One must have an idea of the type of steel to determine proper hardening and tempering techniques and heating temperatures. Drill rod could be water or oil hardneing steel, and should be hardened and then drawn, or tempered.
Case hardening drill rod will almost assure breakage.
Extreme warpage almost for sure means too hot a quench.
Unhardened pins may work fine on the primer end but may mushroom on the tumbler end, I've seen it more than once.
Jack would surely have knowledge of the steel of pins he supplied, and of the proper techniques of heat treating. You've be way better off asking him.
