Eley superb 28gr 7.5s

The Eley family has an impressive history of talent and innovation resulting in the continued evolution of the cartridge industry - aiding sportsmen worldwide and the military along the way.

The Eley family name can originally be traced back to their agricultural roots in Derbyshire. However, the Eley family are much better known for their dealings during the mid 18th century as London silversmiths.

In 1828 the first historic record of Eley's existence as a cartridge manufacturer; Charles Eley appears on an advertisement launching Eley Patent Cartridges as "the greatest improvement ever produced in gunnery". The two brothers, William and Charles, worked together to acquire the rights to produce the Jenour cartridge, jointly founding the Eley Cartridge Company which opened a factory in Old Bond Street in 1828.

Unfortunately, at the age of 47, William Eley inadvertently blew himself up whilst trying to experiment with a new percussion cap. The compound exploded and, according to the report in The Times dated 28 June 1841, his body, when found, was "a frightful spectacle to behold. He was surrounded by a quantity of dark-coloured blood, his left arm and hand were blown off, his right thigh was nearly severed, both his feet were blown to atoms, his person in other respects was mutilated and blackened."

Despite this terrible tragedy, the Eley Cartridge Company was eventually led by William Thomas Eley (son of William), and his two brothers Charles and Henry. But it was William who became the driving force of the business, growing it into one of the largest ammunition-producing factories in the world. William was an inventive genious in terms of cartridge improvements, but he also masterminded a revolutionary new way of producing percussion caps.

Eley products received publc recognition and were on show at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

During the early 1870s ammunitions suppliers worldwide were in huge demand. New types of ammunition were required by the military, thus creating a need for new machinery capable of manufacturing these new products. In order to finance this demand, the Eley Brothers decided in 1874 to become a limited company.

In 1898 and again in 1900, Eley won awards for their products at the two Paris Exhibitions. The Grand Prix award, was one in a list of many the company had gained during its existence. However, it was this latter award which led the company to introduce a shotgun cartridge in March 1903 which was to bear its name.

In 2002 Eley shotgun ammunition was bought by the Maxam group, Europe's largest manufacturer of explosives and shotgun ammunition. The intention of Maxam was to grow and develop Britiain's oldest shotgun ammunition manufacturer into a world leader without losing Eley's long heritage.

To this day all Eley Hawk shotgun ammunition is manufactured in England to the exacting qualities demanded by shooters worldwide. Maxam have invested heavily in the Eley Hawk manufacturing processes, moving to a state-of-the-art factory based in Sutton Coldfield.

Eley Hawk