Yeah, Lever definitely has more flash and blast than some of the stick powders like 4895. That doesn't really translate to an indication of pressure, it's just a trait of that powder. I was thinking you had 22" barrels rather than 20", but still think you should be able to get better velocity than reported. Most of the advantage of this cartridge over the 6.5 Grendel is the ability to push velocities higher than the Grendel range for better trajectory at distance, so IMO it's worth getting the full capabilities out of it, within reason.
On the upper/barrel fit - if you can slide them together by hand, it can definitely benefit from Loctite and/or shimming. The point of the Loctite is to stiffen that joint; if it's not a press fit (or thermo fit, same thing) then the upper is only capturing the barrel at the extension flange, and can flex around the extension. With a tight or bonded fit, the upper/barrel connection is solid all the way back to the feed ramps. It's not a huge difference, but is one of the small incremental improvements that can help.
Last edited by Yondering; 12/09/19.
