Swiss Insert Magazines...???

[Pete Ebbink]

I am hoping that someone who has taken a Swiss insert magazine totally apart (doggy one...) might be able to answer :

1. Are the S/S metal discs really discs just pressed into the wood or is it a section of round bar stock that goes through the entire wood section.

2. Does anyone know why the Swiss went to the use of the disc magazine ?

If a plain wooden one is dropped on its end, I would think the wood would be somewhat flexible and giving and may not fracture/split. But with the metal inserts, I would think the wood would just fracture around the harder metal.

3. Does the use of the inserts improve friction and grip on the bottom of the magazine ?

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />