Anyone that has experience loading for M1A, please help!

[singhdrew an]

Hi all,
I'm new to reloading and have had some reasonable success loafing for my .308 bolt gun and my 1911. I have an m1a scout that's 2 months old. It seems as if my handloads are causing my op rod to pop off track (something I understand is the fault of hot ammo). Factory ammo is 100% reliable. Sometimes, my op rod hops off while the bolt is in battery and the case fails to extract, other times it pops off right after the case ejects. However, sometimes, manually rolling the bolt will cause the op rod to also pop off track. I'm currently using mixed commercial brass, 44 gr of BLC2 (what I understand is a light load according to my lyman manual), hornady 150gr fmj seated at 2.735" and winchester large rifle primers. 45 and 46gr of blc2 popped it off also, which is why I downloaded another full grain (one full grain from starting load). Any ideas? Is the op rod faulty since it popped off with me manually racking it when it was brand new? Is it my hand loads since factory ammo is perfectly reliable? Is it a combo of both? Please give me your insight on what's wrong with my gun and/or load! Thanks!

[highpower790]

check the square tab on op rod to be sure its not deformed, and be sure to pull oprod straight back,not back and up.Check your gas piston to be sure its free of carbon.If its not clean and you allow the carbon to change the amount of gas needed to cycle action.More carbon less gas needed ,this is probably the issue.

[singhdrew an]

check the square tab on op rod to be sure its not deformed, and be sure to pull oprod straight,not back and up.Check your gas piston to be sure its free of carbon.If its not clean and you allow the carbon to change the amount of gas needed to cycle action.More carbon less gas needed ,this is probably the issue.

Thanks for the tip. Tired from the range today, I'll post a picture of the tab in the morning. I cleaned the piston last night before the range trip, but whIle stripping it down after a failure today, I found it was fairly dirty after 100 rds.

[highpower790]

Carbon drills are a must have to remove the carbon from the piston,if you don't have a set ,get one.

[singhdrew an]

Carbon drills are a must have to remove the carbon from the piston,if you don't have a set ,get one.

Don't have one. Thanks for the tip. I'll order one right now!

[highpower790]

Don't have one. Thanks for the tip. I'll order one right now!

There are two,usually sold as a set.Different sizes!

[singhdrew an]

There are two,usually sold as a set.Different sizes!

Seemed like amazon was the only place with them in stock. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003MA...s=Sadlak+drill

[highpower790]

Seemed like amazon was the only place with them in stock. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003MA...s=Sadlak+drill

Creedmoor Sports has them for $23.95!

[micro911]

Maybe it is faulty op rod. I load Sierra 168gr BTMK and have never had any problem.

For the gas piston tools, you can for to the Harbor Freight Tools and get couple of drill bits and it will be much cheaper that buying the tool from any supplier on line.

[singhdrew an]

Maybe it is faulty op rod. I load Sierra 168gr BTMK and have never had any problem.

For the gas piston tools, you can for to the Harbor Freight Tools and get couple of drill bits and it will be much cheaper that buying the tool from any supplier on line.

Thanks for the heads up!