Product Review: Kirst Kartridge Konverter

[Mad Reloader]

Howdy folks!

As you know, I'm the "Weird West" Moderator for this Forum, interested in Cowboy guns BESIDES the usual 1873/1894 Winchesters, Colt SAA's and Sharpses.

(Stuff like Spencer repeaters, cartridge converted Colt Open Tops, S&W Russian and/or Schofields, etc. etc.)

I have previously reviewed 2 products on the market for the Cowboy shooter wishing to re-create some of the earlier sixguns available in the Golden West...R&D Gun Shop's .45 Colt conversion for the Remington New Model Army, and the scarce .38 "Long" Colt conversion for the Remington New Navy.

I have decided to get a "stable-mate" for my Palmetto/Armi San Marco Richards-Mason 1861/1870 Navy Colt, and to do so, I have decided to test a product from R&D's main (if not only) competitor:

Walt Kirst, who shoots in SASS as "Col. Sam'l Remington."

He has obtained patents to produce TWO cartridge conversions.

The first: A hybrid design that's apparently the better features of the Remington rimfire cartridge conversion...mated with the Tranter & Adams cartridge conversions of the late 1860's...

And: The Richards-Mason (second type) cartridge conversion of the open-top percussion Colt.

(First type involved the hammer being ground down to acommodate the cartridge breech face. His involves NO modification to the hammer whatsoever!)

The kit was ordered from River Junction Trading co, and after a little snafu from the ordering department was corrected: I was ready to go!

(Walt, if you're reading this: Have you considered using DIFFERENTLY colored labels for the complete kit versus a replacement cylinder? Or different colored boxes? Just a thought!)

Once the backplate/breech face (WITH LOADING GATE!!!) had arrived, The Mad One commenced to opening an aperture in the right hand side recoil shield of his Pietta steel-frame .36 Navy Colt.

Had to do some ADDITIONAL dremel & file work, as to acommodate the loading gate's rearmost extension, removal of add'l metal was required beyond what the Kirst template apparently indicated.

Fit of all pieces was very good indeed, though with the cylinder empty and the loading gate open the backplate seems a whisker "loose". Now, since this is a REVERSIBLE conversion this is tolerable, as a really tight fit...might end up as a de-facto PERMANENT conversion!

Now that THAT'S done, I have touched up the Pietta "case hardened" finish by application of judicious splotches of Birchwood Casey liquid blue, used compressed air to knock out all the last steel filings--and to protect the case-hardened finish (not at all as good as Uberti's or ASM's...but then again Pietta costs less, so there has to be a trade-off SOMEWHERE!) applied a little clear-coat to the frame (a nicety ASM did on my 1861/70 that IMHO would be a very good thing indeed on the Pietta!)

And as soon as that dries, putting the 1851 Richards-Mason back together again, to test-fire at the range either Sunday or next weekend.

(So far, so good! Now to see how it performs against a purpose-built open top Colt....)