1930' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "bayard-model-1930", "name": "Bayard Model 1930", "manufacturer": { "id": "pieper", "name": "Anciens Etablissements Pieper", "countryCode": "BE", "foundedYear": 1859, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "updatedAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "version": "234b893e1669b929929fac5b535b8ddefdbed701298d98f17d4578523c96e990" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 1930, "barrel_length_mm": 57, "weight_empty_g": 465, "action_type": "blowback"}