I know of a shop that has one of these early heavy barrels (1-7 twist). I has a smooth sided lower with the SP-1 serial number prefix. the upper has the A-1 sight but there is a forward assist.

Didn't get the serial number but wondered about the FA on the upper and its originality. Also, what kind of value would you experts place on this rifle?

A Colt Sporter II has a forward assist but no shell deflector.  It has a government profile barrel.  Value depending on condition can range from $1,200 to $1,400.

Sporter II's came in all sorts of trim.  I've got an early Sporter II with no forward assist and no brass deflector, and A1 style field sights on the upper.

The only constant is that a factory Sporter II came with the 1/7 A2 profile barrel, round handguards, A2 "half birdcage" flash suppressor/compensator, and an A2 length buttstock and usually A2 style pistol grip.

Other than those features, most of the Sporter II's were slab-sided lower receivers with large front pins, but the uppers eventually got completely up to A2 spec with adjustable sights, forward assist and brass deflector.

I already have an early Sporter II with no forward assist. That's why I was questioning the authentisity of the rifle in question's upper. I didn't realize there was that much variation in the Sporter IIs.

Is the A2 or "government" profile on these barrels the same as the H-BAR? I was under the impression the H-BAR marked  a change to a heavier contour overall.

The government profile barrel is light under the handguards (.625") and heavy at the end (.750").  I do not recall offhand the thickness of the HBar under the handguards but I think it is somewhere between .850" and .935".  From the front sight on it is .750" like the government barrel.