W.M. Large

[tg]

"Help me please, I'm HOOKED..."

Unfortunately there is no cure the ailment is terminal but is not fast advancing, many live well into their eighties or longer before sucumbing to the illness and the symptoms are quite painless for the most part,and most respond to treatment well enough to maintain a tolerable comfort level, enjoy the journey, it will be a long one.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Is it a "Support Group", or an "Pusher Group"?... :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Um.... Yes! :thumbsup: :rotf:

Joel

 

[Tom Compton]

"Help me please, I'm HOOKED..."

Unfortunately there is no cure the ailment is terminal but is not fast advancing, many live well into their eighties or longer before sucumbing to the illness and the symptoms are quite painless for the most part,and most respond to treatment well enough to maintain a tolerable comfort level, enjoy the journey, it will be a long one.


Patrick McManus, one of the old time Field and Stream writers, was speaking of canoeing when he penned the term "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" which was later a book. Certainly fits flintlocks and classic cars.

Seems Bill Large barrels also had stars stamped on the muzzle. Anyone remember such?

TC

 

[fitter]

Bill breeched his barrels and the mark was always in the same place. No run out either as he cut them oct on centers.

 

[Cutfingers]

I have a W.M. Large in 40 cal stamped on the left side with "JJJJ" under the "W.M.Large" stamp and "L" stamped under the JJJJ. Shot dead center and can see no evidence that it shoots off left or right.Greatest shooter I've ever had but a gripe to clean due to the .015 grooves. Looking for one in 54 cal. Any ideas as to how much one would cost?

 

[Mike Brooks]

Any ideas as to how much one would cost?

I have seen Large barrels sell for $600 to $800, if you can find one.

 

[RonT]

To elaborate on my prev. post, mine is dated 1972 under the signature, no "J's", and is 1:42.
R

 

[paulvallandigham]

This is one of his later barrels, and it was cut plum center. it should be a very fine barrel. Bill was active since the 1930s. He was one of the original members of the NMLRA back in 1933, as a teenager, If memory serves me well. He continued to make barrels up into the 1980s.

 

[shortstring]

I asked Bills son in law about the "J"s this morning. Bob worked for Bill in the late 50s & into the 60s. He talked like he personally stamped many barrels at that time. His best guess as far as to when the 4J stamp was first used was no earlier than 64. He did allow that for a time they stamped one J along with the W.M.Large. This was done with individual hand stamps & the 4J stamp was one piece. So your barrel should predate 64.

I stand corrected as far as the 2 or 3 J concept. According to Bob the idea came out of Bill naming his farm the JJJJ Ranch.

Paul

 

[DelSnavely]

I asked Bills son in law about the "J"s this morning. Bob worked for Bill in the late 50s & into the 60s. He talked like he personally stamped many barrels at that time. His best guess as far as to when the 4J stamp was first used was no earlier than 64. He did allow that for a time they stamped one J along with the W.M.Large. This was done with individual hand stamps & the 4J stamp was one piece. So your barrel should predate 64.

I stand corrected as far as the 2 or 3 J concept. According to Bob the idea came out of Bill naming his farm the JJJJ Ranch.

Paul

Ok guys, now I am thorowly confused...RonT stated that his barrel was actually stamped with the date of 1972 and did NOT have the JJJJ.

Then paulvillandigham stated that this was "one of his later barrels" and that he made barrels into the 80's.

Now Shortstring is saying that this barrel without the JJJJ pre-dates 1964.

This barrel is not dated.
This barrel does not have the JJJJ.
This barrel does not have any other markings that I know of.

How can it be "one of the later" barrels if RonT's barrel is dated?

It seems to me that if Mr. Large started "dating" his barrels in or about 1972, that this barrel has to at least pre-date 1972.

It is obvious that Mr. Large did not start putting the JJJJ on his barrels untill after 1972, or RonT's barrel would have them.

Therefore, it seems that all the barrels with JJJJ would ALSO have the "date".

