Thank you for your kind replies and shedding of more light, exactly what I wanted.
RJW NZand Thunderbox, I did get a fair deal for the rifle. To be fair to the dealer, he allowed me to strip the rifle and have a good view of it before I made any decisions. And I made it based on the provenance and the markings, knowing quite well that it was a project rifle with a history
Doing the woodwork is not something I would do myself as I tend to destroy things when I touch any tool! This is something I would take to some competent woodworker who knows what he is doing and that is someone I need to find.
There is no hurry to shoot the rifle on my part until it’s ship shape. This rifle is something I want to work on and get shooting. Looks like a keeper to me.
BTW, Thunderbox, you have PM.
ATB,
Krish