Well there is an idea
Something else though, i just watched the surface under a microscope to identify the blackish surface and the red/orange dots. At first i though the later was some sort of paint because it looks like some sort of banded patern at the socket area, but both the black as the orange might be some type of oxidation.
Would this be possible for any brass composite? Lead, or any other added metals inside the brass?
Edit: it might be a coating of red lead/ minium.