What is the purpose of high brass shotgun shells?

The concept of “high brass” and “low brass” is a holdover from the days when shotgun shells were made out of paper. Heavier loads used slower burning powders which would actually burn through the paper hull, so these shell had “high brass” to re-enforce the hull.

Is there a difference between high brass and low brass?

“Low-brass” and “high-brass” refers to the height of the metal base at the bottom of the shell. People assume high-brass shells are more powerful and better. Ammunition makers know this, so they charge more for this high-brass ammo.

What does high brass mean?

1 : brass containing at least 33 percent zinc — compare low brass. 2 : high-ranking officers or officials the living honorees weren’t always political or military or railroad high brass— B. A. Botkin & A. F. Harlow doesn’t know enlisted men and their opinion of high brass— G. W. Johnson.

What Is High brass lead shot?

A reference to lead shot loaded into shotgun shell hulls with a “high” outside metal base. “High brass” used to mean higher powered, as opposed to “low brass” whic was targer or field loads, until I think it was the Activ all plastic came along in the 1980s.

What is considered heavy shot?

Hevi-shot is also a generic term for “high-density” shot, which is basically any type of shot that has a density greater than lead. Density of shot is measured using grams/cubic centemeter or g/cc. Lead has a density (depending on the source) of about 10.8 g/cc.

How much powder is in a 12 gauge shotgun shell?

The amount of powder in a shell can vary dramatically, speaking just in the 12 gauge,some shells like low velocity low recoil target loads can have as little as 15 grs of powder in them, a lot of pheasant type load can have anywhere from 20 to 35+ grs of powder depending on the type of powder and the load recipe used.

What is considered low brass?

Low Brass is Tenor Trombone,Bass Trombone,Baritone,Euphonium,and Tuba. In Marching band Sousaphone is also considered low brass.

Does high brass have lead?

Brass is similar to bronze, another alloy containing copper that uses tin instead of zinc. Both bronze and brass also may include small proportions of a range of other elements including arsenic, lead, phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, and silicon.

What’s the difference between low brass and high brass shotgun shells?

“High-brass” shells are something to watch for. Most shotgun shells come in low-brass or high-brass styles. “Low-brass” and “high-brass” refers to the height of the metal base at the bottom of the shell. People assume high-brass shells are more powerful and better.

What makes up the base of a shotgun shell?

A shotgun shell is cased in plastic with a brass base containing the firing pin. Starting at the brass, the layers of a shotgun shell are brass, propellant, over-powder wad, shot wad, shot pellets (or slug), over-shot wad, and top crimping.

Why are some shotgun shells bigger than others?

A myth arises because shotgun shells have different sizes of brass. So-called ‘high brass’ shells are thought to contain more powder, making them more powerful. This may have been true at one point in the history of shotguns, but not any more. When purchasing shotgun ammo, just ignore the brass length.

What’s the difference between high brass and Hi brass?

Hi Brass and Lo Brass stem form ‘back in the old days’. Typically, hi brass shells are high poer than lo brass target shells. The reason the higher power shells needed hi brass was the older slow burning powders would eat through the paper hulls. This would damage the chamber, and be a not good thing.