I had a good deal of experience with "clean or new" points in the "transistorized" style ignition systems before the newer electronic triggered stuff. Those systems ran a very low voltage through the points for the spark triggering signal", amplify and signal the coil. The purpose was to make the points last longer.
One of the problems was the points getting dirty and not conducting!!! These point systems often needed cleaning ESPECIALLY IF A POINT FILE WAS USED!! Sometimes even a fresh set was non conductive. To clean the points on these systems we would use a piece of smooth card stock like a 3x5 cut into a small strip. Then we would dip in acetone or lacquer thinner and pull the paper between the closed contacts to remove any debris and the oils than made them cling. I never had a failure of new points, but many sets that needed the cleaning before they would work. Fresh non filed points will last longer. A filed set will work just fine but the wear of the points is considerably faster.
Filing an old set is fine but not as good as a fresh shinny set that is "clean". They will just plain ole last longer which means more run time to get sailing
.
In these old engines with well worn cams in the distributor it is very necessary to set the gap by dwell and not by a physical measurement like a feeler gauge!!! The engine will run much happier as only then will it have "proper coil saturation" for a good spark.
Dave Neptune