1917 Enfield, rescued from abusive home.

[Risky buisness]

Right before I moved, I found a " cosmetically " challenged 1917, it had at one time been sporterised, rear sight ground off, barrel lopped off at 20" and sort of drilled and tapped. Fearing social repercussions from that butchery, the offender(s) had found a replacement GI stock, handguards, machined the bbl down to accept the original front sight and put a Lyman 57 reciever sight on the poor thing.
Now what, its.....uhhh different looking.
I'm thinking perhaps I can further resurrect the poor rifle by maybe making a really bastardized (sorry Col. Cooper) kinda scout rifle.
Just wondering, anyone here knows if a good barrel/ front ring base set up for a long eye relief optic would exist for this, and perhaps an adjustable bolt on semi correct looking protective wing rear sight could be obtained?
I have to do something, the poor thing just sets by the original milsurps and cringes.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

The A-Square rifles built on 1917 actions did this as an option, but they used new barrels with a heavier profile to mount their scope bases:



I've not compared the Mauser K98k barrel profile with the M1917's, but if there is cylindrical section in the right section of the barrel with enough meat you may get away with having a Contender/Encore scope base D&T'ed onto it. The Mauser barrel was cooperative because the step for the military rear sight was a good match.