Still in the wrap and crate Winchester M1917 .30-06 Enfield

[bearhunter]

ISBN numbers refer to military books from what Google tells me.

Lots of possible reasons for the box. If as the OP says, the rifle is covered in cosmo than it wouldn't be a stretch for a straight grained dark walnut stock to soak it up and become that dark.

I have a rifle that is FTRed with a new stock that is at least as dark as that rifle. I also have a POF No4 MKII that has a Circassian Walnut stocked rifle that is as new and the stock is also that dark.

The OPs pic aren't great and a lot of detail has been left out.

The crate is unusual and the first I have seen. What the ISN number signifies is a good question. There are so many possibilities. It may be a stock number from a warehouse. I am surprised the rifle's serial number isn't on this box, but other than that I have no idea and can't track down anything on Google.

 

[mkrnel]

Maybe the seller is a scammer and is trying to pass off his rebuilt sporter!

As I have mentioned in my second post #6 that it is possible it is rebuilt as most were sent back through the system before WW2 but if so both the bluing and stock would have been both replaced at that time, not just the stock.

Crate is most likely not the original factory shipping one from WW1 judging as the ISN number is post WW1 and pre the Nato NSN numbers and is more likely a military individual weapon storage/shipping crate as most of these rifles were issued and then rebuilt post war and then pre WW2.

And I know that most military ordnance small arms depots will have some individual crated rifles to ship as one off rifles sent to replace unit rifles needed on a one off basis like damaged replacement rifles etc. I know that for a fact from when I was in the military and was responsible for shipping out and receiving small arms! same deal for pistols and other small arms, no need to send one or two rifles to a small unit in a large storage crate that usually holds 10 or so and also means unpacking the remaining rifles to another crate. This is a common situation and most unit armourers would always have a few individual wooden crates around for sending back to depot surplus or written off/un-serviceable small arms as needed and if not would request one through the supply system!

These rifles were completely submerged in hot melted Cosmoline before going into storage so it is very common for them to have both dark and grease covered wood as well as the remainder of the metal parts, the very nice wood looks way too dent, scratch and mark free for a rifle that has worn out bluing from extensive use and I have handled well over a dozen of these rifles and any with wood like the above one are the exception -

 

[gordonlbyrne]

the turned up ears on the rear site protectors appear to be milled of