What is the purpose of stock wood being above the adjacent metal on some guns?
I guess that can be a loaded question, two possibilities that come to my mind are
One, the stock maker wasn’t that good
Two, enough wood was left for future refinishing.
I've heard that it was done to facilitate future refinishing of the stock wood, which might include some sanding.
Karl
wood also shrinks over the years. Many antique firearms that have not had their stocks refinished are below the metal.
Commonly referred to as "proud wood".
Karl