William Tranter
Encyclopedia
William Tranter was a British
gunmaker and gun designer famous for inventing the Tranter Revolver.
in Worcestershire
, William Tranter was the eldest son of a blacksmith
. Birmingham was for many years the centre of arms manufacture in England
and in 1830, at the age of 14, Tranter was apprenticed to the gunsmithing firm of Hollis Bros & Company. In 1839 a small legacy allowed him to buy out another Birmingham gunsmith.
Tranter went into partnership with his former employers, John and Isaac Hollis, in 1844. The partnership dissolved five years later, and Tranter is known to have had an extensive manufactory, together with sales offices, at 50 Loveday Street between 1854 and 1860.
double-action revolvers under license. Together with James Kerr, Tranter developed modifications to the Adams action and about 1853 he made the first of his double trigger, double-action revolvers. The first model was built on an Adams frame and featured a detachable rammer which fitted onto the frame. His next model featured a rammer secured by a keyed peg on the frame and a hook on the barrel. In 1855 he also manufactured his own version of the Beaumont-Adams revolver, known as the Tranter-Adams-Kerr.
After 1856 he began production of his third model double trigger revolver, with a more streamlined frame and screw-secured rammer. At the same time he developed his fourth model, a single trigger, double-action revolver based on the same frame.
At the time the size of revolvers was typically described by the bore instead of the term calibre which is used today. The bore size equates to the number of lead balls of a particular diameter that can be cast from one pound (454 g) of lead. Tranter's most common bores were:
, the Confederate
States began buying British arms in quantity and Tranter's high-quality weapons were much esteemed. The New Orleans importers Messrs Hyde & Goodrich and A. B. Griswold & Co (who later manufactured his own pistols) distributed Tranters. Tranter also produced percussion rifles that used a revolver cylinder instead of a magazine. These rifles were produced in various configurations including both single and double trigger mechanisms.
Two Tranters were carried by the famous detective Allan Pinkerton
, whose detective agency protected U.S. officials prior to the creation of the U.S. Secret Service. He is said to have armed his men with Tranter double trigger revolvers. An engraved and nickel
-plated Tranter model 1879, marked "Made for W.A. Pinkerton by Thos M. Tranter. 16 Weaman St., Birmingham" is thought to have been presented to William A. Pinkerton, one of Allan’s sons.
revolvers in 1868.
In late 1867 Tranter constructed a new, larger facility on Lichfield Road in Aston Cross, called "The Tranter Gun and Pistol Factory", although business continued to be conducted at the old location for some time. At that time Tranter's was the most extensive pistol-making business in the Midlands
. Tranter produced over 20 different pistols of his own design, together with other designers' guns under contract. He had government contracts for the official British Snider Rifle, and in 1878 was granted a government contract for a solid frame .450 centre fire revolver for use by the British army
. He supplied weapons of every kind to the gun trade in general, including overseas markets.
Between 1849 and 1888 Tranter made 24 patent
applications. Nineteen of those were for cartridge weapons including bolt-action
rifles and machine gun
s, as well as his famous revolvers. "Tranter was certainly in the very forefront of rook rifle development and production."
Tranter was a substantial property owner and a founding member of the Birmingham Small Arms Company
Ltd., of which he was a director in its early years. As a prominent member of the Birmingham small arms trade he was called as a witness before a parliamentary committee on small arms in 1854.
William Tranter's own son, William Grosvener Tranter, registered at least two firearms patents but appears to have been only slightly interested in the gun industry. However William's son-in-law, Thomas William Watson, was joined his by brother in 1884 to form the arms company of Watson Brothers. William's nephews, Walter Tranter and Alfred William Thompson and Thomas Musgrove Tranter formed an arms firm called Tranter Bros. Gunmakers in Birmingham in 1900. The firm, which also sold bicycle
s in the 1890s, closed in 1957.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
gunmaker and gun designer famous for inventing the Tranter Revolver.
His youth and early career
Born in OldburyOldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, William Tranter was the eldest son of a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. Birmingham was for many years the centre of arms manufacture in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and in 1830, at the age of 14, Tranter was apprenticed to the gunsmithing firm of Hollis Bros & Company. In 1839 a small legacy allowed him to buy out another Birmingham gunsmith.
Tranter went into partnership with his former employers, John and Isaac Hollis, in 1844. The partnership dissolved five years later, and Tranter is known to have had an extensive manufactory, together with sales offices, at 50 Loveday Street between 1854 and 1860.
