Axel, I would agree with you if we were talking about European or American retailed Mannlichers where polished bolts are quite common, however with British Mannlicher rifles polished bolts are decidedly uncommon to the point where I have not been able to find a single example. All mine have blued bolts (including a model with straight grip) as do yours (at least those that you have shown on NE) and a lengthy search on the internet has failed to show even one British Mannlicher with a polished bolt, they are always blued.

Therefore I believe that Jeffery was offering an actual dull finish for those that wanted no chance of reflection from the metal parts, and probably the stock as well.

There are numerous references in books written around that era where hunters talk about having asked for their rifle to be built with a dull oil finish on the stock to avoid reflection and I believe that Jeffery was taking that one step further and offering a dull finish on the metal work as well.

Matt.