A vacuum interrupter (100, 100'), comprising: an insulating tube having an inner diameter; a vacuum envelope formed by the insulating tube; an arc-enduring floating center shield component comprised of Cu-Cr alloy-based material positioned within the vacuum envelope, the floating center shield component comprising: a first portion of the floating center shield component having a first outer diameter greater than a second outer diameter of a remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; and a shield wall, having a first portion that corresponds to said first portion of the floating center shield component, the first portion of the shield wall having a first thickness greater than a second thickness of a remainder second portion of the shield wall, that corresponds to the remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; a center flange, having an inner diameter, to secure the floating center shield component to the insulating tube, wherein the first outer diameter of said first portion of the floating center shield component and the first thickness of said first portion of the shield wall extend beyond the inner diameter of the center flange toward the inner diameter of the insulating tube; a first contact assembly; a second contact assembly; and a contact gap formed between the first and second contact assemblies (20,22) when said assemblies are axially in an open position, characterized in that the contact gap is entirely positioned above an axial position of the center flange, and the contact gap is entirely within an axial extent of said first portion of the floating center shield component located above the center flange, or wherein the contact gap is entirely positioned below an axial position of the center flange, and the contact gap is entirely within an axial extent of said first portion of the floating center shield component located below the center flange. an insulating tube having an inner diameter; a vacuum envelope formed by the insulating tube; an arc-enduring floating center shield component comprised of Cu-Cr alloy-based material positioned within the vacuum envelope, the floating center shield component comprising: a first portion of the floating center shield component having a first outer diameter greater than a second outer diameter of a remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; and a shield wall, having a first portion that corresponds to said first portion of the floating center shield component, the first portion of the shield wall having a first thickness greater than a second thickness of a remainder second portion of the shield wall, that corresponds to the remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; a first portion of the floating center shield component having a first outer diameter greater than a second outer diameter of a remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; and a shield wall, having a first portion that corresponds to said first portion of the floating center shield component, the first portion of the shield wall having a first thickness greater than a second thickness of a remainder second portion of the shield wall, that corresponds to the remainder second portion of the floating center shield component; a center flange, having an inner diameter, to secure the floating center shield component to the insulating tube, wherein the first outer diameter of said first portion of the floating center shield component and the first thickness of said first portion of the shield wall extend beyond the inner diameter of the center flange toward the inner diameter of the insulating tube; a first contact assembly; a second contact assembly; and a contact gap formed between the first and second contact assemblies (20,22) when said assemblies are axially in an open position, characterized in that the contact gap is entirely positioned above an axial position of the center flange, and the contact gap is entirely within an axial extent of said first portion of the floating center shield component located above the center flange, or wherein the contact gap is entirely positioned below an axial position of the center flange, and the contact gap is entirely within an axial extent of said first portion of the floating center shield component located below the center flange.