The last posters well thought out explanations leaves me with more questions than answers, so as a follow up to my last, was enfield still making and using late/post WW2 fore end wood with provision for the mag cutoff? I would have thought that they would have been making only wood work to cover up the slot as it was implied they did not use this feature anymore and only the Indians did?

Does this rifle look bead blasted to others like the above poster says? it appears finely and smooth finished to me, but I'm not a authority on these rifles by any means.