What can you fellers tell me about a Bill Large barrel? I recently came into a rebarreled TC Hawken that sports a 38.5" large .50 barrel. It is marked WM Large and under his name is J.J.J.J. and under that an L. What do these marks mean? Years ago Large made barrels not far from here...maybe 25 miles. I never knew him, heard he was a crusty old fart with a P&W rifling machine. I just wonder if his barrels are any good..Comments?
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Wm Large Barrel
- Thread starter Jumptrap
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From what I've heard, Bill Large barrels were among the best. A longrifle friend of mine just finished two custom Allentown rifles, one flint the other percussion, for my brother and I. My Dad had started these in about 1970. They have Bill Large .30 barrels and I can't wait to get to the range with them!
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P.S.: I read Bill Large did not believe in cleaning barrels with water.
The William Large barrels are as good as they get. :redthumb:
I hear some speak disparagingly of Bill Large, and it urinates me, more than a little. :nono:
Before passing over the great divide, Bill (Swift Water) Fuller of Cooper Landing, Alaska, my friend, mentor, and ML rifle builder extraordinaire, used Bill Large barrels. I had (boy has it now) a 1972 Fuller built Hawken Rifle with a .56 Large barrel, it was, and still is, exceptionally accurate.
Link is to pic of meself with said Hawken, circa 1981.
Put mouse pointer on pic, then click icon to enlarge.
http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/files/Roland.JPG
I hear some speak disparagingly of Bill Large, and it urinates me, more than a little. :nono:
Before passing over the great divide, Bill (Swift Water) Fuller of Cooper Landing, Alaska, my friend, mentor, and ML rifle builder extraordinaire, used Bill Large barrels. I had (boy has it now) a 1972 Fuller built Hawken Rifle with a .56 Large barrel, it was, and still is, exceptionally accurate.
Link is to pic of meself with said Hawken, circa 1981.
Put mouse pointer on pic, then click icon to enlarge.
http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/files/Roland.JPG
kentucky bucky
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Mr. Large was among the best barrel makers of his time. He started making barrels in 1927, Ive heard, and stopped near his death in the mid 80's. Yes he was a character and was a bit crabby, but at least the times I met him, he was friendly to me. He was a founder of the NMLRA in the 30's, and is mentioned in the book "Muzzle Loading Rifles Then and Now" by the late Walter Cline. This was published in 1942. He may have PO'd a few people along the way or maybe they are (were) jealous, I don't know, but the muzzleloader world owes a debt to the modern pioneers like Mr. Large.
PS..."JJJJ" was the name of his farm (or ranch, as he called it)
:m2c:
PS..."JJJJ" was the name of his farm (or ranch, as he called it)
:m2c:
Bill Large made great barrels, I've never shot one. BUT... I have heard that after his death his son took over the barrel business and they weren't upto his stardards. You can tell when the barrel was made by the markings. I think you have/are talking about one of the ones his son made. I'm not 100% sure and I hope someone can add to this.
SP
SP
A friend gave me his flintlocks a few months ago when he found out he may have terminal cancer. The one I have here next to me has a Bill Large barrel marked simply W.M. Large 444. The "G" in Large is turned upside down.
kentucky bucky
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I think his great nephew tried to start making barrels , but found out it took some work! They were marked "JBM" or something like that. His last name was McKenzie. I almost got taken on a couple of his barrels in the 80's.
I have a Bill Large barrel also. It's a 40 in 7/8's (I think). Gonna be going into a gun soon. I'll check the markings on it. I also heard rumors of his "son" trying to restart the barrel business, and that there were some problems concerning "nose candy". Just what I heard, always a speculative rumor at best.
Menfolks,
Thanks very much for the responses and I hope more are forthcoming. Now, I'll expound a bit more on ol' Bill.
