Here’s Something Unusual – A Malformed Airgun Pellet

Today we’re looking at something VERY unusual. It’s a malformed airgun pellet.

We can’t remember where this pellet came from, or – indeed – the manufacturer’s name or type. All we can say is that it’s some type of domed .177 caliber lead pellet.

Oh and one other thing…

This malformed pellet was not found in any of HAM’s industry-leading airgun pellet test reviews. It must have turned-up at some time during general shooting. It was remarkable enough to be saved and not immediately discarded in the trash.

The reason this is such a rare sight is that airgun pellet manufacturing and quality control has become so good in recent years.

In comprehensive HAM pellet test reviews, we measure head diameters to the nearest 0.1 mm (approx 3 thousandths of an Inch). Weights are measured to the nearest thousandth of a Gram (15 thousandths of a Grain).

That such high precision measurements are necessary to review pellets is a testimony to the abilities of the leading pellet manufacturers like JSB and H&N. Let’s remember that their products are mass-produced in considerable volumes – tens of thousands a day – and sold for just cents each…

As we look at our malformed airgun pellet, we can see there’s extensive signs of surplus lead. This flashing is around the skirt, along the length and around the head. It’s obviously a result of the molding process.

With pellets manufactured in such high volumes, this is likely not an uncommon sight at pellet manufacturers. The real surprise is that this malformed pellet was not discovered during the extensive Quality Control stages that are a feature of most pellet manufacture.

Obviously this pellet could never be fired. Its interest is due to the fact that it escaped to the outside world and a potential shooter.

It’s also a reminder that we should not take airgun pellet quality for granted. We’re privileged to benefit from outstanding pellet quality day-after-day. This malformed example is a great reminder of that!