M1A

BIG AL

I have an M1A that I am going to reload for and would like to know if the Acc 3100 is to slow a powder for it using 150gr. bullets?

JustC

I beleive they were produced to use 4895 powders with 147-150gr pills and maybe something slightly slower to use 168-173gr bullets.

They tend to bend op rods with many other combinations IIRC

I could be off base here, so wait for more replies.

leeblackman

According to Zeidker's Reloading for Competition section 9, reloading for the M14, slower burning powders that tend to lower chamber pressure actually increase port pressure. The operating port pressure for the M14 is supposed to be 12,000psi. He recommends to NEVER use anything slower than IMR 4064, ever. I don't know where Accurate 3100 stands on the burn scale and I'm to lazy to google it so I'll let you do that.

It also says that going with a powder thats to fast like H332 can cause cycling problems because you end up getting excessive chamber pressure without getting enough pressure to the port.

Basically the book recommends both IMR 4895 and H 4895 with H being the more recommended choice.

Alternatively it says there is an exception to IMR 3031 at 39.5gr's, though its supposedly typically to fast of a powder.

From what I understand the old M14 pet load is a Sierra 168gr Matchking bullet with 41.5gr of H-4895 and a CCI BR-2 Primer and runs about 2550fps at 70 degrees.

Mobuck

My opinion is AA3100 is too slow and too dirty for that application. IMR 4895 or 4064 would be good choices. Some match ammo was loaded with RL15 as I'm told.

Ambrose

Short answer: Acc 3100 is too slow.

Its burning rate is similiar to IMR4831. As has been said, you can't go wrong with one of the 4895's.

B17-P51

Here is one of the most complete charts I have found. It also has direct links to mfgrs.
http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html