Verns, I believe they are short action receivers and that was one oft he reasons I picked mine up. It's hard to find LH actions. Regarding the long barrel, I suppose one could always have the barrel cut down and threaded. Not sure how much to cut from the muzzle in order to keep the balance good, though.
I'll keep shooting my 17 fur ball until I fall out of love with it, then I'll screw something else into it and continue on.
Good luck with yours.
