A Very Fine Cased 54 Bore Third Model Percussion Tranter Revolver by Wilkinson. 13” overall, 6” octagonal sighted barrel with engraving at muzzle & breech. Top flat engraved with the owners name ‘James Rigg Chester’. Blued steel border engraved solid frame engraved to one side 'No 14494T' & sprung knob to retain/release cylinder pin, the other side with blued rammer engraved 'W Tranters Patent', Y shaped safety spring, 5 shot cylinder with roped band & Birmingham proof marks, blued trigger guard with polished spurred triggers. Finely chequered walnut grips, engraved butt cap. Contained in its original green baize lined screwed lid mahogany case with original accessories including bullet and cap tins, bullet mould, turn screw, nipple key, oil bottle, loading rod, spare nipples and Dixon bag shaped flask. With Wilkinson & Son 27 Pall Mall trade label in the lid.
Circa 1864
Pistol in near mint condition with nearly all original finish, accessories all good.
William Tranter traded from 13 St. Mary's Row Birmingham from 1849 to 1875, and between 1853 and 1865 was granted six British patents relating to revolvers and their accessories. He was licensed by Deane, Adams & Deane to make complete Adams' self-cocking revolvers and to use patented frame for his own revolvers.
James Rigg of Braeside, Chorley Wood, formerly of Chester. The second son of the late Rev. Arthur Rigg, M.A., Principal of the Diocesan Training College, Chester. At the age of 17, Mr. James Rigg and his elder brother were started in business by their father at the Phoenix Ironworks, Chester. The partnership was dissolved after about ten years, and Mr. James Rigg continued as sole proprietor until 1883, when he closed the works and established a consulting engineer’s practice in London. Prior to leaving Chester he designed and built the first floating grain elevator for service on the Danube.
Mr. Rigg also designed and built a large number of colliery plants for home and foreign collieries, He read a paper on coal tipping and screening machinery before the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1896. Mr. Rigg was also an enthusiastic volunteer; he joined as a gunner in the very early days of the Volunteer movement, and retired after 40 years' service with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.