Re: SMLE barrel:

Do you want a standard or heavy job?

Standard barrels in good condition seem to be even rarer than the post-war heavy ones. There was a bunch of NEW in the grease Indian-made SMLE barrels, complete with sights, floating around awhile ago, but I have not seen any lately.

I have never seen a Lithgowicon or UKicon-made "standard" barrel new in a wrapper. They probably exists but.........

Of course, with a bit of enthusiasm and CAREFUL machining, you could turn down a heavy barrel, thus avoiding all of the dramas involved in fooling around with the front furniture.

My efforts to make "short-chambered" SMLE barrels here in Oz seem to have become lost in circular arguments with barrel makers; mainly about quantity and costings; never mind the potential dramas involved in making a "drop-in" barrel with the RIGHT thread form and minimal headspace for the SMLE, if such a thing can even be done.

Maybe next year, if the Canadians and Yanks don't get in first.