First post here, although I've been reading all the other refurb project threads for a week now since acquiring a 1942 no4. mki* long branch from a surplus crate. I found one at the bottom of the pile with no visible pitting on the receiver or any part of the bolt. Some finish wear and minor pitting around where the butt fits into the receiver behind the trigger, but plenty of rust on the stock furniture. the handgaurd ribbing is severely damaged in a large spot on one side. Quick google showed I can cheaply get new-old-stock or good condition pieces for all the minor furniture.
My goal is to refurb it to something fun to shoot that performs to the accuracy standards it was manufactured to meet. I'd like for it to also look as clean and neat as it would have during the 40's when carefully maintained by the dedicated soldier it was issued to. His name apparently was Doug.
The serial number stamped on the stock matches that of the rifle. Doug lightly scratched his name, upside down on the buttstock, in doodle-style with crosses inside the letters. I like to imagine a very bored, very young Doug, lonely and laying prone in a hole on night watch, looking over the right side butt and doodling his name with the tip of a round.
I took it home, put the gloves and apron on and started my disassembly and cleaning. It's now all apart but the barreled action. Swabbed the cosmolineicon out of the barrel with hoppes and patched dry - no brushes or JB yet. I took a peak with my Lyman borecam. I found 2 groove rifling, with brilliant shiny and sharp lands - almost like a mirror, and some carbon deposits in the groove around the throat. High hopes now!

I found several things that need addressed. I'll post as I go, hopefully with pictures. Here is the first major issue.

I began by scrubbing all the surface crud and dried cosmoline on the outside. Now it seems as though dried cosmoline was the only thing keeping the buttstock tight. It now jiggles slightly when twisted.
Fast forward - the buttstock bolt was frozen, but came out easily with 10 minutes of kroil. Tried tightening, but it won't go past where it was until I get the debri/rust off it. No rust in the receiver threads, plenty on the stock bolt.

Is there hope that this was loosened before storage and it will be tight when put back together? I'd like to save it if I can get all the grime off - if only for Doug.

How best to shim the buttstock tight when I reassemble?

On a related note, the recess where the buttstock fits had plenty of rust and minor pitting all over. When I get it all out, I think I will seal it with alumahyde II epoxy paint to keep any moisture in the wood off of the metal, unless someone has a good reason not to.
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