Take a look here for an example of proud wood on the very first picture of a Heym boxlock that I came across. Even the side plated higher end rifle in the "frame" around the main picture has proud wood. This is typical of what I have seen. Ussually, if not always, on the Heyms I seen, that wood tongue that protrudes in to the sides of the action had proud wood as well. I could go on. http://www.heymusa.com/88_B_PH.htm

Some pins, triggers and springs will be blanks and need to be cut or fitted. Others are available at the hardware store. Do you know how all of the pins (screws) are made so the slots are parrallel? Even the most basic, inexpensive, entry level double rifle requires a whole lot of hand fitting.

Most DR sights come from Recknegell these days and not from the maker. Some older and newer guns too have proprietary sights that need fitting as well. For example, the front blades on my rifle are shorter than the Recknegell and are secured by a screw in the front of the sight and not an allen key or spring loaded catch on the top as with the Recknegell's in their catalog. But a Recknegell is easily fitted by shortening it.

Fit and finish on a lot of Brit DR leaves Much to be desired. But it can be hard to tell what it was like 50, 75, 100yrs ago. Certainly the proud wood would be gone, if it was ever there. Take a look at the breach end of the barrels on many an english double and see how the barrels are now undersized and shorter and narrower than the face of the action. Not an original issue, just a current one, the result of reblacking. Again, I could go on. There plenty of English rifles that weren't much even when they left the maker.

And the Thys, or any newer rifle will have better steel and decades less wear than most of the old Brit rifles.

JPK