Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.
For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS
Pieper Henri
Here is a beautiful Martini rifle coming out of
Henri Pieper’s
factories, already abundantly mentioned on the website (both among the
identified craftsmen and in the exceptional collection) and which was the
subject of a book "Bayard : les hommes, les armes et les machines du Chevalier,
Pieper et Cie, 1859-1957" by Michel Druart. Octagonal barrel, "guilloché",
forearm and butt checked, "jaspé" breech, beautiful butt.
Let’s admit that one could read “M. Pieper”, but let’s
be reassured: it is indeed a stylized H in the style of the 1880s-1890s... or in
the style of
Henri Pieper, a
native germ, as everyone knows. In any case, we find this rifle on page 54 of
the above-mentioned book (model 08), a reproduction of a catalogue after 1889.
Markings
ELG on
star in crowned oval: acceptance, in use after 11 July 1893;
EL:
provisional proof, in use since 21 December 1852;
Peron:
inspection, in use since June 16, 1853;
R
crowned: barrel rifled, in use since 30 January 1894;
P crowned: maybe a brand of
Pieper
?
AL under
a star: countermark of a controller, in use since 27 January 1877;
7.4 : diameter of the barrel : it is probably the
297/230 Morris short or long, a cartridge very fashionable at the time for short
range shooting, initially for reducing tubes
in the early 1880s. Subsequently, many weapons,
rifles, pistols and revolvers fired these cartridges, which were manufactured
until the early 1960s.
GP, PHL and the whole team.
