BSA 5.6mm or 5.5mm

[JD75]

When did BSA stop making there .22 barrels 5.6mm and change to 5.5mm or are they still 5.6mm?

[BunnyHunter]

Hmm my 2005 model Supersport is 5.5mm. Maybe when GAMO bought em out they changed over? or the fact that all the decent .22 pellets are 5.5mm.

[JD75]

Pretty sure it has been over 10 years since they changed.

Just want to find out before I try to hunt down some 5.6mm pellets.

[BunnyHunter]

Dont eley wasps come in 5.6mm as well?

[JD75]

Try finding some.

I use them in my Brococks when you can get them.

[Micky Spillane]

Eley Wasps are available 5.5 & 5.6mm but Ihear of bad quality issues. My old and venerable airsporter used to love the 5.6 wasps but now I use superdomes more expensive but more consistant.IMHO

[TheShootist]

UK made rifles started to change from true .22 inch to the smaller bore metric 5.5mm barrels in the 80's... somehow the '22' name has stuck even though the barrels arent 0.22" any more ...

Regards
Tony

[JD75]

Had a tin of old Wasps dated 2001 I think kept them for special occasions but all gone now.

Got really pee'd off with the poor later batches that came along after Eley sold the rights.

Even saw some .177 that were triangle rather than round I kid you not a whole tin.

The good news is I heard they have fixed the quality problem and 5.6mm should be on sale in a couple of weeks.

Mid 80's for barrel change that might be good as my Airsporter carbine has to be post 85.

Still look forward to 5.6mm Wasps for my Brococks.

[sarf]

How does one tell whether a barrel is 5.5 or 5.6? By how easily the pellets go in, sticking some vernier calipers down the barrel or something cleverer than that?

[Gwylan]

Most modern rifles have the calibre marked on them in mm. It's only some older British guns that are the problem. If you can, push a pellet through with a dowel, this will give you a feel for pellet fit.

Gus

[sarf]

It's only some older British guns that are the problem. If you can, push a pellet through with a dowel

Well I've got a BSA of indeterminate age, that's a tap loader, so the dowel trick might be difficult. Besides, I wouldn't know how much friction to expect anway.