Tranter Bullets

[Dick from NC]

The metal detector gods were smiling today. I went out for a couple of hours, to our hunted out site, and out popped these 44 caliber Tranter bullets. These make 7 that have been found in this small area. These were not that common during the civil war. The first picture is a pistol that was owned by Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan of the Confederacy. I don't believe that a soldier would want to carry this pistol into battle.

[attachment 45837 tranter-pistol.JPG]

[attachment 45838 tranterbullets1-07.JPG]

 

[coenwolf]

n/t

 

[Bill Ladd]

n/t

 

[Dean (Whitby Canada)]

I think that Tranter (in the photo) is a 3rd Model. I have a very rare 1st model Tranter here..the loading lever is seperate from the gun , where as on the 2nd and later models it is attached..also the barrel of my Tranter is much longer...very nice gun to shoot.

I used mine when doing CW re-enacting..guys wouldn't believ I carried and fired an original Pistol.

Dean

 

[Dick from NC]

Thanks for the information Dean. How rare was it for a soldier or officer to carry the Tranter? Was the powder charge ties at the base of the bullet? I would appreciate any information on the Tranter and the bullets. My hunting pardoner said that the bullets sell for about $75.00. What would the price for a Tranter bullet be?I've only heard of one other person that found a Tranter bullet. To date I've found 7, all in the same small area. These are probably my favorite. These were found in southern North Carolina where Shermans 20th Corp camped, so they were most likely dropped by a Union soldier around March 10th of 1865. These sites have been hunted pretty hard over the years, but if you go out and look you can usually find something. Thanks for any info.

 

[Old California]

WTG Dick with the recovery of the trainer bullets,

Nice picture of the gun and it's story, A gun to cherish for sure!

The Percussion caps container in the picture remind me of a Percussion cap lid I once found, It's about the same size as yours in the picture. Percussion caps are hard to locate here in California, I found 4 last week and in my career maybe about 20 total.

Congrats and thanks for sharing
HH, Paul

 

[Dean (Whitby Canada)]

I have seen Tranter dug bullets sell from $25-50..there ae differant types and sizes..these were also used in other British made pistols.

I know of several Tranters used during the CW..not common at all, and most that I have seen have been ID'd ( properly) to Confederate use

Check out this site for info on the maker.


http://www.oldguns.co.uk/william_tranter.html

Dean

 

[Dick from NC]

Dean do you have any 44 caliber civil war period bullets? I appreciate the web site, I made a copy for future reading. Its interesting you said that they were ID'd to Confederate use. These were found in what is a Union camp area, but that doesn't mean that retreating Confederates didn't camp there. Today I found a beautiful block I button, I not sure if its Union or Confederate. I just assumed it was Union. I'm going to have to investigate further. This camp was on the route of Sherman's 20th Corp through Richmond county, North Carolina.

 

[Dean (Whitby Canada)]

If the button is a block I then it is Confederate..the Federals used "Eagle" buttons..the pre-war ones had a small I in the middle of the shield.

I only have a couple of smaller Tranter Bullets..none of the larger bore..and Tranters were measured in "bore" not Cal. as used in NA

My Tranter is larger than .44 cal by a little bit..probably .45 or .46 Cal...never really figured it out.

I can find no photos and very little info on the 1st Model..and I have looked for years.

Dean

 

[Dean (Whitby Canada)]

Hit the link and scroll down and see these Tranters in a shop in the UK..lots of them...many differant types and differant "Bores" ( or Cal.s)

http://www.spoils-of-war.co.uk/percussion.htm

Dean

 

[Dick from NC]

Thanks Old California, I found 5 percussion caps today across the road from where I found the Tranter bullets. I had found 5 percussion a couple of weeks ago in that same spot and I hunted that spot good the first time. You have to listen real good for p-caps, because they can be elusive. In the sandhills of southern North Carolina the soil is really kind to relics.