Show us a picture, I am sure it can be rescued.
"barrel inletted too deep"- not sure what you mean or why cutting it to a halfstock would solve the problem.
If you mean the whole side flat of the barrel is "buried" in the wood then removing wood from the top edge of the forestock is easy. If there is no web left and the barrel inlet runs into the ramrod groove, then you have a genuine problem.
Remember that most backwoods repairs were done crudely. So if you want to simulate a broken fore-stock, I'd saw or whittle the stock off in front of the entry pipe and use no nosecap of any kind. If you want to keep the front ramrod pipes and lose the wood between them, you could use sheet brass or rawhide to secure the barrel to the stock in a "band" style around the front pipes and remove the wood in between. Keep just enough forestock around the pipes to keep them there. I have seen old 1863 Springfields done this way; in fact have one at home.
