Tell me why....

[bobm]

.....this popular Idaho ammo manufacturer's nickle plated rimfire cases are attracted to a magnet. I was sweeping range brass with a strong neodymium magnet to remove steel cases and they came out, too. The attraction is weak but did stick to it.

 

[ebb]

No idea but I am waiting for someone smart to tell us. Impurities in the nickel coating?

 

[John Kloehr]

Pure nickel is magnetic.

Smaller amounts or alloying can reduce the effect (like in US nickels alloyed with 75% copper). On brass shell cases, the plating is comparatively thick without alloying (compared to a US nickel coin). So there is some attraction to a strong magnet.

 

[bobm]

Is Nickel Magnetic? Unveiling the Truth About This Essential Metal | Okon Recycling

Nickel is magnetic and belongs to a small group of elements with ferromagnetic properties at room temperature. When placed near a magnet, nickel experiences a strong attraction, setting it apart from most other metals on the periodic table. Nickel’s magnetism arises from its atomic structure...

www.okonrecycling.com

 

[old_heli_logger]

There are probably more but iron, nickel and cobalt are all magnetic