[Unclenick]

I didn't realize ATK had changed that standard in 2012, so you weren't the last to know after all. My military info sheets are mostly old. I had heard the pressure measuring had gone to SAAMI conformal transducers in the most recent SCATP 5.56, but that's all. Now that ATK has spun off Federal and the other shooting sports manufacturers into Vista Outdoors, I don't know where other things will land. I assume ATK Orbital (the other half of the spin-off) is still running Lake City, as their contract would still be in force.

Federal 5.56 brass, AFAICT, uses 70:30 brass made to military specs in terms of hardness. I think the NATO compatibility requirements insist on that. The STANAG drawings have cross-sections that include brass hardness points in sectioned cases, though they may be suggested rather than final values. I'll have to look. The Federal 5.56 brass I have all seems as hard as LC headstamp brass. I don't know about the hardness of Mk.316, m.0 7.62 brass, as ATK's presentation on that ammunition said Federal expertise in making match brass was applied to designing it. I don't have any.

The computer type supplies are all switching supplies these days. Transformers have gradually faded. Too heavy and expensive. The problem with inrush to a transformer with a low impedance load is due to switching them on when the line voltage is at zero crossing and doesn't cause self-induction in the winding immediately. So the darn thing looks like a low value resistor, briefly, and that can sure pop breakers. We had that problem with 3 kW transformers feeding large heat sealers where I worked at one time. I fixed it by designing a zero-crossing detector that tripped a quarter cycle delay before an SCR set switched the primary to the line. That way the transformer only got power connected when the voltage was peaking, which corresponds to the current zero point. I can reconstruct the schematic if you are interested; PM me to let me know.