Yeah, it's a damn shame somebody felt the need to sand the stock like that, especially since there is no way of knowing the rifle's serial number now. I've read that taking a black light to it could help to make out markings that were sanded away, I may try that but I doubt it will help, the wood is smooth as a baby's bottom. I've done some reading on the BM proof mark, and from my understanding it along with the .303 nitro proof stamp indicates that the rifle was proofed in Englandicon sometime between 1925-54 either before being sold off or reissued for home guard use. The E stamp seems to indicate that the chamber was widened to handle British ammunition better, which if I understand correctly was generally done at field workshops in England. So, would it be a fair assumption that the rifle at least made it overseas one way or another?