It was Chuck who mentioned the guard screws not lining up with the original staking points. To answer that question; When originally assembled they torqued the screws down to the proper torque and then staked them in place so they wouldn't back out. Over time the receiver would settle into the wood and require re-torqueing so they aren't alignment stakes so to speak. If, IF they are still staked on a rifle, that's often an indication that its possible original. That of course is only one clue and can add to others.
The two tone as Chuck also said is from the process of heat treating the receiver. They did this by packing the receivers in various mediums including bone, charcoal, leather and other things. To achieve the desired hardness in the receiver at different places, they packed them in the different materials and that causes the two tone you see.
The different Parkerizing, blue/browning and re-park does get confusing. Lighting during photographing can completely affect how it looks and on different computer screens. The dark park that Chuck refers to is almost black, semi smooth compared to smooth on the blued ones. Then there's the WWII which appears greenish gray on the darker side.
Eddy Stone implemented the dark park sometime at the end of Sept 1918 so dating helps somewhat. Hands on makes it much easier after you've seen enough of them to make the call.
Hope that helps
Kurt
As the late Turner Kirkland was fond of saying, "If you want good oats, you have to pay the price. If you'll take oats that have already been through the horse, those come cheaper."