Really nice find! :bthumb: Wipe the stock down with genuine Mineral Spirits to get any old wax and dirt off before you wax it. Let the MS dry thoroughly, and apply several coats of a really good wax, Renaissance is easily the best. Johnson's Paste Floor Wax would be OK too if that's what's handy, but NO auto waxes that contain Silicone, very bad for the finish. Howard's Feed 'n wax is junk too, by the by. Treat that beauty right.
Excellent advice because that is so early AND obviously all original AND obviously in MINT condition.
Gotta be worth every penny of $400 at auction and probably $500!
That particular piece of walnut has got to be one of the plainest grain walnut stocks I have seen. Combine that with the fact that the factory finish is excellent condition I would NOT consider a re-finish unless it got seriously damaged or something.
I will go little farther with advice:
VERIFY EVERYTHING with Noremf first before doing anything.
SCJ wax is good but not good enough for that thing. Trust me it is worth a small jar of Renaissance Wax. If you use it sparingly (which always appropriate with respect to firearms) and don't use on large items like big tables the 65ml jar will last a LONG time.
https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-...id=1491069556&sr=8-3&keywords=renaissance+wax
I use tons of SCJ and when it matters I use the Ren Wax and it is a big difference on something like that gun. I would mineral spirits clean all the metal and RenWax all the metal in addition to the whole stock inside and out.
I would NOT consider drilling holes for a sling or even mounting a tip-off rail on it for a scope.
As far as 'dry wood'... Verify with noremf but I am sure he will say that is a myth that deserves repeated debunking until no one on the planet believes it anymore.
