Empty shells

[digimortal]

What do people use as spent shells on figure bases?  Do any companies make them as terrain accessories?

[Hammers]

Brass cylinder pearls from a trinket store.

[Aaron]

I have seen plastic rod, brass rod, and stretched sprue all used to good effect for small arms shells.

[Hammers]

...brass rod ... for small arms shells.

That's what I use to. Use a flush cutter so one end of the shell has a clean straight cut and th other gets slightly tapered.

The brass pearls are for artillery shells.

[Hauptgefreiter]

I know about some Forgeworld kits, which include spent cases for some of their models.
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/dkkauto.htm
Unfortunately they provide only tank or artillery shells as separate sets.
Small arms cases are included on some of their scenic bases, if that's an option for you.

[Yggdrasil]

For Shotgun shells i use thin plastic zylinders (like the Standard of the Perry plastic ACW Figures ). Just paint the one side red the other side silver/brasslike with a black point for the shell's hole.
You can use every thing, plastic spears, and even plastic sprues.

Instead use small pipes. You can find plastic and copper pipes with 2 to 10mm average in do it yourself Markets (think they are called DIY Markets in english?)
With closing one edge wit a piece of Plasticcard you can make every Bullet shell you need, for bigger shells like canon shells you can look for brass etched accesoirs for model kits

[rob_the_robgoblin]

Cut offs from wire can work, plasticard rod is also good.

On a side note, Mnemic rule and Digimortal is one of Fear Factory's best albums (barring Archetype, which imo, is better). Industrial = Good. 

[Zafarelli]

I use styrene rod for small arms cases. Never did empty artillery shells, but I imagine real spent blank cartridges might look good.

[digimortal]

On a side note, Mnemic rule and Digimortal is one of Fear Factory's best albums (barring Archetype, which imo, is better). Industrial = Good. 

My favourite FF album is Demanufacture.  I was lucky enough to see them in Japan way back in 2001.

[Trencher]

If you don't like to model the shell casings for yourself, there's still some 1/35 stuff out there. These look reasonable well with some 28mm stuff. But beware, they are tiny - even considering the size and the calibre!
Here's the link for a look at them:
http://www.hlj.com/product/ADNANM35016

[digimortal]

Cheers to everyone for their suggestions.