Joe,
I'd be curious as to what your smith says about this project when considering the rear locking lugs. They strike me as a bit small for such a project, but it's more a guess on my part. I have a pair of their hornets, one the 1730 and the other the 1432 single shot. I had considered making the 1730 into a .17 AH, but opted not to because of the bolt lugs.
s.