The airgun projectile we call a BB began in 1886 as common lead shotgun shot, sized BB or .180" diameter. It was selected for W.F. Markham's revolutionary new spring-piston gun that was made of maple wood and a minimum of metal parts. The probable inventor of the new airgun, George W. Sage, simply chose a commonly available projectile that produced good results in his creation. The first BBs were actual shotgun shot, sized BB. They are nominally sized .180" in diameter. This size was convenient at a time when lead shot was commonly available at the hardware store. One year later, Clarence Hamilton of .22 rimfire fame followed Markham by inventing an all-metal spring-piston airgun. When he demonstrated it to local businessman and founder of the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company, Lewis Cass Hough, the surprised man declared, in the vernacular of the day, "Boy, that's a daisy!" Hamilton's clever little gun was also made to shoot lead BB shot, and Hough thought enough of it that he commissioned several hundred to be built for premiums when farmers bought his iron windmills. Production began in 1888. Demand for the new airgun quickly outstripped windmill sales, and Plymouth Iron Windmill began making the BB guns to sell directly. They used Hough's original exclamation as the trade name. In 1895 the windmill company reincorporated as the Daisy Manufacturing Company and continues under that name today. Shot grows smaller Lead BB shot continued to be the projectile of choice until the beginning of the 20th century, when Daisy contracted to have its own proprietary lead shot made. The new shot was sized smaller, at .175". Daisy could now control the uniformity of the shot. Even better, kids had to buy ammo from them instead of raiding their father's ammo supply. The size reduction brought a small increase in velocity, which meant that smaller-diameter spring wire could be used and the guns would retain the same velocity while cocking more easily. Other BB gun manufacturers went along with the new shot size because, by this time, Daisy was a 500-pound gorilla. Soon, everyone sold the smaller air rifle shot and the world forgot the old true BB-shot guns. But the name stuck! Cont to pg2>>>>