ELEY WASP ... what is the story?

[Hsing-ee]

In one's youth the Eley Wasp pellet was a top-quality dome-head pellet, which did good service in both .22 (5.6) and .177 calibre. They were really nice, consistent pellets which suited alot of barrels.

I am not sure, but they may have been the same pellets as the BSA 'Pylarm' pellets, although I am happy to be corrected.

Then there was some transitional period and the .22s were joined by the 5.5mm size for the German barrels.

And now they do or don't exist? And the recently made ones are poorer in quality than the old ones? This is what I heard, and there are those ones with the additional sub-calibre layer of lead on their heads, what is that about?

What is the story? Who has the dies or whatever, who is making them now and will the lovely little red tins of .177 be available again ever?

Why should the quality go down when things like JSB are setting the mark in quality?

Have they been religated to the role of plinking pellets?

I know the design was somewhat dated, they seemed too short - the distance between the skirt and the head band was very short, but they worked extremely well in some rifles.

[Herpquest]

Eley Wasps 5.6 are still available. I get mine off ####. Ideal pellet for earlier BSA's which were 5.6mm barrels. I get them to use with my '82 Airsporter Mk1.
ATB Eric

[Hsing-ee]

Eley Wasps 5.6 are still available. I get mine off ####. Ideal pellet for earlier BSA's which were 5.6mm barrels. I get them to use with my '82 Airsporter Mk1.
ATB Eric

Must be an Airsporter 'S' Mk 1. I think they were onto the Mk 5 or 6 by 1982 for the standard model. Unless yours is a '52 Airsporter Mk 1?

I will get some for my older BSA .22s. Thanks for the advice, I will post pictures!

[Herpquest]

Must be an Airsporter 'S' Mk 1. I think they were onto the Mk 5 or 6 by 1982 for the standard model. Unless yours is a '52 Airsporter Mk 1?

I will get some for my older BSA .22s. Thanks for the advice, I will post pictures!

It is an '82 'Centennial' Airsporter Mk 1.

[harvey_s]

Eley Wasps 5.6 are still available. I get mine off ####. Ideal pellet for earlier BSA's which were 5.6mm barrels. I get them to use with my '82 Airsporter Mk1.
ATB Eric

They are not ELEY any more, look at the tin - it just says 'wasps' and quality is poor compared to original Eley ones.....

[Herpquest]

Description Price

Wasp (5.6mm) Eley Wasp (5.6mm) .22 Pellets

Copied and pasted from a well known suppliers web pages.
Someone is going to receive a visit from the Trading Standards if they are not
Eley!

[Lakey]

Unfortunately if it doesnt say ELEY on the tin, it wont be ELEY in the tin. Modern tins - where it just says Wasp on the lid , are still available in 5.6mm and 5.5mm in the same coloured tins as before, however the pellets are totally different.

Sadly the new 'Wasp' pellets are no way as good as the old ones. Their build quality is nowhere as good and they are not as accurate in most guns. I ordered some of the pellets off fleabay that are advertised as ELEY Wasp, only to find out that they were nothing of the sort.

ATB

Lakey

[edbear2]

Hi Eric......as Lakey rightly says, IMHO as well,the "new" Wasp pellets are nothing to do with eley, they are made on different dies, and the quality and consistency are frankly, rubbish compared to the Eley/ICI originals.......someone has bought the trade name.......if it says "bisley.co.uk" on the tin, it is the new pattern.......

There may well be some NOS tins of 5.6 (blue) Wasps out there, but I know of the seller you mention on that auction site, and in my opinion he is misleading buyers (possibly unintentionally, as the picture he shows is actually of the later tins)..

Easy to spot the difference on the tins with a cursory glance;

"proper" wasps;
http://www.dowlings.uk.com/acatalog/PELLETWASPS.jpg

"new wasps";
http://www.gunspares.co.uk/images/products/PEL033.jpg

Evolution of the tin lid label design (for anoraks like me)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3122848...7607964699940/

Don't think the new type are totally useless, they make good paperweights, doorstops, or you could melt them down for fishing weights, but don't expect them to group past 15 yards