Also, just found out:

Resister bulk pack (1/4 watt, metal film) I got off eBay a couple years ago...The lead diameter is only 0.015". Which is the diameter for *1/8* watt resistors. (Actually it's slightly smaller!) The lead diameter of the assortment pack (1/4W, metal) that I got from Radio Shack before they closed locally is 0.022". Which is the correct lead diameter.

 

The chinese reduce the cost of everything, the lead's diameter is the smallest usable and you'll also note they are steel and magnetic. In the old days, resistors had fat tinned copper leads.

 

Not just chinese, american manufacturing is in the toilet these days. In fact, many domestic citizens shaft people over with fakes thereby making a demand for them.

 

The chinese reduce the cost of everything, the lead's diameter is the smallest usable and you'll also note they are steel and magnetic. In the old days, resistors had fat tinned copper leads.

I checked mine and, yep, the leads are ferromagnetic. Checked my old stash of Radio Shack resisors...non-magnetic. I wonder if steel leads has any effect on performance.

 

I checked mine and, yep, the leads are ferromagnetic. Checked my old stash of Radio Shack resisors...non-magnetic. I wonder if steel leads has any effect on performance.

I just checked all of mine for curiousity and was surprised and confused.

Metal film 1/4W selection from china(eBay) - magnetic leads
Carbon Film 1/3W (UK origin unknown brands) - non-magnetic leads
Maplin 0.5W - Magnetic leads
All RS axial resistors (Tyco, welwyn) - non-magnetic leads
ALL wirewound and axial resistors over 1W regardless of origin (Some from RS, Farnell & eBay) - non-magnetic leads

So for my low power cheapies they seem to be steel as expected for the price. Everything I bought for better performance from an electronics supplier were top quality tin-plated copper, with the exception of Maplin (RIP), not sure what went on there. However...when I look at my chinese wirewounds or high power axials they too seem to be tin-plated copper.

Of course most of the actual resistors themselves were magnetic.

 

I checked a recent order from Tayda. Both 1/8 and 1/2W: non-magnetic.

I can see why they're using steel, though, given the price of copper. But still surprised.

 

Steel leads might be quite useful for some through-hole PCB assembly machines, and so those may be parts left over from production runs.