Just an update - after a practice round at LSR in which we had a tangle with 317's metal jackets, we were asked to dull the spears. Our fix was a small piece of box aluminum rounded off and bolted to the ends of the spears, which effectively dulled them by increasing the cross sectional area. We noticed no loss in functionality, and we went on to be paired with 317 on Saturday, scoring 96 QP's with them. So I think that took care of any hard feelings.
Good luck in the upcoming weeks!