Thank you all for your input. I agree that the floating was, most likely, done for a reason. The barrel does still contact the nose cap in the upward dimension, and has little in the way of lateral play. I just wish whoever did the fore end trimming didn't do so aggressively as there is about a 1/4" gap. I will definitely be exploring the potential benefits of handloading, as I do so with my other milsurps.