I live in Greenup County, Ky., just across the Ohio River from where Bill operated. His place was out back of Ironton,[url] Ohio..in[/url] Lawrence Co. (said 'Lorence' by the local buckeyes). Back in the mid 60's, my dad built a few ML'ers and there was a quasi revival of ML'er shooting in this area. Bill was renowned for his barrels, but then again, there weren't all that many involved in making them back then.....during the highth of wildcats and magnumitus. There was an old man out in Boyd Co., Ky. his name escapes me for certain but I think it was Kazee. Old man Kazee had a shop out back of hsi place which was nothing more than a tar paper shack and he built/rebuilt old Ml'ers the old time way....by hand. He freshened an original .40 Leman for dad along about 1968. Gun shot great after he finished it. Dad went over to Bill's place several times, but I was never along. Dad still has a Large .32 barrel in the white....one of those roundtoit's that never happened. Dad said Bill was cantankerous, some day's he'd stop and talk your leg off and others, he'd act like you were a boil on his ass.
Also, I recall going to Red Farris'gun shop in Portsmouth, Ohio when I was just a little snot. Now all of you dyed in the wool Ml'er fans know that Bill and Red were founding fathers of the NMLRA. Farris' shop had those old time oiled wood floors and all sorts of stuff new shops can't start to remind us of. These old men are in the Happy Hunting Ground now and they left a legacy and somewhat of a mystique...whether real or imagined.
As for the great nephew....that's how I recall it too now that you men have reminded me...he didn't last too long. I heard....take it with a grain of salt...that Green Mountain bought Bill's rifling machine.
The marking on my barrel is in a semi circle. Now whether Bill made it or the retard nephew...is left to conjecture or somebody with far more knowledge than me. I suspect this rifle is a shooter. Whoever set it up, put a set remington 700 sights on it......The Horrors!..but they line up perfectly, look like hell but should make for good shooting and they also had a scope base mounted. Of course all this manure could be done away with, the holes filled or the barrel turned over and the holes hidden.
When the weather breaks, I'll drag out the 3F and pur some balls and see what she'll do. If, I don't sell it first.
Thanks very much for the responses and I hope more are forthcoming. Now, I'll expound a bit more on ol' Bill.
I live in Greenup County, Ky., just across the Ohio River from where Bill operated. His place was out back of Ironton,[url] Ohio..in[/url] Lawrence Co. (said 'Lorence' by the local buckeyes). Back in the mid 60's, my dad built a few ML'ers and there was a quasi revival of ML'er shooting in this area. Bill was renowned for his barrels, but then again, there weren't all that many involved in making them back then.....during the highth of wildcats and magnumitus. There was an old man out in Boyd Co., Ky. his name escapes me for certain but I think it was Kazee. Old man Kazee had a shop out back of hsi place which was nothing more than a tar paper shack and he built/rebuilt old Ml'ers the old time way....by hand. He freshened an original .40 Leman for dad along about 1968. Gun shot great after he finished it. Dad went over to Bill's place several times, but I was never along. Dad still has a Large .32 barrel in the white....one of those roundtoit's that never happened. Dad said Bill was cantankerous, some day's he'd stop and talk your leg off and others, he'd act like you were a boil on his ass.
Also, I recall going to Red Farris'gun shop in Portsmouth, Ohio when I was just a little snot. Now all of you dyed in the wool Ml'er fans know that Bill and Red were founding fathers of the NMLRA. Farris' shop had those old time oiled wood floors and all sorts of stuff new shops can't start to remind us of. These old men are in the Happy Hunting Ground now and they left a legacy and somewhat of a mystique...whether real or imagined.
As for the great nephew....that's how I recall it too now that you men have reminded me...he didn't last too long. I heard....take it with a grain of salt...that Green Mountain bought Bill's rifling machine.
The marking on my barrel is in a semi circle. Now whether Bill made it or the retard nephew...is left to conjecture or somebody with far more knowledge than me. I suspect this rifle is a shooter. Whoever set it up, put a set remington 700 sights on it......The Horrors!..but they line up perfectly, look like hell but should make for good shooting and they also had a scope base mounted. Of course all this manure could be done away with, the holes filled or the barrel turned over and the holes hidden.
When the weather breaks, I'll drag out the 3F and pur some balls and see what she'll do. If, I don't sell it first.
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Tumblernotch
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All I can say is, around here, finding an original Bill Large barrel is akin to finding the Holy Grail.
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