Kirst Converter

[Pukin Dog]

Just got a Kirst Converter for a '61 Navy.  Says it's a 38 LC.  But I put in a 38 special and it seems to fit just fine.  If I load a round ball over APP I figure that should work just fine.  Plus if my wife decides to shoot, she would most likely end up with some 38 special rugers or sometihing similiiar.

Any one know why I shouldn't just get some 38 special dies instead of the obscure 38 LC?

[Montana Slim]

Nope.
Use the .38 Spl dies.

Hotgun

[River City John]

If shooting with the original barrel's diameter, it will be somewhere around .375 so you would not be able to load a .358 round ball in the .38sp case and get accuracy. That being said, I have shot .358 sized flat based bullets out of my Kirst at the typical close target distances at most ranges and gotten acceptable results. More prone to get leading because there is space for the hot gases to blow by the slug.
Most load a hollow base slug of soft lead that expands to engage the grooves, or there are bullet designs that are heeled.

My Kirst I use in my .63 Remington Navy takes .38sp fine. I use .38sp dies. You could load .38lc with them but would likely have to get a .38lc crimp die for that last operation.

River Junction Trade offers .38lc with a hollow-based slug. They also sell just the bullets if you wanted to experiment with loading hollow based. Many have used HB wadcutters, too. Won't cycle in a levergun, though.

[Flint]

I shoot 38 Special out of both Kirst and R&D cylinders in 1851/61 Ubertis.  I load a 148gr hollow base wadcutter, seated out about 1/16 inch to follow SASS guidelines that the bullet must be visible.  These bullets are very accurate in a .375 bore, as they expand to the rifling.  I found the best bullets, but hard to get, are the Remington HBWC, which leads the least.  Next is the Speer.  The Hornady leads the bore more than either the Speer or Remington.

The 38 LC hollow base (conical) bullet as from River Junction Trading will be too long overall length in a 38 Special case, so to use that bullet you would have to load 38 LC cases.  I don't want another set of dies, expense and brass.  I shoot 44 Russian in my 44 colt OT for that same reason, another case to sort.

[will52100]

I've got a couple that I load with 38 LC, the dies arn't that high, I used 38 spl. dies for a while but the long colt dies work beter.

Mine give good accuracy with 158 grain flat point hollow base, I cast my own from a rapine mold, only compliant is that I can only cast one at a time instead of a six cavity gang mould.

I use 3f swiss powder for a little more kick in the small case.