A question of wads

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Old paper cartridges, mostly Eley. Any one know what wads were used back in the day ? Also how long have plastic wads been in use ? 

[Dave at kelton]

Depends on age but the old Eley paper cartridges I opened where fibre. I was given a box that were rusted and swollen so just split them and kept the wads and shot.

 

[London Best]

I seem to remember that plastic wads started, in the U.K., around the late 1960’s.

[sportsbob]

Ely used to make their own wads on site from boards of compressed material, the machine was Victorian and used rotary tubular cutters and required constant maintenance which was labour intensive.  It was decided by the new owners some years ago to scrap this wonderful machine I believe this was either due to the maintenance staff retiring and no one had the required skills or it was cheaper to import them from their parent company.

[rbrowning2]

Depends how far back you go Eley used to use Pneumatic wads

 

[sportsbob]

I`m afraid I cant go that far back but my knowledge of their manufacturing process goes about 30 years or so, I`m no aficionado but I know a man who is. 

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Thanks, I should of taken more notice in my youth ! I'm undiceded to use them or to offer them out to a collecter. Certainly nothing special but a little bit of shooting history. That decision is for another day.

[enfieldspares]

Rubbish "builders' board" (which Eley called "Thamesboard") the sort of stuff that a long time ago you used in a house and plastered over it. The much supposedly "quality" Eley Grand Prix cartridge was actually back in the day the cheapest of their range. Quality cartridges used white felt wads which had the ends dipped in red lubricant. These dried to a pink colour. So these best wads were known as "pinks".