diff --git a/armi/reactor/blocks.py b/armi/reactor/blocks.py
index e88e7cd01..023e86361 100644
--- a/armi/reactor/blocks.py
+++ b/armi/reactor/blocks.py
@@ -790,21 +790,16 @@ def completeInitialLoading(self, bolBlock=None):
 
         self.p.enrichmentBOL = self.getFissileMassEnrich()
         massHmBOL = 0.0
-        sf = self.getSymmetryFactor()
         for child in self:
-            # multiplying by sf ends up cancelling out the symmetry factor used in
-            # Component.getMass(). So massHmBOL does not respect the symmetry factor.
-            hmMass = child.getHMMass() * sf
+            hmMass = child.getHMMass()
             massHmBOL += hmMass
             # Components have the following parameters but not every composite will
             # massHmBOL, molesHmBOL, puFrac
             if isinstance(child, components.Component):
                 child.p.massHmBOL = hmMass
-                # to stay consistent with massHmBOL, molesHmBOL and puFrac should be
-                # independent of sf. As such, the need to be scaled by 1/sf.
-                child.p.molesHmBOL = child.getHMMoles() / sf
+                child.p.molesHmBOL = child.getHMMoles()
                 child.p.puFrac = (
-                    self.getPuMoles() / sf / child.p.molesHmBOL
+                    self.getPuMoles() / child.p.molesHmBOL
                     if child.p.molesHmBOL > 0.0
                     else 0.0
                 )
diff --git a/armi/reactor/composites.py b/armi/reactor/composites.py
index f61ad5580..442893067 100644
--- a/armi/reactor/composites.py
+++ b/armi/reactor/composites.py
@@ -1947,29 +1947,18 @@ def getHMMass(self):
 
     def getHMMoles(self):
         """
-        Get the number of moles of heavy metal in this object in full symmetry.
+        Get the number of moles of heavy metal in this object.
 
         Notes
         -----
-        If an object is on a symmetry line, the number of moles will be scaled up by the
-        symmetry factor. This is done because this is typically used for tracking
-        burnup, and BOL moles are computed in full objects too so there are no
-        complications as things move on and off of symmetry lines.
-
-        Warning
-        -------
-        getHMMoles is different than every other get mass call since it multiplies by
-        symmetry factor but getVolume() on the block level divides by symmetry factor
-        causing them to cancel out.
-
-        This was needed so that HM moles mass did not change based on if the
-        block/assembly was on a symmetry line or not.
+        If an object is on a symmetry line, the volume reported by getVolume
+        is reduced to reflect that the block is not wholly within the reactor. This
+        reduction in volume reduces the reported HM moles.
         """
         return (
             self.getHMDens()
             / units.MOLES_PER_CC_TO_ATOMS_PER_BARN_CM
             * self.getVolume()
-            * self.getSymmetryFactor()
         )
 
     def getHMDens(self):
diff --git a/armi/reactor/tests/test_blocks.py b/armi/reactor/tests/test_blocks.py
index 8205bf1d7..db2adf8a8 100644
--- a/armi/reactor/tests/test_blocks.py
+++ b/armi/reactor/tests/test_blocks.py
@@ -1230,13 +1230,7 @@ def test_completeInitialLoading(self, mock_sf):
 
         sf = self.block.getSymmetryFactor()
         cur = self.block.p.molesHmBOL
-        ref = (
-            self.block.getHMDens()
-            / MOLES_PER_CC_TO_ATOMS_PER_BARN_CM
-            * height
-            * area
-            * sf
-        )
+        ref = self.block.getHMDens() / MOLES_PER_CC_TO_ATOMS_PER_BARN_CM * height * area
         self.assertAlmostEqual(cur, ref, places=12)
 
         totalHMMass = 0.0
@@ -1244,20 +1238,16 @@ def test_completeInitialLoading(self, mock_sf):
             nucs = c.getNuclides()
             hmNucs = [nuc for nuc in nucs if nucDir.isHeavyMetal(nuc)]
             hmNDens = {hmNuc: c.getNumberDensity(hmNuc) for hmNuc in hmNucs}
-            hmMass = densityTools.calculateMassDensity(hmNDens) * c.getVolume()
+            # use sf to account for only a 1/sf portion of the component being in the block
+            hmMass = densityTools.calculateMassDensity(hmNDens) * c.getVolume() / sf
             totalHMMass += hmMass
             if hmMass:
-                # hmMass does not need to account for sf since what's calculated in blocks.completeInitialLoading
-                # ends up cancelling out sf
                 self.assertAlmostEqual(c.p.massHmBOL, hmMass, places=12)
-                # since sf is cancelled out in massHmBOL, there needs to be a factor 1/sf here to cancel out the
-                # factor of sf in getHMMoles.
                 self.assertAlmostEqual(
                     c.p.molesHmBOL,
                     sum(ndens for ndens in hmNDens.values())
                     / units.MOLES_PER_CC_TO_ATOMS_PER_BARN_CM
-                    * c.getVolume()
-                    / sf,
+                    * c.getVolume(),
                     places=12,
                 )
             else: