I am in the process of restoring (more like assembling from parts) a 1949 Winchester model 70 Target Model. The stock he has has been heavily sanded and required the action to be set deeper into the stock as well as shorteneing mag box and screws to match.

The question that I can't seem to find an answer for is were the barrels originally floated or in the wood? This stock is an absolute beauty with lost of figure! There was nearly 1/8" gap under the tang cover (boat tail).

I had one chambered in .375 H&H come in the shop a few years ago and the barrel was free-floated. The owner claimed it was original condition.