Help with 1944 SMLE F serial number that has a 21.5inch barrel

HI All,
I have recently purchased a 1944 MA, Lithgow SMLE. This is as new and does not have a mark on it. The barrel however is protruding from the end cap by 10mm and barrel length is 543mm.

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We need pic's of the rear of the receiver, showing the forewood fit.

That barrel length doesn't sound right to me and I think the barrel and stock have been shortened but by differing amounts.

Remembering having to 'wire' many of these to EY spec in the early 70's, It LOOKS to me as if the fore-end, forwards of the band has been shortened a tad for some reason by bringing the nose cap rearwards. The barrel looks like it could be a larger diameter No4 barrel with the bayonet and foresight block band machined off and the modified foresight block simply sweated onto the barrel

The nose cap is definitely inset into the wood. Not normal.

Looks like someone has tried to do a "Shortened and Lightened" Lithgow. Wrong barrel length and sight, though. Not to mention the fore-end and handguard.

The barrel hole in the nosecap seems to be a bit big; Ex-range rifle?? If the rear sight bed is properly located and pinned and the barrel has "HV" and "SC" stamped nearby, it will probably have been a normal No1 Mk3* in a previous life.

One of the things I come across from time to time, is "muzzle-rot". This is caused by slack shooters leaving plugs of cleaning flannelette, soaked in "Burrsthreo" or similar, inserted in the muzzle to keep dust, etc., out whilst in the cupboard. The problem is that, unless inspected and renewed weekly or so, the cloth dries out and then, when the weather gets all soggy as per today in South-East Queensland, said rag absorbs moisture and starts to rust the barrel. If it was caught early, a short counter-bore would often restore the crown and accuracy, whilst giving folks the impression you were running a .35 cal wildcat.

If it gets really bad, there is no choice but to re-barrel or, in the case of "sporters"., to surgically remove the cancerous bit.

Whatever the beast in the pictures is, I doubt that it left the factory looking like that.

Chaps........., before we go off at too many tangents and cutting to the quick, it's been shortened - badly. Now what else do you want to know Hardie?