Help Identify an antique

[Roadwild17]

I inherited this gun for someone and I know absolutely nothing about it. All it say is "PATENT 488366 DECB 20 1892 PIEPER BREECH COMPRESSED STEEL BELGIUM BAYARD ARMS CO." The gun is in "well used" shape, the leather but pad is cracked (Pic 4), there is a crack on the stock near the receiver where the wood is thin and oil probably made it week (Pic 3), and apparently something once happened to the right pin because it looks like someone to a chisel to it (Pic 2 top right). Anyhow, that's what I inherited, I'm guess its about 32" of barrel & apparently everything else works, anyone know more about it and maby what its worth?

 

[Cap n Ball]

Some info on Pieper at http://www.littlegun.be/arme belge/artisans identifies p/a pieper henri gb.htm

 

[Jim K]

Bayard guns were reasonably well made and serviceable but no world beaters. Plus, that one looks like it has had a rough life. IIRC, compressed steel is another version of laminated steel, with barrels made from layers of steel welded together. While adequately strong when new, time has rarely been kind to them and I recommend that such guns not be fired with any ammunition.

IMHO, that gun is decorative but not a shooter. It deserves retirement and a place on the wall.

The value is not high; my best guess would be a tops of $50 or so, purely as a decorator.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

That would hurt Sir Joseph Whitworth's feelings, calling his compressed fluid steel "another version of laminated steel."
Probably true for a Belgian knockoff, though.

 

[Roadwild17]

So pretty much, pretty to look at, maby clean every few months, then look at some more?

 

[Ross]

There are eight pages for the US patent 488,366, including four pages of drawings.
I've never been able to forward images from the USPatOff site, but you can read them directly from your screen at <<USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database>>. Forgive me as I do not know how to hyperlink this here.
I believe (not sure) that I may be able to email them to you if you'd like.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Jim W.,

Boy did you jog my memory cells with that one! I think Whitworth's compressed fluid steel technique was used in casting artillery barrels, not in shotguns, but I could be wrong.

I suppose Bayard could have used such a technique (casting steel under pressure), but given the usual practices of Belgian makers, it is more likely they just "borrowed" the term.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

Whitworth developed compressed fluid steel for artillery tubes but it was used in small arms and sporting guns as well. Greener said the compression didn't have any effect except to close porosity at the ends of the billets which were normally cut off and scrapped anyhow.