Junnie,
Just my two cents, but a nice condition $2k Win M42 is no $89 gun. Never was, converted into todays dollars. It was always a pricey gun in its day.

On the engraving, laser looks cheap and cheesie, industrial like, IMO. I like your thought of doing it on the buttplate. A classy blued steel or brass buttplate with hand engraving would be visible and noticable. I think it would be tasteful. Stock carving/engraving always looks tacky to me.