Author Topic: W. M. Large - flintlock rifle (Read 35381 times)

bones92 · « **on:** March 10, 2015, 04:27:29 AM »

Finally got around to posting photos everyone can see...

I'm fairly excited about having recently acquired this rifle. I believe the photos in the link below show the concave grooves that Bill Large incorporated into some of his barrels.

I have never seen a lockplate like this one. The shape of the flash-pan is unusual. I haven't had a chance to disassemble it to see if there are marks on the other side of the plate.

I think it's a .40-caliber. I initially thought it was a .45, but a .440" ball won't enter the rifling. The tip of the ramrod fits pretty closely (but not tightly), and it measures about .380".

I welcome your collective input. I'm curious if anyone recognizes the work. I think it may have been made by a gun maker in eastern Kentucky (or southwest Virginia).

JDK · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2015, 04:44:03 AM »

Please post the pictures here if you want an opinion on them. You have to be a member of that forum and signed in to enlarge the photos, so all we can see are thumbnail images. Some here aren't members of that forum, and I for one don't need or want to sign up for another.

Enjoy, J.D.

WadePatton · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2015, 04:53:01 AM »

Exactly what i was going to post. Ditto what JD posted.

bones92 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2015, 05:52:35 AM »

I'll see what I can do... I didn't think you had to be a member of Gunboards to see them, but I could be wrong.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2015, 02:54:20 PM »

Looks like some funky old dixie gunworks lock......english plate (kind of) with a german pan. Looks like it's been inletted twice. No way to tell who built it if it isn't signed.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2015, 02:55:10 PM »

Quote from: bones92 on March 10, 2015, 04:27:29 AM

I'm fairly excited about having recently acquired this rifle. I believe the photos in the link below show the concave grooves that Bill Large incorporated into some of his barrels.

I have never seen a lockplate like this one. The shape of the flash-pan is unusual. I haven't had a chance to disassemble it to see if there are marks on the other side of the plate.

I think it's a .40-caliber. I initially thought it was a .45, but a .440" ball won't enter the rifling. The tip of the ramrod fits pretty closely (but not tightly), and it measures about .380".

I welcome your collective input. I'm curious if anyone recognizes the work. I think it may have been made by a gun maker in eastern Kentucky (or southwest Virginia).

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?391701-Picked-up-a-flintlock-with-W-M-Large-barrel&p=3272091#post3272091

That barrel has concave LANDS,not grooves and is probably a 40 caliber.

Bob Roller

bones92 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2015, 04:11:48 PM »

Bob, to my eye, the grooves seem slightly concave, but the photos are not great.

I don't use any hosted photo service, so if someone would be willing to post these, I can email some photos. Just PM me with an email address to use. Thanks!

Dphariss · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2015, 04:38:09 PM »

I agree with Mike Brooks on the lock.

Dan

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2015, 09:41:04 PM »

I agree with those that I.D. the lock as a discontinued Dixie product. Not exactly the best styling I've seen on a longrifle, but at least you got a premium barrel out of the deal. That barrel is probably worth what you paid for the gun. Old Bill would try to steer you towards a .40 cal., if you asked for a .45, and intended to target shoot with the gun. he said .40 cal. and 1 in 48" twist was just naturally a good shooter.

Hungry Horse

bones92 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2015, 11:32:17 PM »

Thanks, Hungry Horse... I will check the twist rate.

I suspect that I probably would have taken whatever Bill Large thought I should get. I don't have a particular use in mind for this rifle, but general enjoyment is the primary goal. I will likely shoot paper most often, but I may try it out on whitetail, if I get the chance.

bones92 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2015, 04:03:39 AM »

I ordered a box of .395" Hornady lead ball for this. Or should I have ordered .390"?

I wanted a lead ball I could also use in the Turner Kirkland .40-cal I posted about.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2015, 04:15:54 AM »

.390" or .395" ball....018" - .020" cotton denim patch and lots of spit. 3Fg GOEX or the like - 45 - 60 grains.

bones92 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2015, 10:33:55 PM »

The .395" ball from TOTW arrived. They slide down the bore, so they are probably just a thousandth or so under bore size. I noted when letting the ball slide back down toward the muzzle I can hear a bit of air sucking through the vent hole.

So, I think these should work well. I cannot wait to try this out.

Longknife · « **Reply #13 on:** April 20, 2015, 04:46:13 PM »

Bones, You may get discouraged when you find that lock "ain't worth a $#!+",,,but don't give up. Many of us started with those and survived! ( or succumbed!!!!)...Ed

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2015, 05:26:59 PM »

Allthough that Dixie lock is not great, it's frizzen is steel, which puts a leg up on a lot of more modern locks. I have adapted this frizzen to some of the smaller modern locks with good success.

Hungry Horse

bones92 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 20, 2015, 06:29:20 PM »

I need to order some shorter flints, or nap the one I have to be a bit shorter.

If I scored the back edge of a flint with a Dremel bit, would that help in cutting a straight chip off? Or perhaps a grinding bit in a Dremel can shorten it a bit?

bones92 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 15, 2015, 10:21:09 PM »

I finally uploaded some photos to imgur, and figured out one way of posting them here. See the top post in this thread.

nosrettap1958 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 18, 2015, 06:07:32 AM »

In my opinion and if it was my rifle I would take that excellent barrel off and build another rifle around it.

bones92 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2015, 05:04:51 PM »

I generally like a longer length of pull, but even this "feels" a bit long, though perhaps it's because I'm used to muzzleloaders being a bit shorter in buttstock length.

I should probably see how it shoots first. If it shows a lot of promise, it would be tempting to swap for a better lock, and perhaps reshape the buttstock a bit (or restock altogether).

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #19 on:** June 25, 2015, 05:49:43 PM »

Bones, make a punch out of a piece of 5/16ths steel rod, by chucking it up in a drill motor and turning the last 3/16ths or so down with a sharp file. You only need a very small sharp shoulder. Then, knapp a slot in the rear of the flint to strattle the hammer screw. this will shorten your flint, and keep it from walking sideways. This tool will make your flints last longer if you use it to knap them sharp, because it takes off such small flakes.

Hungry Horse

gunmaker · « **Reply #20 on:** June 26, 2015, 01:20:31 AM »

Definitely a DGW lock from 60'70's. I have a few of them, and they are great sparkers. So much metal on the plate that it can be re-shaped quite nicely.....Tom

bones92 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 30, 2015, 03:24:28 PM »

Hungry Horse,

Can I get the same effect with a punch? I have a few, and the crisp, squared tip seems like what you describe.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #22 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:18:36 PM »

Bones, you need a small shoulder a short distance above the tip, this is what allows you to take off small controlled flakes.The punch you are talking about will be hardened steel, which is not what you want. A plain old piece of mild steel rod of small diameter is what works best.

Hungry Horse

bones92 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 21, 2015, 06:05:57 PM »

I have been giving some thought to what Crawdad said above, about taking this Bill Large barrel and building a (better) rifle around it.

Is it possible to find a semi-finished, or at least partially inletted, stock for this? I don't think I'm equipped to start from scratch with a blank.

I believe this barrel could be built into a very fine shooting rifle. At the least, I would like to get a new lock for it.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #24 on:** December 21, 2015, 07:38:08 PM »

Believe me, when I say, the only thing that keeps that rifle from being a B grade fence post is the barrel.

Hungry Horse

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Author Topic: W. M. Large - flintlock rifle (Read 35381 times)

nosrettap1958