There was just a "Heavy Nine" SB for less than a couple grand on Fleabay that didn't sell. If it were local would have taken a look see. Pics looked OK, but they're from the mid-late 30's and those extra decades are significant. Sure would be cool to fin one that's been stashed and forgotten in a barn somewhere for the last 60 years lol.
Interesting and rare animal, special order Navy item. 9" swing like the proverbial 9A but wider bed, and 1-3/8" spindle bore/5C col!ets like the Heavy 10.
It puzzles me that given the demand for a small swing, large bore lathe perfect for gunsmithing like this that no one manufactures one. The South Bends were so utterly simple, reliable, and easy to manufacture. The hell with technology, give me a simple line-bored hole in a cast headstock like they were made back then. I doubt many of the Chinese lathes today will still be churning out accurate work 60 or 70 years from now like the SB's.