Marty: You have done very well - purchase in the first place, the impatience to get into it but not mess it up and the very good pictures. Since the top tang appears not to have been welded and the stock was not inletted for the safety lever jacket, maybe it came from the factory just as it is. If so, the serialization book would have an error but we still have that 118 code that no one has yet explained. Hopefully, the letter settles all the questions. I suppose you will be out shooting it soon.
Cheers,
Jack