"hankB" wrote:

to B would be better and that if I used a braided wire unless ALL the
strands are securely attached it might conduct but not be able to handle a
heavy load such as an 120 V electric water heater. True? Is there a way I
can measure whether the braided wire is fully conductive

When working with stranded wire it is good to pay a little more and get
better fixtures that use a screw tightened clamp to hold the wire, than
trying to wrap the wire around a screw.