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Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: West MI

Just an interesting thing; I sometimes will check the metal heads of older shells with a magnet to see if made of brass or steel plated/washed with brass. The Win shells in the box in the Holiday Giveaway thread are both. The magnet sticks to the base/bottom of the head but not the sides?!?

Joined: 13 Apr 2017 Posts: 180

Thanks, It is interesting.

Joined: 13 Apr 2017 Posts: 180

Thanks, It is interesting.

The primer is magnetic.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: West MI

True, understood.... but it's magnetic on the base/bottom all the way out to the very outer edge of the rim. For reference, I'll take an older Fed confirmed to be a brass headed hull w/a steel primer in it and the magnet won't stick to the rim let alone much past the primer as it does with that Win hull.

Curiosity at best, not going to dissect one just to satisfy the curiosity. Maybe the Giveaway winner can confirm if they choose to shoot the shells.

I know on Activ hulls there is a metal (steel?) insert in the base for structural integrity. Might be something similar where the exterior base is brass with a structural magnetic piece inside to preclude deformation.

I am away from my stash of hulls right now so this is purely conjecture.

I know on Activ hulls there is a metal (steel?) insert in the base for structural integrity. Might be something similar where the exterior base is brass with a structural magnetic piece inside to preclude deformation.

I am away from my stash of hulls right now so this is purely conjecture.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: West MI

A call out to Savage16; IF you choose to shoot those Holiday Giveaway Win's and don't plan on reloading....I'm curious as to how or why they are magnetic on the bottom/base but not on the sides. Any way you could do some forensics on a fired shell? Maybe a bandsaw cut the hull in half and share some pics?

I have a LARGE stash of Win Compression formed hulls and they
are not magnetic

Mike

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: West MI

Understood. I have some Feds that are all brass, except the primer, and nonmagnetic as well. These are unique in that the sides are not magnetic, assuming brass, but the bottom of the base out to the rim is. Albeit a design the floated under the bridge a long time ago, a curiosity at best.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 870

I have some Feds with steel heads with a very thin steel flat like a thin washer glued to the top of the whole head where the priner is installed. I had some come off durring resizing with the base still attached to the hull. BUT this happens when the hull have been reloaded to many times. I use an old westerfield 16ga to test some loads. I can tell when it's getting ready to separate when you run your thumb around the rim. It will start to feel rough. If you feel roughness then pitch it.