The Eley patent wire cartridge did not contain any ignition cap or powder charge. The cartridge comprised a measured charge of shot, contained in a wire mesh cage; the whole being paper wraped.
The primary purpose of the cartridge was to extend the range of the gun by containing the shot for some distance after it left the muzzle.The cartridge was available in three colours, yellow, red and green. Different colours were used to identify cartridges for specific uses. Green was for wild fowling, red was for use in the second barrel of a double gun when game shooting and yellow had "no wire cage" and was intended to reduce the time taken to reload.Other benefits claimed for the cartridge were, precise load of shot and automatic defouling of the barrel.
