Well, The Springfield showed up yesterday, and I'm well pleased with it. It has more wear to the stock finish than the catalog photos showed. It has clearly seen a lot of careful hunting use. I don't mind that at all; after all, it's even older than I am. Of course there is no indication of the stocker's id, but the work is very fine. The inletting is crisp and detailed. Someone has glassed the recoil lug, carefully, which I appreciate since it makes shooting less likely to inflict damage. I think bsteele's attribution to the English stocker, John Wright, is most likely correct. In addition to the stylistic details, the very precise checkering is the flat top English type. I was somewhat concerned that the floorplate showed more finish wear than the rest of the metal, but I think it's that this rifle has been carried a lot, and that's the place where the wear appears. I should get to the range with it in a day or so. Looking forward to that.
