Fisher longrifle, Illinois?

[okawbow]

A friend has a percussion longrifle with C or D Fisher stamped on the barrel. The barrel looks straight, 43” long, about 1”, about 45 caliber, with the muzzle coned. Has a snail welded or brazed on the breech. The barrel is held to the stock with wedges. The front trigger has an adjusting screw in front of the trigger.

Stock is maple, brass furniture. Lock as stamped engraving and maybe a name, unreadable. Unusual hammer.

Owner says his GG Grandfather bought the gun before the civil war, in Morgan or Pike county Illinois.

[wormey]

Your rifle looks to me to be a product of the Fisher family of gunsmiths who worked in and around Lynchburg, Va.  It was a large family of active gunsmiths active mostly in the percussion era.  See Gunsmiths and Allied Tradesmen of Virginia by James Whisker.  I have one of their rifles I bought from W. Gusler at Friendship several years back.  Full stock, four piece patchbox, held with wedges, etc.  wormey

[L. Akers]

Curt Johnson, in his Gunmakers of Illinois, vol 1, lists a Daniel Fisher, gunsmith, working in Pike county 1844-1855.  He was born in Ohio ca 1813.

He also lists C. B. Fisher in Aurora in 1880.  This is probably too late for your rifle.

[okawbow]

Looking at the name on the barrel; I’m thinking it might be a “G” Fisher.

Lots of people came to Illinois from eastern states 1830 to 1860. So it might have been brought to the area and sold to my friend’s ancestor.

Don’t know if the pictures show it, but the fore stock is very full for an original rifle.

[Curt J]

I am quite confident that this rifle was made by Daniel Fisher, in New Salem, Pike County, Illinois, right where your friend's GG Grandfather bought it. I own three of them and have seen several more. In the "Addendum" section in the back of Gunmakers Of Illinois, 1683-1900, Vol. II , page 478, is a double-keyed halfstock rifle by Daniel Fisher that has an identical patchbox. The stamp on the barrel of your friend's rifle is "D. FISHER" and appears identical to the stamp on other known rifles. Daniel Fisher was born in Ohio, circa 1813, and was in Pike County, Illinois at least as early as 1844. He was listed as a gunsmith in New Salem, Pike County, Illinois (not to be confused with New Salem, Menard County) in both the 1850 population census and the 1850 industrial census. He made 12 rifles during that year. Fisher died while still in business, on October 31, 1855. His estate inventory listed numerous gunsmith's tools, and there were bills against his estate from four other gunsmiths who had been employed in his shop from time to time.

[okawbow]

Thanks, Curt!
My friend will be very happy to hear this. I’m sure the rifle will stay in their family.