Gary
Not April fools, definitely had no charge when I started and now it does. For sure it will effect the compass in the stock.
Not referring to your initial post, Chris.
I have noticed that phenomenon here in my college workshop/lab when machining/filing/otherwise altering steel objects. Many of our experiments generate innacurate responses that are caused by magnetic fields that aren't humanly noticeable but are there when subjected to delicate measuring instruments. In addition to that, I'm also charged (no pun intended) with maintaining various super magnets and powerful electromagnets used in various physics experiments. Just having those beasts in the same room can provoke unwelcome results sometimes.
I once had to make a new base/adjusting mechanism for a century old 50 pound magnet. No big deal, I constructed an elegant platform and sent it back upstairs. Then I noticed that all my files, mics, screwdrivers, chisels, etc. that were in proximity to the magnet on the bench were subsequently magnetized-- and my vintage Breitling Navitimer mechanical wristwatch was dead. I gerry-rigged a de-gaussing station and corrected everything (and spent an obscene amount of money to have the watch repaired).
Magnets can be your friend, or your enemy. I really don't buy into a magnetized barrel having any real-world effect on a bullet's performance though.
