It was constructed by improving the Birmingham Wire Gauge. The American wire gauge scale is based on this. Wire gauge is a measurement of wire diameter. Birmingham gauge is also known as the Stubs Iron Wire Gauge or Birmingham Wire Gauge. The wire gauge is typically 24 - 30 AWG. It is also known as&colon; Imperial Wire Gauge or British Standard Gauge. It is not the same as, though similar to, the Stubs Steel Wire Gauge. "Needle wire gauge" was derived from the Stubs Iron Wire Gauge. In North America, the American Wire Gauge standard for wire sizes is used. Discussions of gauge in this article use the American Wire Gauge (AWG) scale. Thus, a higher-numbered wire gauge meant a thinner wire. The American wire gauge (AWG) and the Standard wire gauge (SWG) systems.