# Difference between high and low brass?



## Mako22 (Jan 5, 2008)

This is in regards to what shotgun shells to use on rabbits.
I bought some high brass 20 gauge #6 like was suggested in another post to shot rabbits with. My question now is what is the difference between high and low brass shells? They both have the same amount of powder in them. The only thing I could think of was that there may be a pressure difference in the breech between the two types. Maybe this would affect range or pattern? I may be completely wrong here, help.


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## Doyle (Jan 5, 2008)

High brass will support a heavier load (shot and powder).  Heavy loads will always be high brass.   Very light loads will always be low brass (think Winchester AA target loads).   Medium hunting loads could be either - just depends on what the manufacturer decides to use.   Given two shells with the same powder and shot load and only the brass as the difference you shouldn't see any noticable difference in performance.


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## Nicodemus (Jan 5, 2008)

I`ve often wondered if it wasn`t just a marketin` ploy.


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## Mako22 (Jan 5, 2008)

nicodemus said:


> I`ve often wondered if it wasn`t just a marketin` ploy.



You may be right according to this article.
http://www.recguns.com/Sources/IIIE1c.html


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## dawg2 (Jan 5, 2008)

I go by the specs on the box, not the metal on the shell.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jan 5, 2008)

The high/low brass is a holdover from paper shotgun shells.  

Your more "powerful" shells, such as duck loads, would use larger loads of slower burning powder.  "Burn through" of the paper hull was a definite possibility, and so a high brass base was used to guard against this.  With the lighter, faster burning powders used in "bird" loads, you can get buy with "low brass".  Even in 2 3/4 inch shells, a lead duck load could be 1 1/2 or 1 5/8 ounces of lead, and that much leads sits in the shell a relatively long time after getting kicked in the butt by the powder burning.

So in hunter's mind, "high brass" became synonymous with more powerful shells and low brass with less powerful shells.  Except for a very few guns, the brass heads have lost their functional significance.  A shell's power is determined by the amount of lead, and the velocity, as indicated by   "grams equiv." or "fps" .

Even so if you hang around the gun store, you will hear a lot of shooter's come in and insist on getting a box of "high brass" and they are totally oblivious to what the contents of the shell are.

If you get a chance to talk with the manufacturer of a unibody shell, (old AA's, STS) they will tell that the brass head is totally superflous, and that the only reason they retain any brass (which now in most cases is actually steel) is because the market won't accept a headless case.  Try finding some Active or Eclipse shells.


A similar situation exists with some old time buckshot and goose hunters, who insist on a 30 or 32 inch barrel for that extra "oomph", although modern propellants make such lengths totally unnecessary.


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