On  Wednesday, August 14, 1996, I posed the following (more or less):

(a) Per  IPC-SM-780 [section 8.4.3.(A)], "Properly formed leads on axial-
leaded components normally afford adequate stress relief....If solder
wicks into the stress relief bend, however, it stiffens the loop and defeats
the purpose of stress relief".

(b) This does not agree with IPC-A-610, Revison B,  [4.2 -Nonconforming
Process indicator- Class 1,2,3(c)] which states "Solder in the lead bend
area is acceptable, as long as it does not contact the component body...".

(c) J-STD-001(April 1992), Table 11-1, item 17, does not state that solder 
in
the stress relief bend is acceptable, but rather that it "does not 
constitute
elimination of stress relief".

As I received no feedback at all, I thought I'd rephrase and ask again,
in case I was just unclear.

The apparent contradiction is obvious, between (a), above - a publication of 

March 1988 - and (b), a December 1994 document.  My first question is - is
anyone cognizant of the reasoning and/or testing that supports this apparent 

"change of heart"?

My other questions are about the more subtle difference between (b) and (c).
In my mind, at least, "Solder in the stress relief bend does not constitute
elimination of stress relief" causes me to question - Why not?  If not, then
WHAT DOES?
Or is it saying that solder in the lead bend area is acceptable BECAUSE
stress relief is still present even when solder fills the bend?  And is that 

also why the simpler statement of acceptability in (b) can be made?

Perhaps I'm making too much of the distinction but the wording in (c) 
strikes
me as empirical.  This, of course, leads me ask - has test data been
published and, if so, where?  How can I get hold of it?

If this condition was once considered a reliability risk but, over time, has 
not
been traced to actual failures in the field, it would justify, it seems, 
changing
the requirement.  Or has there been actual testing, and results which can be
cited, to illustrate that we were simply over-cautious in the past?

Any thoughts, folks?

 Thanks, again!

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