New Ammo For British .22 Rifles - Coming Soon

[Carnivore 2]

New ammo for British .22 rifles - Coming soon!

This has been previously posted on another site by its author and is reproduced here to widen the readership.

 

Having been pretty disgusted with the quality of Wasp No.2 .22/5.6mm pellets I contacted another manufacturer with a request for them to make a better pellet in this 'vintage' caliber. They didn't ask me to keep this a secret so this is the reply I received from Pax Guns:

"In recent months we have received several enquiries from owners of obsolete British air rifles fitted with a true .22/5.6mm barrel – guns such as the BSA Mercury and Airsporter, together with the famous Webley MK.2 and Mk.3 - asking us if we could manufacture a sporting pellet that would suit these air weapons.
There were many thousands of these rifles manufactured with open sights until the 1970s, after which time most manufacturers reduced their barrel sizes to 5.5mm and still referred to them as a (nominal) .22.
A pellet that performed exceptionally well in these older rifles was the original Eley Wasp/BSA Pylarm. However, manufacture of the Wasp moved away from ICI some years ago, and with due respect the current version is a pale shadow of the original, hence the requests for a pellet comparable with the original Wasp.
We have now tooled up to produce a 14.5grain .22 pellet designed to be used in the older BSA and Webley air rifles. As such the new ‘Defiant Vintage’ will have a head size of 5.6mm, and will be based on our current ‘Defiant’ sporting pellet. It will be available in about 6 to 8 weeks."

 

The launch date should now be between the middle of May and the start of June.


Good news, I think!

 

[redial 81]

Yes Iam sure there is a market fot them, when did the change come fro 5.5 to 5.6.

I have a 1980's Vulcan.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

My 1972 Meteor will be jumping for joy!

[villaman 9,983]

And mine

[Carnivore 2]

Yes Iam sure there is a market fot them, when did the change come fro 5.5 to 5.6.

I have a 1980's Vulcan.

I have read (somewhere) that the change happened around 1984.

[pianoman 3,587]

That's marvelous news. I have 250 original Eley WASPS and I feel loathe to shoot them. They are the last of a true, great pellet. The current makers haven't a clue. Mis-shapen balls of bollocks is what they make and put in the tins now. I have a 15 year old HW80 that will like these new ones if they are are up to the standard of the original WASPS!!

 

Can't wait!

 

 

Pianoman.

[barrywhite 282]

It would very hard to make a pellet worse than the wasp 5.6 .

[redial 81]

That's marvelous news. I have 250 original Eley WASPS and I feel loathe to shoot them. They are the last of a true, great pellet. The current makers haven't a clue. Mis-shapen balls of bollocks is what they make and put in the tins now. I have a 15 year old HW80 that will like these new ones if they are are up to the standard of the original WASPS!!

 

Can't wait!

 

 

Pianoman.

I don't quite follow you Simon, why would you use 5.6 mm in a H.W. fifteen years old. I only ask as I have a 80's H.W. 77 (proper job) in .22. Thank you, Phil.

[pianoman 3,587]

The original .22 /5.6mm Eley Wasps were great in my .22 HW80 redial. That's all there is to it my friend! If they return these to the same standard, they should be fine again. A bit tight in the breech but, very accurate. Plenty of punch too. They could really flatten rats no end from this rifle!

 

Regards.

Simon

Edited April 17, 2013 by pianoman

[andyfr1968 772]

A lot of older HW barrels liked the old 5.6 Wasps. I had one of the very first 80's sold in the UK and it shot very nicely thank you with them as did many others.

Edited April 17, 2013 by andyfr1968

[redial 81]

The original .22 /5.6mm Eley Wasps were great in my .22 HW80 redial. That's all there is to it my friend! If they return these to the same standard, they should be fine again. A bit tight in the breech but, very accurate. Plenty of punch too. They could really flatten rats no end from this rifle!

 

Regards.

Simon

Many thank's as always. Phil.

[milegajo 595]

Open to correction and education on this, but is there something here to do with ze Germans using 5.56mm and us imperial brits manufacturing a fractionally smaller .22" (5.55mm) is that right?

Explained why the dumpy old British Eley Wasp faded in favour of the longer skirted german pellet design we have today that is now the generally accepted 'norm'.

 

I love the history involved...

[milegajo 595]

Just read my post back and there's a rather large gap in my knowledge and recollection regarding statement about pellet design. If someone could fill in I'd be most grateful and eager to re-learn.