Thanks for the comments.

From the measurements, I think that the stock may be longer than 38"......standard OAL of the PC/School/Short rifle stock. Even if i were to have a new 22" barrel installed, a bayonet would not attach as it would be shorter than the 23" the barrel is now. Besides, there is a long waiting list to sedn something to CMP.....I am already on it, for something else.

Also, the repro barrels do not have the correct thread on the rear sight mounting screw holes.

Would you still be upset if I used a beater bayonet? Or purchased a replacement Guard to modify, rather than having the existing barrel turned down? Wouldn't that entail removing the barrel in order to mount it into a milling machine? I will discuss that with my gunsmith.

Forend replacement splice? Why would I remove the whole forend on this rifle? Actually, I will not see this rifle until next October, when I come home. The idea was to have my 01-FFL ship it to the gunsmith to have the front sight installed and contour the muzzle (It's already been cut down and re-crowned.....Not by me), then have Gsmith ship back to my 01-FFL so that I can do the paperwork when I come home. Why not wait til I come home, you may ask?.....Because I will only have 30 days and I have stuff to do. Besides, Gsmiths aren't know to be fast. He may not be done by time I have to return overseas and he may not be willing to hold onto the rifle for another year until I can come home again to get it.

Actually, I have a barreled receiver on the way, which I am going to have to find a stock for, so I might just do the barrel turning for the bayonet on that....or the separate stripped receiver and barrel that I have for another build. Have to find a stock fot it, so I could do the forend splice thing on that and set it up to accept a bayonet.

I appreciate the comments.

I received enough criticism from the M1 Garand crowd "Purists" when I had a BM59 built, about "destroying" a piece of history.