Anyone handloading for the M14?

I dont mind.
I think its a good thing to add in here it keeps from having 10 threads about the exact same thing.

147grn and 168grn are the two nato / surplus bullet weights.
I don't think their is any super set in stone thing about needing those exact weights but yea stay under 175 as i have read it hammers the gas system after that point.

Full length resize and use a headspace gauge to make sure its correct that is one of the large concerns with this gun and reloading , Unlike a bolt it wont just force it in it will have a chance at slam firing or firing before the chamber is fully closed Normally 1.630 is the # your looking for - expert's recommend -0.002-3 off that , But each rifle may vary slightly make sure your under your rifle's headspace either way.
Taken right from the reloading for m14 handbook: The shoulder has to get set back on these cases to at least 0.002 under chamber headspace, and another tick won’t hurt.
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You're correct the magazine limits your OAL you may need to go a touch shorter to prevent poor feeding.

most info is in this thread in some way shape or form lol.
 
Thanks Leonard,
Ive blown through 400 rds of this just to get the thing running properly and safely but at best, getting 4" groups with copper washed surplus. Before the gun started coming apart (at 150 rounds) I did some hand loads and was surprised to see 1 1/2 groups at a 100 and this was already in the ebr stock, so I should be able to get back to that and possibly a slight improvement. Had alot of problems with fail to eject, brass jamming in scope ring and oprod, all have disappeared with bolt change.
Seafury said:
Not sure there is such a thing as 7.62 X 51 brass that will always be available. Sometimes a guy is thrilled to find 200 rounds to work with. I think if you check case volumes your data should remain relevant. I'm sure case prep is a bigger factor than brand name. Volumes being equal that is. I wouldn't worry about Bench rest reloading techniques for a Norinco with a shim and spring guide. They seem to shoot MOA with copper washed ammo anyway.
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168gr SMK and RE15 from Alliant gets me 1.5 to .5 MOA at 100 meters when I can find RE15, have not seen it in two years anywhere in Canada. Have also replaced stock Norinco piston with the grooved piston from Sadlak to compensate for the heaver round and higher gas pressure.
 
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I'm working on loads for mine. Just getting started thouhg, no read data yet, other than the gun seems to shoot fine and didn't fall apart with my starting loads and 150gn FMJ.
I keep hearing about primer hardness being important to avoid slam fires. Looking at the bolt and safety bridge design, I'm having a hard time understanding how the floating firing pin can 'slam' into the primer at all. Unless I'm missing something, this is a sequence of events for the cycle.
- Bullet passes gas port, Op rod unlocks/rotates bolt.
- Bolt is pushed back, spent case is ejected.
- Bolt returns forward, picking up fresh round from mag.
- Round rides up feed ramp, seats under extractor, primer is now seated centered on bolt, pin is floating but bolt still traveling froward.
- bolt reaches breech face still rotated out of battery. Pin is now held rearward by safety bridge. Any forward momentum the firing pin had is released there, not on primer.
- Bolt rotates into battery. Firing pin gains no forward momentum from this.

From this sequence, I cannot see how a mag-fed round can slam fire. At the range, I looked for any indication that the firing pin is contacting the chambered rounds. No marks at all,on the CCI200 primers. I would expect at least some kind of mark if the pin was slamming into the primer at the speed the bolt is moving. Nothing at all.

I ordered a can of the Federal AE from Cabelas, which apparently has such soft primers it is not recommended in the M14. I planned to use these, and until I read all the slam fire stories, I wasn't concerned at all.

Based on the sequence above, the safety bridge should prevent any in-battery slam fires. Out-of-battery slam fires should not be an issue for mag fed rounds, and one should never hand feed the M14 anyway.
 
Some follow-up testing to the slam fire issue.
1. Scotch tap over snap-cap head. I figure if the firing pin can pierce a piece of tape, it still is not enough to set off a primer, but enough to possibly dent it.
I tried this a few times and the tape was mildly dented but not punctured.
Pulling the trigger results in the center of the tape being completely punctured and driven into the snap cap pin hole.

2. Live primer (Win LR), FMJ bullet, no powder. I dropped the bolt once and looked for marks. On this primer there is the faintest mark from the pin. I cycled this same round 19 more times and the 'dent' increased to the point where it began to take on the shape of the firing pin. Definitely not enough to even be considered a light primer strike.

The bolt was dropped by pulling the charging handle all the way back, releasing it, letting it ride forward and stripping the round from the magazine.

As a side note, dropping the bolt on the brass 20 times was not kind to it. the shoulder is seriously deformed, the head is rather chewed up, and the bullet actually shifted forward about 2mm. I see why people recommend low cycle counts for your M14 brass.
 
yomomma said:
never mind.....go against all sound advice for loading the m14

The problem occurs when the round does not full seat in the chamber do to dirt or the like
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I understand, and that is an out-of-battery slam fire, much worse than in-battery. Would have to get stuck about 1/8" or so out of the chamber though so the pin does not ride on the safety bridge. Keep it clean I guess, regardless of the primer used.
 
relic38 said:
I understand, and that is an out-of-battery slam fire, much worse than in-battery. Would have to get stuck about 1/8" or so out of the chamber though so the pin does not ride on the safety bridge. Keep it clean I guess, regardless of the primer used.
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Not just dirt, case separation can leave the neck of the previous round in the chamber and hold the next round and bolt out of battery. I had this happen on first firing of a brass case before, different rifle, no ignition thankfully.
 
OK, thanks for the information. I was looking at it from an in-battery point of view. These potential out-of-battery situations may be rare, but the result would be a very bad day.
I guess the Federal AE will get used in other guns then. Not worth the risk.

Are CCI200 primers considered acceptable? I've only heard about Federal being an issue so far.
 
leonard said:
Yea perhaps I will use the 4064 I can save the varget for my other 308's anyways it will find use In those.

The 4064 I have is from a while back lol the ruger m77 seemed to like varget better.
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I have always had good success with IMR4064 both in my M14 and in my M1 Garand.
 
73582 said:
Just want to confirm consensus.

I would like to do some loading for Norc M305, to be a 100 - 300 yard scoped gong plinker.
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If that's what it's for, I wouldn't be spending the money on Match bullets, but putting it elsewhere in the rifle, i.e. trigger work, optics, etc.

The Hornady 150 gr FMJ would perform as well as anything at those distances and it's about the cheapest 308 bullet Hornady sells.

F/L size, and seat to 2.800" OAL. You can't go wrong with IMR4064 and the 4895's. Save your BR primers for your longer range bolt guns. I use the CCI #34 Nato primers, but most others don't.
 
Seafury said:
Wilson case gauge Is a quick check. I purchased 1000 IVI Nato cross marked once fired cases on thee ee and my RCBS head space gauge has them between 1.632-1.634". Not sure what they were fired from but the brass has a good reputation. The once fired 6.5x55 Privi cases I purchase all measured at minimum oal after full length sizing so hard brass seems to stand up better.
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Your 1.632 - 1.634 is exactly my case head measurement with a Hornady case head gauge after firing new Winchester or Remington brass in my Norinco M05 so I would hazard a guess and say go for it. Looks like yur on to something.
 
I have loaded hundreds of rounds for my M305. I use military brass with 41.5 grains of H4895. I have used CCI primers but I prefer the Remington. Get yourself a case guage and check all your brass after resizing. I have been using 150 gr FMJ bullets from Budget Reloading Supply. This combination works great for me.
 
Fired 40 rounds today . First ones I've done for the m305 and I ran 41.5 grains or H4895. Seemed to shoot well just need better targets for an easier aiming point for better consistency on my part
 
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