Improper Stove Temperature or Overfiring

I was wondering what is considered overfiring a coal stove. My reading stove is cast iron with a upper grate system blocking direct heat to the top of the stove. It seems like an intelligent manner in which to keep direct heat from the top surface of a stove. What temperature would be considered overfiring the stove? I have a thermometer right by the stack and on the lowest setting I am still getting temps around 340 degrees.

Is that on the stove or the pipe itself? do you have a baro damper?

I have seen 500 degrees on the front/sides of my stove with a magnetic thermometer when cranking, my exhaust temp is normally around 200-300 (inside the pipe) after the baro.

I think Leisure LIne said they have had their stoves to 700 degrees for testing without any problems.!!

That temp was taken on the top of the stove right where the stack exits the stove, but not on the stack itself. I have a magnetic thermometer and I do have a barometric damper. My pipe temp about 12 inches above the stove was around 250.

You running good. I don';t think most stoker type stoves you can overfire, even if you have a full grate of coal, it can only feed so much, the rest just fall off the end of the grate. There is only so much surface area to burn, unless you throw more in there, I don't think you will have a problem as long everything is working correctly.

Hand Fired stoves, you can could put alot more in and leave the draft open and it would really get cranking.