W.m.large barrell

Looking for information on w.m. large barrells i have a chance to pick one up and want some info ill post pics if i buy its a whisker pricey for me thanks

I have never heard anyone say anything bad about them, I have one, which makes for a very accurate rifle. You can pay a lot for nostalgia, be it a Large or an XX Douglas barrel, is it worth it? I don't know.

Eric Krewson said:

I have never heard anyone say anything bad about them, I have one, which makes for a very accurate rifle. You can pay a lot for nostalgia, be it a Large or an XX Douglas barrel, is it worth it? I don't know.

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Eric nailed it. Great barrels but you’re buying for nostalgia among the septuagenarians and octogenarians out there. Nobody else remembers them, and now there are many barrels their equal.

rich pierce said:

among the septuagenarians and octogenarians out there. Nobody else remembers them,

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Hey, I resemble that remark.

Looks about right

Bill large was a highly respected barrel maker in the sixties and seventies. His barrels are considered top of the line,

He marked his premium barrels with four J's.

Ah so mine is a plain barrell

I’ll stick with my Sharon’s……

No, the JJJJs are just a tribute to his daughter's names that all started with Js, they don't mean the barrel is any different from the other barrels he made. I believe the JJJJs came along later in his barrel production but am not sure.

The stamping varied over the time he produced barrels, mine even has an upside-down letter which caused several know-it-all people here to say mine was a fake. I showed a bore picture to Bob Roller on the ALR site, Bob worked with MR. Large in his shop, he said my barrel was the real deal when he saw the distinctive rifling. My rile was from the early 70s and has a Roller lock on it which makes the time line fit.

My rifle is a .44



Large barrel rifling, 7 narrow lands and wide groves.

Eric Krewson said:

they don't mean the barrel is any different from the other barrels he made.

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Ah!

Mea culpa!

Thank you for the clarification.

Eric Krewson said:

No, the JJJJs are just a tribute to his daughter's names that all started with Js, they don't mean the barrel is any different from the other barrels he made. I believe the JJJJs came along later in his barrel production but am not sure.

The stamping varied over the time he produced barrels, mine even has an upside-down letter which caused several know-it-all people here to say mine was a fake. I showed a bore picture to Bob Roller on the ALR site, Bob worked with MR. Large in his shop, he said my barrel was the real deal when he saw the distinctive rifling. My rile was from the early 70s and has a Roller lock on it which makes the time line fit.

My rifle is a .44

View attachment 280821

Large barrel rifling, 7 narrow lands and wide groves.

View attachment 280825

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I have a similar barrel, but with the 4J stamp. I have also read that the 4J indicated a premium or more accurate barrel, but who knows.

Mine is set in a very well done Sante Fe Hawken style gun with Roller lock and triggers. It's the shining star in my collection. Not sure it's ever been fired.

OP can't go wrong with a Wm Large barrel as long as the price is reasonable.

I wouldn't pay any extra for one. I have used probably 5 or 6 over the years.

The 4 Js on the barrel is just something he did later in life . It had nothing to do with the quality of the barrel or any difference in it .

Just like finding H&H barrels from the 70s.

Eric Krewson said:

I have never heard anyone say anything bad about them, I have one, which makes for a very accurate rifle. You can pay a lot for nostalgia, be it a Large or an XX Douglas barrel, is it worth it? I don't know.

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But there’s a good chance he didn’t make them out of 12L14 like many of the current barrels are made of

brewyak said:

But there’s a good chance he didn’t make them out of 12L14 like many of the current barrels are made of

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That's what he used.

I remember his barrels from the 1970's, especially during the Hawken craze. Numrich and Douglas were the common commercial barrel makers. But for a while, Bill Large was probably the only custom barrel maker around. I remember a one year wait list at one point. I remember his barrels were highly rated. Today, Post #3 above is likely correct.

Rick

Prices seem to run on two tiers: one, for the barrels as good-quality rifle barrels; and two, the same but with an added premium for the nostalgia of the maker. This is about what we see with the products of other barrel makers who are no longer with us. As good-quality rifle barrels, they probably share a value with similar barrels of current manufacture. Depending on the barrel, the buyer, and the planned rifle, it might be a good idea to factor in that the barrel is probably a straight octagon rather than one of the currently-fashionable swamped profiles.

Right now, I'm "barrel-poor", having come into a sizable quantity of Douglas and Large barrels in a trade. When evaluating the trade, I factored the value of the barrels based on their known quality and reputation but didn't consider a "nostalgia premium". The seller valued them in a similar manner, and we were able to come to terms that were acceptable to both of us. Had he wanted a "nostalgia premium" it is likely the deal wouldn't have been made.

Wow…I must getting really old…I own B Large, H and H, Sharon, GRRW , Getz and Jim Godien barrels…all came with exceptionally smooth interiors and shoot phenomenally and clean up easily….I spoiled myself over the years.
I would not pay extra for any nostalgia attached to the barrel…these makers were careful craftsman at a time when virtually everybody offered a muzzleloader product to meet the then high demand…the mentioned barrels were gold in a fast growing market of imported junk and upstart failures….
Bill Large offered quality not innovation or magic.