While some people pray at the alter of Jeff Cooper, I'm old enough to remember he threw everything at the wall and saw what stuck... For everything that Cooper got right, there were two dozen that faded into history.
The idea of a forward mounted (Short) optic is evidenced by a WWI rifles used by the partisans fighting Germans. I can't remember the maker anymore (I *Think* Italian hunting g rifle) with what's more or less a surveyor's magnified optic mounted on them.
The 8mm (7.92mm Mauser) rifles were MUCH more powerful, the partisans took up accuracy the only way they could.
Marine Corps weapons museum dragged a couple back to the US and that's were I saw them.
Cobbled together, but I guess they worked...
During WWII the M1 Carbine had a 'Day Scope' to replace the infrared rig, it was forward mounted although it could have been mounted directly over receiver.
The mount for the infrared optic blocked the M1 Carbine sight, so the little day optic was included.
The only one I've seen was at the national firearms museum in a WWII display.
In the Korean Conflict the Marines tried an M1 Garand chopped short with a forward mounted optic (so end block clips could be loaded). There are 4 or 5 of those existing in the Marine Corps museum also.
Both shoulder stock & barrel are shortened, and the optic looks much like a modern pistol optic, banded on the barrel just in front of the receiver.
I have no issues with a 'Scout' mounted optic.
If you aren't hung up on what something is *Supposed* to look like, and you are willing to train with the optic until you become proficient, I have ZERO issues with it.
Some of the heavy pistol recoil means some of the pistol optics are built TOUGH, so handling recoil from say, .45-70 years on end isn't an issue.
I don't have vision that allows me to use a 'Scout' mount, but I've built & installed mounts a bunch of times and the guys that have them love them, I mean they REALLY love them!
It doesn't matter who/where they came from, it's worked out now!