Lee
This is a low cost low grade of stainless that can be machined easily if its not hardened.
Does at one point mean they don't any more?
It sure cut awful easy for being hardened.
I believe they are still hardened. These quotes were in reference to my question about the Omega plug...
They are/were from 416ss prehard at Rc 25-32.
But as explained to me hardening has different effects. Hardening to a place around 33 seems to be the norm as if you go harder that that the gas cutting occurs easier and is more significant as the metal is more brital???? i wish I knew more what a metallurgist knows about metal and its reactions to heat and pressure.
The BP's could be made from a different materials and get it to Rc62 and it would not last as long as the current plug so there is more to it than just hardness.
I think another point is that most ML makers were never thinking about us using the real hot primers and high temperature powders in a ML.
It seems ridiculas that you should only expect 100 shots from a Savage vent liner with smokeless and even less when shooting BH.