Bill Large Barrel

[Dew]

Hello,I'm new here and this is my first post. I have gotten on here from time to time and I know that you guys know what you are talking about so I thought it would be a good thing to join and take advantage of your all's experience. I have built a few pre-carves and I enjoy hunting and shooting with them. Have learned alot but have along way to go.    Anyway Last weekend I got ahold of a Bill Large barrel that is in the white and probably never shot. I have heard that these are some good barrels. This barrel has the breech plug and touch hole that was installed by bill as well as the dovetails cut for sights and lugs. The guy said he got it from someone who bought it and never built anything with it. It has 4 J's with an L underneath it.  It is a 1" X 36" in a .54. Also has 8 grooves and I'm not sure of the twist. It looks like it makes about a 1/2 turn in the length,so I'm guessing its about 1-72. Bore looks good. I was just wondering if you all could tell my anything about them.  I know that they are hard to find. Thanks for any comments that you might have

[A.Merrill]

    B. Large barrels can out shoot the shooter     Good Luck    AL

[dannylj]

I have a Large barrel marked similar to yours from about 1980. It is a 1 1/8" .54 X 36" on a Hawken. The twist is 1 in 60". I ordered it from Mr. Large and have killed several deer and an antelope with it. Great barrels.  Danny

[Dew]

Thanks for the twist rate. I was told it was probably a 1-56 or a 1-60. I just shined a little flash light down it,probably not the best way to tell.  I also got ahold of a lyman .535 mould pretty cheap, hoping it will work for this barrel.  One guy told me that I might want to pull the breech plug to make sure that its bottomed out. But the touch hole is drilled into it just a little so I'd have to take it out as well. I'm not really wanting to do this cause I havn't ever pulled a plug before.  If Bill did it don't you all think that it would have been done right?  Thanks,Dew

[dbraw]

I have used several Bill Large barrels over the years. Great shooters. I ubderstand that he had four daughters and that is why there are four "J" on his barrels. All four had names that started with "J". I was told that when he swamped a barrel, he would drive a wedge under the barrel so that his milling machine cut what would become the swamped areas.
Dan

[rich pierce]

Bill Large barrels were legendary in the day and are still well worth buying for those who remember the old days, but there's no reason to believe they are any better than today's offerings.  It's just cool to have an original Bill Large barrel, something different and noted for quality.

[Herb]

Dew, do not worry about that breech plug.  If Bill fitted it and the flash hole liner, it is done correctly.  Do not pull it.

[Dew]

Thanks for the info the barrel. The guy I bought it from said that the L under the 4 J's was a mark that he put on barrels after he had turned 75. I don't know if that's the case but I think its kinda cool that I got ahold of one of these in the white and unfired. Don't think I'm going to worry about the breech plug,it looks like a quality job to me. Now I just got to figure out what to build with it. Maybe a fullstock Hawken or a half stock Kentucky or southern gun of some sort. I've heard that they did that to some guns when the forend got busted. Decisions,Decisions. Thanks again,Dew