I am not sure what the strength of the glass in pickle jars is.
All I can say is that I will be very careful.
For the same amount of vacuum, that is, inches of mercury, the pressure on the jar wall depends on the area of the wall. So there is more pressure exerted on a large jar than on a small one. For that reason I don;t think I am going to go any larger than a 1/2 gallon size myself. I don't want the jar to 'implode' on me.
I think canning jars, known as MASON jars, are best, because they are designed for that purpose. I have seen large canning jars at WalMart, but they are not where they carry them in boxes. They are with storage containers for the kitchen. The main problem is finding the lids.
Talking about lids, if I cannot find the right size, I will probably TURN one in the lathe. About 3/4" thick, made so that there is a lip that fits on top of the glass edge, and some goes inside. I can cut a gasket from foam material (closed cell) that WalMart has in the crafts section. It is 9x12" for about half a buck each.
I already have the pump.