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
Declaye Joseph
This is an exceptional
weapon: it is a prototype of a semi-automatic service rifle in the Belgian 7.65
mm cal, invented and patented by
Joseph Declaye
aug 31, 1931 under n° 381628.
"7.65 b.blindée" (jacketed bullet) refers to the 7.65 x 53 mm in use in the
Belgian army 1889-1940 (bullet was modified in the early 1930's) and in other
armies as well, mostly South-American ones but also the Turkish before and
during WO 1. A.k.a "Argentin 7.65".
Joseph Declave was
an engineer who started his career in the
FN Herstal,
where he helped producing and dealing the first Browning semi-auto pistols.
In 1908, he was contracted by the "Anciens
Etablissements Pieper" (AEP) as technical
director. Together with
Bernard Clarus,
he helped in the develpment of the Bayard pocket pistols.
During WO 1, he was sent to England and to the United
States to follow and control the production of weapons and ammunitions destined
to the Belgian army. After the war, he became general manager of the
AEP
and kept that function until his retirement in 1931. He was holder of abt 20
patents covering hunting shotguns, pistols, carbines etc, of which a part were
sold to the
AEP when he
retired (n° 381628 was not part of that sale).
The stock is quite special for the time: the "pistol grip" is located under the
receiver and is just a round hole cut into the stock itself. The long cut in the
shoulder stock is destined for a better prehension of the rifle in bayonet
skermishes. The return spring housing is in line with the barrel, behind the
breech.
The events around the manufacture and patent appliance remain unknown, as is the
identity of the maker of this prototype.
Maybe the
AEP,
or even the
FN ?
GP with much appreciated help from MAX, MD and
PHL
Et voilà le brevet
