Gone before the year ends..

[Dextrous63]

Is that a truncheon you've got hanging there Klondy ? 

He's just pleased to see us. 

[klondike]

No it's a magnetic stick for picking up ejected cartridge cases. 

With some shotguns you press a catch to allow the barrels to drop down and you can hold a hand over it, take the cases as they are ejected and dump them in the bin. With semi auto shotguns the spent case flies out the side and a fresh cartridge gets loaded as they are fired. Similar for pump shotguns which few use - they eject spent cases as you rack a slide back and forth - something you must have seen done in films. 

Clay grounds like people to collect cases up and put them in a bin and that's easy with one of those sticks. Toffs who go pheasant and grouse shooting have oiks to do the picking up. I expect they use sticks but have never done that type of shooting.

[Michael Rolls]

Every firearm that I have ever used, 303, .22 LR, 12 bore, used brass cases in whole or partially. Didn't realise a magnet could pick them up

[klondike]

Shotgun cartridges have a plastic case with a steel end cap that carries the primer. They are often coloured like brass. You are correct about brass. All rifle cartridges that I've seen are brass and not magnetic. 

The stick can hold a dozen or so in a big bunch around the bottom. All you need do is tap down on the metal end of one on the ground

[Michael Rolls]

Only fired a 12 bore a few times, belonged to a farmer friend. Didn't realise that the base only looked like brass. Presumably a guard against rust