very early Winchester P.14: * or non-*?

[Promo]

It fits quite good to the discussion in the other thread, but I got a Winchester P.14 last week that is very early being serial W3817. All serial numbers on receiver, bolt, barrel and rear sight (factory) match, the rifle does not bear any modern firing proofs. The barrel is thickly covered in grease, I did one additional picture prior to wiping off parts of the grease to picture the markings under it. Either the grease left a green cover on the barrel, or green paint was applied prior to greasing it, however there is something green visible on the barrel under the handguard.

Secondly, the rifle does NOT have the star mark on the receiver nor on the bolt - as it should not have it from factory. However, there is a five pointed star on the extractor. Is this extractor marking "just" an early marking, or would it mean it got *-updated?

Third, the stock of this rifle has the Weedon arsenal star mark on bottom (six pointed star) with the letter O under it for Skimin & Wood. The stock however also does have some examiner marks right behind the trigger guard. It however does NOT have nor appear to have had any IW (or IR or IE) markings on the butt which it usually should have, but the Maltese Cross is still visible. Additionally the very tip at the stock is marked "W&S" over 13 or 18.

Does anyone know what W&S means? Could it be that early stocks didn't get the IW in a circle marking, since many other stamps are present and I can't really find any other explanation to that.

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