Bill Large barrel

[MuskratMike]

In his early years of making barrels did Bill always stamp his work W. M. Large?

[AZ Muzzleloaders]

The stamp on my 54 cal Hawken before the four J's.   Don't know when the rifle was made.

[MuskratMike]

AZ: and this is the stamp we are used to seeng. I believe this barrel I am looking at is a Bill Large very early barrel and am looking to see if early on he didn't stamp his work.

[Bob Roller]

In his early years of making barrels did Bill always stamp his work W. M. Large?

Yes he did and he used the same stencils for over 30 years

Bob Roller

[MuskratMike]

Thank you Bob. If anyone would know I knew it would be someone like you.

[albert]

This is a B.Large I  acquired last weekend  , it ia a .32 ,straight bbl., solid patent breech , all my others have the JJJJ stamp .

[Tim Crosby]

 If I remember right the "Js" were his daughters first names.

   Tim C.

[oldtravler61]

  Tim you are correct. They are for his daughters...
  Oldtravler

[Bob Roller]

If I remember right the "Js" were his daughters first names.

   Tim C.

You're right and in order of birth--Jeanine-JoAnn-Jeanette-Janice.Jeanine is about 90
and JoAnn is deceased.Jeanette still lives where Bill had the shop but is ill and is a
cancer survivor.I think Janice is OK and living in Kentucky.I still call Jeanette from
time to time and will call her to see how she is.
Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Bob - so nice you've kept contact - but then, that's what friends are for.

[albert]

I just noticed I  made a mistake on my Bill Large bbl.  , it is a 36 cal , not 32. Bob Roller , what do you know about the numbers below Bill's  stamp ?

[Bob Roller]

This is nothing Bill usually did so I can't be of help.

Bob Roller

[Bob Roller]

Bob - so nice you've kept contact - but then, that's what friends are for.

Daryl,
I tried to call Jeanette and no answer occurred.I have been told she
has a hospital bed in the living room but I haven't been in the house for
several years.I'll try again tonight,She is about my age {84}and about 65
years ago Bill tried to get us together but at that time I wasn't ready for
marriage.I waited until I was 33 and had marketable job skills so it was
easier to support a family and my wife was 26 and also was capable of
self supporting if need be.Bill and Shirley Large had no sons and I have
always thought if Jeanette and I had been married that I would have ran
that shop after learning how to make barrels.I learned how and helped Bill
off an on for years.None of Bill's grandsons were interested and one tried
but the ability and inclination just wasn't there and when Bill passed away in 1985
the grandson made a few barrels but couldn't replace or recondition worn tooling.
The shop sat dormant for 20 years and I finally convinced Jeanette that the
machinery would rust and self destruct and arranged for Jim McLemore in Hebron,
Indiana to by everything in the shop except the cobwebs.It stands silent now.a
relic of something that once was but will never be again.

Bob Roller
.
.

[Leatherbark]

Here is how he stamped his barrel for his friend Bud Frazer. The upper barrel has a snail breech with a Hawken type tang and no dovetails cut yet. We're excited to use this barrel for an offhand rifle.  Disregard the lower Douglas barrel. That's another project.

Bob

[Eric Krewson]

I have a Bill Large barrel with an upside down letter marking, the barrel is from around 1972. Someone suggested it might be a fake but I know its history and the previous owners of the gun all the way back to when it was built, it is the real deal and has a Roller lock.



Rifling;

[Bob Roller]

When using individual stencils this is EASY to do and don't ask me how
I would know just because I have an identical set of them .

Bob Roller
.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I just bought a Large barrel from an acquaintance.  It's a .45 cal roughly 7/8" AF x 42" long.  I plan to make a percussion Bedford rifle around that barrel.

[smokinbuck]

Bob
first I hope Mrs Roller heals well and quickly, ribs are no fun. I have a Bill Large barreled rifle in .29 caliber that had to be built in the 50's based on who I got it from. Besides his usual marking there is a capital "L" on the bottom face of the muzzle. I've been told it represents numerous things, can you shed some light on what it actually means?

[Bob Roller]

Bob
first I hope Mrs Roller heals well and quickly, ribs are no fun. I have a Bill Large barreled rifle in .29 caliber that had to be built in the 50's based on who I got it from. Besides his usual marking there is a capital "L" on the bottom face of the muzzle. I've been told it represents numerous things, can you shed some light on what it actually means?

The capital L usually meant the lands may have been hand dressed and concave and if you
unbreech it and push a tight patch thru it it may have a choke or progressive taper.This will
make a dandy "Rat Killer" and is not a common one.
Brenda is slowly healing from this sad accident and I will not leave her to do shop work until
she can get out of her reclining chair with no help.Thank you for asking.
Bob Roller

[smokinbuck]

Bob,
Thanks for your answer. I'm very pleased Mrs. Roller is making headway.

[hornturner]

Here is the stamping on my Bill Large chunk rifle barrel.  It is .50 caliber and measures 1-1/8" across the flats and is 51-1/2" long with a hawken style hook breech.

Art DeCamp



interactive number spinner

[Roger B]

I have a .50 cal Large tapered barrel that I was shooting today. It is marked W M Large over 50-177. I thought that meant .50 cal 1 in 77" twist. Seeing the .36 similarly marked now makes me wonder if I was right.
Roger B.

[albert]

Roger B , that marking on you bbl. makes sence   but not for mine , because mine is a ,36 but marked 50-203

[Bob Roller]

The only thing I can think was Bill may have gone thru his records by caliber
and this might mean the 177th 50 caliber barrel and the other is the 203rd one.
I do know that the 50 caliber was very much in demand and I have drilled and
reamed a bunch of them.When he started making musket barrels the 54 and 58
were much in demand and I have cut the breech off of more than one Springfield
and Enfield to graft it to the new barrel.This really took off after the NSSA approved
the 8 groove barrels.I did it for my own Enfield and Colt.None of these old barrels
could be saved and my Colt was pristine until it was reamed smooth for a shotgun**.
It became a 54 caliber rifle.When you consider Bill worked by himself and on occasion
either Les Barber or myself would help out it is quite an accomplishment for a one man shop
to make that many barrels in so many different calibers and configurations.He has been
gone now for nearly 35 years but his work is still held on high regard.
Bob Roller
** The Colt came from Turner Kirkland in 1965 and was smooth reamed then and he got it from
Belgium with a lot of other things.I paid Turner $65 for it.

[Mike Lyons]

I just bought a Large barrel from an acquaintance.  It's a .45 cal roughly 7/8" AF x 42" long.  I plan to make a percussion Bedford rifle around that barrel.

Can't wait Taylor.  Your builds are some of the best to see.