accurate hardness readings

[RU shooter]

Can a accurate hardness reading be taken from a bullet in this case a 9mm rn commercial cast bullet,That has been drastically altered from its original as cast form? These bullets have been seated and swagged way down from overdoing the crimping process and then pulled with a collet puller deforming the nose? I guess what I'm asking is does lead alloy change its hardness like work hardening or softening. In this case the bullets from the caster were 18 BHN The idiot feels that they were much softer and is getting a guy to do hardness testing on his now ruined bullets. Can he prove one way or the other ?

[btroj]

My understanding is that work softening can occur in lead alloys. How much this matters is hard to say.
I am willing to bet the purchaser isn't going to accept any answer per than that he got bad bullets. He probably is a self appointed expert and it simply can't be his fault. Idiots are best ignored, it helps keep the blood pressure down.