Homer Fisher: A Brief Introduction

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Written by: David Minshall

260 Broadway, Cor. Warren Street. N.Y.

“Dealer in Rifles, Shot Guns, Revolvers, and Ammunition. U.S. Ordnance & Quartermasters’ Stores“

Homer Fisher sold his own brand of long range muzzle loading match rifle and other American breech loading long range rifles. He noted in his adverts that “All Long Range Rifles will, if desired, be tested and sighter at Creedmoor, without extra charge.”

Fisher was a member of both the Amateur and Empire Rifle Clubs of New York and the US Team to Ireland in 1880. The following brief note is compiled from biographic sources published in 1880:

Homer Fisher has been concerned in the gun business in New York for many years, and he has much experience with firearms. He is 38 years old and a native of Connecticut. During the war he was a member of Company K, Thirteenth Regiment, Brooklyn, where he held a Sergeant’s warrant. He has been a short-range rifleman for many years and is a leading member of the Amateur and Empire Rifle Clubs. He began long-range rifle practice in 1877. He is not a brilliant marksman, but is a sound one and is always found well up the list in matches at long or short range.

Fisher’s Muzzle-Loading Long-Range Match Rifle

“On Tuesday, the 17th April, Homer Fisher shot his new muzzle-loading match rifle, and with fair results, being third in the list of competitors in the Amateur Club Match. Mr. Fisher closely watched the shooting of the foreign teams in the late International match (the 1876 Centennial Match at Creedmoor. RPress), and came to the conclusion that a perfect muzzle-loader ought to be superior to the breech-loader. He has accordingly manufactured this gun. It is .44 calibre, and will use either Remington or Sharps paper-patched ball. The barrel is 32 to 34 inches long, with a twist 1 to 18, as in the improved Remington barrels. English walnut stock, pistol grip, and with the latest improvements in sights. The barrel weighs about 7½ lbs., the whole gun weighing 10lbs. On its first trial a score of 201 out of 225 was obtained; the record of Tuesday last was 67 at 800, 63 at 900, and 63 at 1,000 yards. Total 193, out of the possible 225. Mr. Fisher is content to let his gun stand on its merits as against the American breech-loader.” Spirit of the Times, New York, 21 April 1877

An advert by Homer Fisher appears in Judge H.A. Gildersleeve’s book of 1878, “Rifles and Marskmanship.” Curiously though and apparently in error, this advert illustrates a Winchester, sandwiched between the heading “Muzzle-Loading Long Range Rifle” and the text describing the muzzle loader. On the adjacent page is an advert for Winchester Repeating Arms Co., in which is illustrated a muzzle loading match rifle in ‘British’ styling, with a heel sight and a fitting for a wrist mounted sight. The illustrations appear to have been transposed.

The description of the muzzle loading long range rifle in the advert in Gildersleeve’s book reads:

Fine English Walnut Stock, Pistol Grip, Rubber Heel Plate, Interchangeable Grip and Heel Vernier, and Wind Gauge Front Sight.

This Rifle uses no patent muzzle. Is loaded same as the Long Range Breech-Loaders are when they do their best work, viz. : from the Muzzle. Uses same balls as the Breech-Loaders. Always ready for a day’s shoot. No Shells to bother with. One-half the expense of the Breech-Loaders.

Although retailed by Fisher, the above detail of barrel markings on a Fisher muzzle loading match rifle includes “E. Phillips, New York. Cast steel.” Edwin Phillips of New York, N.Y., is identified as:

“a maker of a percussion sharp-shooter’s rifle with heavy barrel and telescope sight.” American Gun Makers, A. Gluckman & L.D. Satterlee (Stackpole. 1953)
“made heavy calibre percussion rifles.” American Firearms Makers, A.M. Carey (Thomas Crowell, 1953)

Phillips appears to be at least the barrel maker.

Muzzle Blasts (official organ of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association) in the June 1941 issue published a short article on the ‘Fisher Match Rifle’. In this, the author notes that “these rifles, as advertised by Fisher, both long range and short range off-hand, were made by Dan Lefevre, the veteran gunsmith famous for his super fine shotguns.” A.M. Carey in ‘American Firearms Makers’ notes that D.M. Lefevere “made percussion target and match rifles at Main Street, Canandaigua, New York, and, later, metallic cartridge rifles at 78 East Water Stret, Syracuse, New York.”