Just remember the ludaloy also has a gold hue

Well my initial evidence was the weight. Would one Ludaloy shell be 1kg heavier than another ?!

A 2 pound plus weight difference is pretty huge for a shell.

Ludalloy can have a gold hue outwardly (on the inside of the shell) as a result of the plating process but actual fresh shavings from the aluminum shell would be silver. If you file through a lug hole and find "gold" it has to be some metal that is naturally that color (brass, bronze,....Gold!).

Ludwig had brass shells in inventory at that time in order to make Black Beauties so anything is possible, from a specially made COB endorser drum or prototype, to a brass shell that simply mistakenly got chrome plated instead of black nickel plate.

Yes. The inside of the drum has a golden and reddish shimmer, but the reason for that surely is the plating process.

Shavings from a lug hole show a gold color.... that's what made me sure... hard to photograph...

Quick picture

That certainly looks like brass or bronze to me.

Mike

I presume that your weight of 4550g is full dress (with rims, heads, and all hardware on)?

I've collected enough weights for both full dress and shell only to demonstrate that full dress weight works well enough as a diagnostic tool. For the 6.5" depth the full dress brass weights range from 3933g to 4300g, with an average of 4100g. There is also one heavier Bronze full dress with die cast hoops which is 5987g.

For the 6.5" aluminum weights range from 3345g to 3600g, although I'd like a few more data points for full dress 6.5" aluminum drums. If anybody has accurate weights for these please do let me know.

So on present evidence if you have a drum which is less then 3600g it is Aluminum, if it is more than 3900g it is Brass or Bronze. It's that simple. The difference in the mass of Aluminum versus Brass (or Bronze) is sufficient to make the weight measurement an accurate diagnostic method. You don't need to consider era (works for 1960 Supras as well as modern ones) and you don't need to get all worried about the different thickness of older lugs messing up your test.

I need more data to narrow down the zone of uncertainty between 3600g and 3900g. If the weight falls in that zone then the filing test might be called for.

I've got similar data and cut points for the 5" size, and I've also got bare shell weights as well.

That is great information!

I also weight the naked shell which is 1970g.

I am really looking forward to putting the drum back together and playing it...

Does this drum have more value than a regular Supra?