I'll have to check with the Finns to verify this, but no, I don't believe they've ever been specifically "pointed" as a routine step in our production process. The knock-out process may leave some with the appearance of being pointed, but I suspect that's where the confusion comes from. I know they have messed with some of the aftermarket set-ups like John Whidden's, but that was more of a personal curiosity question, not a production question.
It'll take me a day or three to hear back (holiday tomorrow), but I'll see what the production crew has to say on this. Have to admit, this part sure was easier when I could just walk upstairs out of the range, and BE in the middle of the production area!
Afate45, as far as changes to the shapes of bullets, yes, that's not at all uncommon. It most likely isn't a "change" per se, but is strictly the result of the forming dies being worn over time. The dies used (by all the manufacturers I'm familiar with, anyway) are solid carbide. Naturally, they're pretty expensive, and you want to get full life out of them. As they're used, the will inevitable develop minute scratches or other imperfections, which will be impressed on the bullet itself during forming. To remove this, the dies get polished as needed, usually using an extremely fine diamond paste rouge. While you're removing incredibly small amounts of material, after repeated polishings, this begins to become apparent in the finished bullets, usually noticable as a very slight change in the ogive or what is called (by Sierra, anyway) a "belly." At that point, the die has likely already produced sseveral million bullets and is ready to be retired. This is one way you lose carbide forming dies. The other is a gut-wrenching CRUNCH! when things go badly, and you wind up shattering a die. Not pretty, and rather expensive. Like I said, you get the most life you possibly can out of these, and hope you never have to hear that crunch. However, when an old die is retired, and a new one put into circulation, there is often a very small, but discernable difference between bullets made from each. This applies even when both dies were made by the same machine shop, to the same print, and by the same machinist.
