A point that most seem to be missing is that except for "presentation" rifles, precious few No1 or No4 / 5 rifles /carbines left the factory with a hand-rubbed gloss finish.
These thing were meant for battle. If you are slogging through a tropical downpour in a leech-infested rain forest, among the last things you would want is a shiny, SLIPPERY rifle,
Even the post-WW2 No4s that came out of the green waxed wrappers have "texture" on the woodwork. As does the similarly-wrapped replacement wood-work.The old No1 's that I shot in competition on the 1970's were almost BLACK from the amount of oil and "hand-grime" that had been laid upon them, and were in no way "smooth, despite all the handling and shooting.
ALL original wood is made nominally oversized. In the "good-old-days", the wood was STORED in barrels of
linseed oil
, often for months, before it was fitted. Prime
Italian walnut requires a different "regime' from beech, birch, coachwood, etc.
The wood should ALWAYS "overhang" the butt-plate on a properly fitted butt. This allowed for "tidying-up" by armourers if required. For US collectors, take a close look at the fit of the butt-plate on an unmolested M-1 rifle. The butt timber overhangs the steel butt-plate. Same reasoning. See also; your basic "original" K-98.
As for butts, in particular: the originals were made such that the forward end of the wrist that mates with the "ferrule" (socket) on the body, is tapered, as is the matching metal bit. In the factories, there were special presses that drove the
linseed oil loaded butt into the ferrule with some force, and held it firmly in place while the bog stock bolt was wound in and torqued up. Note also that once fully seated, there MUST be a small (15-20 thou) gap between the rear of the ferrule and the wrist proper. This is to prevent chipping of the wrist over time.
And a thoughtful, socially distant ANZAC Day to one and all, (Also Kapyong Day for yesterday).
PM
Originally Posted by 
