Load recommendations for shorty M14

[Dark Alley Dan]

Gents:

Please fiorgive the cross-post, but aside from a couple of good responses, I'm not getting an overwhelming response on the Reloading forum, so here we are.

Since I chopped my M14, it doesn't want to eject my current handloads. The empties just don't make it out of the gun, and often hang up between the op rod hump and the bottom of the front scope ring. I've since moved the ring, but that hasn't helped. I reckon I'm losing gas pressure at the muzzle before the gas system gets enough of it to reliably cycle the system.

My current load is 40 grains of IMR3031 behind a 165 grain Hornady BTSP in IVI cases, all lit by a LR primer. This is pretty snappy.

Prior to barrel chop, functioning was 100%, with no FTE in several hundred rounds. Ejection was a bit sedate - if I placed the cartridge box 8" ahead and 8" to the right of the action, the gun would drop maybe 40% of the empties back in the box for me.

What recipes can you lot recommend that will work reliably while not flinging brass eight miles to starboard or beating up the gun?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[ton45-II]

Maybe your powder might be too fast to create port pressure to cycle your rifle at a descent rate with the barrel length loss. Try changing powders. Hogdon or IMR 4895 has always been the time-proven performer for the M14.