Ceara Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 Hi lads, First off, you lot have a wicked, dry humour! Anyone new to this forum, just read back over several of the pages. Can anyone give any info as to when the above change happened, possibly which year, model, serial number etc? Not expecting many replies but just might help those who are new to the "old bores" make a choice on brand and pellet size. Any further expansion on this topic would be appreciated. Finally, is it the head dia. or the diameter of the pellet skirt that is the important factor regarding the pellet fit into the bore? Thanks, Ceara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 Aren't they both ".22" perhaps when they went from being uk designed/made to euro designed/made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capital Bee Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 (edited) I think I remember somewhere a comment about them changing in the mid to late 70's, though hopefully someone could be more precise. I have a '59 mk2 airsporter that needs some 5.6mm pellets and aside from old wasps, 'defiant vintage' by pax are recommended (though I haven't tried them yet). I also previously owned a mk2 webley Hawk and that had a large bore also. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Defiant-VINTAGE-22-5-6mm-air-rifle-pellets-for-obsolete-Webley-BSA-/141307846423?pt=UK_SportingGoods_OtherSports&hash=item20e69a9f17 Edited June 10, 2014 by Capital Bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 It's the head size that important , the skirt gets pushed into the rifling and makes a seal from the blast of compressed air it always makes me laugh when people toss a pellet away because of a damaged skirt when I fact it makes no difference. By rule of thumb BSAs seems to prefere a larger pellet head size 5.52 aa seemed to be favorite in all three of my s10, Defiants are ok at normal ranges but when punching it out on paper at over 50y the groups opened up compared to the aa or hnftt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceara Posted June 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks lads, I had touched on this topic with bruno22rf a few days ago and I'll follow his recommendation and purchase a tin of AA Field 5.52mm to try in my BSA Mercury S when I attend the Game Fair in just over a weeks time. Thanks again to all for taking the time to reply. Ceara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 (edited) Thanks lads, I had touched on this topic with bruno22rf a few days ago and I'll follow his recommendation and purchase a tin of AA Field 5.52mm to try in my BSA Mercury S when I attend the Game Fair in just over a weeks time. Thanks again to all for taking the time to reply. Ceara. That is still a long way short of .22, which is 5.588mm. The 5.51 and 5.52 sizes are meant for 5.5 barrels, the old Blue Eley Wasp (which are meant to be 5.6mm) are the best, size wise, for a .22! Edited June 11, 2014 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceara Posted June 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks Dekers, I purchased a tin of Wasps 5.6mm as soon as I obtained the Mercury S. If I had knowledge of this Forum prior to buying those pellets, I would have thought twice before buying them! You've guessed it, they were the Bisley brand and not the old Eley Wasps. Do they have any kind of Quality Control Dept for these Wasp pellets? I'll try a tin of AA Field in this rifle and see what the pellet group is like and how they fit the bore of this Mercury S. I think I will have to put the Chrono on the rifle, fire a few Wasps and then fire the AA Fields, once the Fields are obtained, to get some kind of comparison. I'm just wondering if I have a 'vintage' size bore or a continental 5.5mm bore as the 'S' variant started in the early 80's. hence the original question. Until I try the AA in it, I will not know. Roll on the Game Fair. Thanks, Ceara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Interesting comment here........... http://www.premiershootingsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/Wasp-Pellets-.22--Blue-Tin--AM002.html "These Pellets Work Brilliantly With Any Pre 1986 BSA Rifle". Is that a clue to barrel size change date? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceara Posted June 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi Dekers, That link displays the same product that I purchased. If you look at the tin lid printing, just to the right of the word Wasp, you will see in bold print the word Pellets. The wording under that line, around the tin shows the name of bisley. Mind you, you would have known that anyway! Interestingly, that site gives the date of pre 1986. Somewhere, they must have gotten information to quote that figure! Is the plot thickening? Lets watch this space!!! Thanks mate. Ceara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Jones Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 The size of pellets is giving no indication of bore size jones1943andalive@gmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz25 Posted March 11, 2023 Report Share Posted March 11, 2023 (edited) Think BSA got taken over by Gamo in 85?, I have a .25 SS from mid 90's that has a tight bore but my later SS (with a .25 barrel fitted) dose not so there was a spec change after 95 I guess in this cal anyhow. Edited March 11, 2023 by Chaz25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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