i to have several target rifles in my collection. 4 of them were built on 1950 CA guns. 3 of them have C< marked grooved handgaurds, one has a smooth one. they are all ether marked C< or CA. ether is correct as far as im concened on a target rifle. out of the bunch of them,all of them have had the buttplates traded for brass ones. true or not, i have been told that some liked to trade the plates for brass to put a lil more weight on the back end.
safe arm? thats allready been answered, they were swaped out, cause the standard arm style will rub on the site.
as to bbl free floating, none of mine are floated. they are all mid and frontend bedded. floating was only done on the sniper rifle.
all of 4 these rifles has also had the stamped steel trigger gaurds swaped out for machined ones. as has allready been said, the stamped ones were not liked , the milled was, and is, much better for strength.
showing my aga a bit, but a couple of these i have owned and shot for going on 30 years now. they only get sweeter with age