Slimming down...Frankfurt Arsenal slimmed barrels down testing for how much was too much in 1903 rifles and got to the point where the barrel was so paper thin and still held. They had to blue pill it to pop it.

As for the blinded over gas port, I've done them with a tapped in screw and a touch of wire feed to hold it forever and no issues. I had a '94 Winchester carbine that someone had done a dovetail so deep that it touched the bore. I built over it with wire and kept going, it's still hunting today. My 700 Reminton BDLicon deluxe that had the screw hole from the factory was among the most accurate rifles I've ever shot. One of the owners along the way between when I first had it and got it back had the first two inch chopped off and crowned...so he felt the same as you all do. I was the first to notice the hole.