Bill Large Barrels
- Thread starter ESOOL
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Bill made his barrels from 12L14 steel. Easy to machine, but not gun steel. These were considered among the best barrels in production at the time they were being made. Sure, it will hold up to black powder pressures and Bill left lots of barrel thickness in his barrels. Often, these guns were quite accurate on target. His rifles are worth the premium as a historical nod to one of the founders of the NMLRA. As modern target shooters, we should be looking at barrels made of gun steel. Rayle, Godoien, Rice, and some other barrels are made of steels better suited to pressures of ignition.
Nostalgia. Todays barrels shoot as well. Probably Douglass barrels hold a lot of records at Friendship. I know guys who think Rice barrels are as good as anything ever made in any quantity.
In their day they were one of the best but as others have already said there are other makers that are better. I think Green Mountain makes a great barrel but a lot of their barrel styles are no longer being made. I got a swamped .45 caliber barrel by them that is one of my most accurate rifle that I own.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
Almost all muzzloading barrel makers use 12L12. Except for Ed Rayle which uses something so hard you can't even file it.
I have built guns around 4 or 5 Large barrels in 40+ years. I found them no better or no worse than any other barrel. I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for one.
I have built guns around 4 or 5 Large barrels in 40+ years. I found them no better or no worse than any other barrel. I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for one.
Those Longhammock barrels hold a few records as well…but we all know when it comes right down too it, it’s all about the nut behind the butt..
When you ordered a barrel from Large, he might make something close. A .50 ordered might be a .48 delivered or it might really be a .50. Just depended on how he felt the day he made it. Still accurate barrel for its time, but not necessarily what was ordered.
Being an average shot, I've never found a barrel I could out shoot so I go by price or style.
Being an average shot, I've never found a barrel I could out shoot so I go by price or style.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
You told him what you wanted and he sent you what he thought you needed.
Old thread, but things live forever on the internet so I wanted to correct this. Bob Roller who was friends with Bill Large, made gun locks in the early days, almost partnered with him to make both, etc., told me Bill used 1144 steel for his barrels until he got a bad shipment, then changed. According to what Bob wrote a few years ago, "The leaded steel gave no trouble and he used it until the end of his career. I don't remember the number of this leaded material."
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