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....)

[quigleysharps4570]

Sounds good. Can't wait to hear how she shoots. Any pics?

[Mad Reloader]

Going out for the shoot promises to be interesting.

I mentioned in the .38 Colt thread how the ORIGINAL loads were heeled bullet jobbers, later hollowbases--until the .38 Long Colt cartridge was revised in the 1880's to the standard inside-lubed jobber.

I've run off a couple of boxes worth of .38 Long Colt going back to the original projo concept, just using 148-grain HBWC's in lieu of 150 grain heeled RNL's or HB/RNL.

Reason is as follows:

Since 1887 Colts in .38-calibre have been of 0.357" bore diameter. From 1870 until '87, they were 0.375! As in, just like the Navy calibre cap-&-ball models.

My ASM 1861/70 Richards-Mason was built with a modern bore, back in the 1990's
--the just-converted Pietta 1851 Navy (which is now a 1851/70 Navy I guess!) is exactly what one would have had in those early cartridge days and is 0.375" bore.

Expecting a .357" projo to fly with accuracy down a bore 0.018" wider, is a bit much. Much like loading up 8mm Mauser (0.323") with 0.308" projos and wondering why you have flyers and lousy obturation...

So, the load is as follows:

148 grain HBWC, 2.8 grains Bullseye (stepped down from 3.0 grs which is near-max for .38 Long), Winchester case, CCI small pistol primer.

The skirt of the HBWC will blow out enough to engage the rifling, giving better obturation, and most importantly--accuracy.

Range session will be next weekend, I'll let you know how it went!

[Mad Reloader]

Okay, all apologies here for taking so darned long on this project. Things got REAL busy for the Mad One, between work and the tail end of Arizona re-enacting season, etc. etc.

Was going to FINALLY test this thing versus the ASM 1861/70 Richards-Mason Friday after work--but the Range was closed for renovations or some d--ned thing! Hopefully next week, schedule permitting (I just got a raise and possible promotion at work...the catch is I now spend more time there than ever!)

Will definitely tie this thing off this month...

Adios fer now!