Quote:


Likely a typo… brisance 

A sand crush test is commonly employed to determine the relative brisance in comparison to TNT. No single test is capable of directly comparing the explosive properties of two or more compounds;… True values for comparison will require field experiments.

And some more links:

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This at least looks like a proper test but with a limited sample rate!

Here's what started me on the question about primers:
In my reference library is The Poor Man's Primer Manual by George B. Dmitrieff.  And on page I-10 are the 'Typical Commercial Specifications' for Boxer Small Arms Cartridge.  Listed on the page is Sensitivity data for LR - LP - SR and SP denoting Drop ball weight -grams and Ball drop height - mm ... listed on the following page image
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I sent an email to Federal for their primer measurements and the answer was ... "This is propriety information"

Germán A. Salazar in another one of his articles said that primers have to be it Hard & Fast.  Would be a good reference to know for commercial primers - how hard and how fast especially because the tensile strength of all pistol and rifle are not the same that I tested...
Test Procedure:  Using a Lee Hardness Tester that measures Brinell hardness, placed a new primer on a piece of steel.  Held the indent ball on the primer for 30 seconds.  Measurement is the diameter of the indent, smaller numbers indication harder brass
Additions = * 
Pistol Primers 
0.32 – CCI 300 LP
0.38 – Federal GM150 Match LP
0.40 – Federal 155 LP Magnum
0.40 – Winchester WLP  
0.42 – Federal  150 LP
0.42 -  Federal  100 SP 
*0.42 – Remington 1 ½ SP
0.44 – CCI 400 SP  
0.48 – Remington 2 ½ LP
*0.48 – CCI LP Lot 0264

Rifle Primers 
*0.24 – Herters 120 LR
0.26 – CCI BR-2 LR
0.28 – CCI 200 LR
*0.30 – Rem UMC Nickeled High Pressure LR
0.32 – Federal 215 LR Magnum
0.34 – Remington 9 ½ LR
*0.36 – Western 8 ½ LR
*0.38 - Rem 7 ½ Bench Rest
*0.38 – Alcan LR Magnum
*0.40 – Federal  210 LR
*0.40 – Winchester 115 Staynless LR 

* 0.30 - Dynamit AG cal 6.34
* 0.32 - Dynamit AG cal 4.5

Note:  Rifle primers are harder than handgun primers!

what are the criteria we look for?

Consistency of Ignition seems primary to me--Do they go off the same way every time?   I suppose that from the mfg this involves the hardness of the cup material and its thickness, and the amount and make up of the priming chemicals inside it. 
  Of course from our side we have to consider how well the primer is consistently seated and how consistent the firing pin strike is when it hits the primer cup.

Questions---Do primers go off due to the crush or is it the impact?  I suppose slowly tightening on in a bench vise might answer that.
   Why do some primers work better with some specific powders than others?  i.e.  magnum primers vrs standard primers.
My understanding is that the diff between pistol and rifle primers is pretty much a matter of size (height) and cup hardness. 

It seems to me that when we put the ignition of our cartridges under the magnifying glass there are a whole lot of variables in those little igniters we take pretty much for granted.

And then there are the rimfires  .  .  .  .  .

Chickenthief - thanks for the links.  Have primer dimensions in references and will add the one on Berdans - though I don't shoot any brass with them for primers

Responses from Federal & CCI have been received - both "proprietary information"
Only alternative is to find a public DOD small arms ML-Spec to see if the primer information is in it