Does this make sense to anyone but me, or am I just confused?

Del

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have built at least a 1/2 dozen guns around Large barrels. None were date stamped. I met Bill Large in 1983, fine old fellow. :thumbsup:

 

[DelSnavely]

Ok, so now I'm even MORE confused...lol

If RonT has one Dated 1972, when did he STOP dating the barrels?

This is beginning to look like a useless endevor, when all of the information conflicts.

 

[paulvallandigham]

One of the constant problems here is that we have to accept what the poster tells us he has. Obviously, its possible that a " date " on a barrel was put on by someone other than the maker. We can't know if the date is correct or not. All we can do is respond to a question based on the information we have, What we know from other sources about the maker, and his work, And what the poster describes. Here, at least we have the name stamp that is seen on lots of Mr. Large's barrels.

Bill Large made very fine barrels. But he also made barrels over a long period of time. If he didn't write an autobiography, we are depending on what people "REMEMBER" about anything they were told about his barrels, and markings. Sometimes those memories are incorrect, or remember information given second hand that was wrong!If you are confused by the responses, that is normal- but not common to all issues discussed here. Sometimes there is remarkable agreement on certain people or work.

If Bill Large ever made a bad barrel, I have never heard about it.

 

[RonT]

As soon as I can get my camera back from loan to #3 son I'll post a pic. Non conclusive as above posters have alluded,but the best that I can do to establish the presence of the date.
Now, concerning authenticity...."...franky Scarlet...."
R

 

[Cutfingers]

Okay, as I have it so far, the JJJJ was his ranch named after his four daughters, but what about the "L" stamped under the JJJJ? I asked Brother Conte, who built the 40 cal., what the "L" signified and he could not remember. What would be a good guess as to when my barrel was made? I presume early 60s.

 

[DelSnavely]

Well, I'm perdy proud to have myself a rifle with a W.M. Large barrel, especially bein' as new to BP as I am. I guess I just got really lucky.

Seein' as he was makin' barrels from the 50's - 80's though, it's a shame there aren't records of all his work, especially since he was a prominent barrel maker and his work is so desired.

Thanks for all your answers.
Del

 

[Bob J]

My nephew and my daughter each have a muzzleloader made by my Dad and finished by Richard Sullivan of Williamsburg, VA. One is flint, the other percussion. Each has a .30 caliber barrel stamped in a semi-circle "W M LARGE". I remember Dad working on the rifles when I was 5 or 6, which would have been in 1970-71. Don't know how long previously he had the barrels.

 

[shortstring]

Okay, as I have it so far, the JJJJ was his ranch named after his four daughters, but what about the "L" stamped under the JJJJ? I asked Brother Conte, who built the 40 cal., what the "L" signified and he could not remember. What would be a good guess as to when my barrel was made? I presume early 60s.

Talking to Bills son in law he did mention that the L stamp signified that it was a recut job.

The 72 dated barrel could be an exception in the stamping on the Js where for some reason they were omitted. Certainly the date could have been put on by a builder at the time he put together a gun with a barrel that was at the time 10 or more years old. It would be speculation on my part to offer an explanation.

As far as the validity of the info that I'm passing along here.... I'm just passing along info from a gent who worked for Bill on a day to day basis back in the day. I realize that it's only as accurate as his memory.

Paul

 

[jmac]

I agree with previous posters, that looks very much like a Russ Hamm Maslin lock. I have a rifle built in 1966 with a Ham Maslin flintlock and a Douglas barrel.

I have a collection of Muzzle Blast dating as early as 1963. I'll have to go through them and find a copy of Bill Large's add for JJJJ4 Ranch.

John

 

[Cutfingers]

As far as I know a "recut" is where a somehow damaged or rusted barrel is "recut"to a larger diameter. Assuming I'm correct so far, then since my barrel is a 40 could it have been recut from something like a 32 etc.? If I'm incorrect concerning the definition of "recut" I would appreciate knowing what it means.