Modifications and alterations on revolvers
By about the year 1853 Tranter had manufactured over 8000 AdamsRobert Adams of London
Robert Adams was a 19th-century British gunsmith who patented the first successful double-action revolver in 1851. His revolvers were used during the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Anglo-Zulu War.-Dean and Adams:...
double-action revolvers under license. Together with James Kerr, Tranter developed modifications to the Adams action and about 1853 he made the first of his double trigger, double-action revolvers. The first model was built on an Adams frame and featured a detachable rammer which fitted onto the frame. His next model featured a rammer secured by a keyed peg on the frame and a hook on the barrel. In 1855 he also manufactured his own version of the Beaumont-Adams revolver, known as the Tranter-Adams-Kerr.
After 1856 he began production of his third model double trigger revolver, with a more streamlined frame and screw-secured rammer. At the same time he developed his fourth model, a single trigger, double-action revolver based on the same frame.
At the time the size of revolvers was typically described by the bore instead of the term calibre which is used today. The bore size equates to the number of lead balls of a particular diameter that can be cast from one pound (454 g) of lead. Tranter's most common bores were:
| Bore | Calibre (in) | Calibre (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | 0.320 | 9.13 |
| 80 | 0.380 | 9.65 |
| 54 | 0.442 | 11.2 |
| 38 | 0.500 | 12.7 |
| 24 | 0.577 | 14.7 |
The use of his guns in the U.S.
With the onset of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
States began buying British arms in quantity and Tranter's high-quality weapons were much esteemed. The New Orleans importers Messrs Hyde & Goodrich and A. B. Griswold & Co (who later manufactured his own pistols) distributed Tranters. Tranter also produced percussion rifles that used a revolver cylinder instead of a magazine. These rifles were produced in various configurations including both single and double trigger mechanisms.
Two Tranters were carried by the famous detective Allan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton was a Scottish American detective and spy, best known for creating the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.-Early life, career and immigration:...
, whose detective agency protected U.S. officials prior to the creation of the U.S. Secret Service. He is said to have armed his men with Tranter double trigger revolvers. An engraved and nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
-plated Tranter model 1879, marked "Made for W.A. Pinkerton by Thos M. Tranter. 16 Weaman St., Birmingham" is thought to have been presented to William A. Pinkerton, one of Allan’s sons.
His increasing success
Tranter continued to produce percussion revolvers well after the introduction of cartridge revolvers since many shooters were more comfortable with the old system, which was also cheaper. However in 1863 Tranter secured patents for revolvers using the rimfire system, some of the first in Britain. Tranter's rim-fire revolvers ranged from small caliber single- and double-action revolvers to the large solid frame model 1863 revolver in .442 in (11.2 mm) caliber. Tranter began manufacturing center fireCenterfire ammunition
A centerfire cartridge is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case head. Unlike rimfire cartridges, the primer is a separate and replaceable component....
revolvers in 1868.
In late 1867 Tranter constructed a new, larger facility on Lichfield Road in Aston Cross, called "The Tranter Gun and Pistol Factory", although business continued to be conducted at the old location for some time. At that time Tranter's was the most extensive pistol-making business in the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. Tranter produced over 20 different pistols of his own design, together with other designers' guns under contract. He had government contracts for the official British Snider Rifle, and in 1878 was granted a government contract for a solid frame .450 centre fire revolver for use by the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He supplied weapons of every kind to the gun trade in general, including overseas markets.
Between 1849 and 1888 Tranter made 24 patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
applications. Nineteen of those were for cartridge weapons including bolt-action
Bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifles and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, as well as his famous revolvers. "Tranter was certainly in the very forefront of rook rifle development and production."
Tranter was a substantial property owner and a founding member of the Birmingham Small Arms Company
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
Ltd., of which he was a director in its early years. As a prominent member of the Birmingham small arms trade he was called as a witness before a parliamentary committee on small arms in 1854.
The end of his life, and his legacy
Tranter retired in 1885 and died on January 7, 1890. His factory was leased by his friend George Kynoch and was renamed The Kynoch Gun Factory. In 1888 the name was changed to the Aston Arms Factory, which had ceased by 1900 when the factory was occupied by the Clipper Automatic Tyre Co. The factory was ultimately demolished in 1961.William Tranter's own son, William Grosvener Tranter, registered at least two firearms patents but appears to have been only slightly interested in the gun industry. However William's son-in-law, Thomas William Watson, was joined his by brother in 1884 to form the arms company of Watson Brothers. William's nephews, Walter Tranter and Alfred William Thompson and Thomas Musgrove Tranter formed an arms firm called Tranter Bros. Gunmakers in Birmingham in 1900. The firm, which also sold bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s in the 1890s, closed in 1957.