Maverick said

Here is a nice purple label box.
  

Wow. A box of this caliber is my absolute dream.

Anthony said
Just more FYI!

Natural Pigment Vulnerability: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, vibrant red inks commonly relied on carminic acid derived from cochineal insects. These natural organic dyes are chemically unstable—often classified by artists as “fugitive”—and highly susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) light. [1, 2, 3]
The “Fading” Mechanism: When exposed to sunlight and atmospheric oxidation, the red/orange components of the dye break down and fade away first. Because cochineal and other early red pigments contained subtle bluish/magenta undertones, the loss of the dominant warm red hues leaves behind the cooler, bluish-purple remainder.

Tony
  

That means these labels have gotten darker because of UV light, right?

• Natural Pigment Vulnerability: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, vibrant red inks commonly relied on carminic acid derived from cochineal insects. These natural organic dyes are chemically unstable—often classified by artists as “fugitive”—and highly susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) light. [1, 2, 3]
• The “Fading” Mechanism: When exposed to sunlight and atmospheric oxidation, the red/orange components of the dye break down and fade away first. Because cochineal and other early red pigments contained subtle bluish/magenta undertones, the loss of the dominant warm red hues leaves behind the cooler, bluish-purple remainder.

Tony

Here is a nice purple label box.

In many cases, as long as the parts you have are correct, more fitting might be needed as far as polishing and stoning. Clean up the lube and check for bright wear and friction spots. The oil/grease is not a bad thing, but can give you a false sense of correct operation, in tight fittings.

As far as how they should be or operate, they should operate smoothly. Wear over a long time can loosen them up, but when released from the factory they should be smooth. You can't hurt it by fitting it better with the proper methods, such as you're doing.

Enjoy you're project.

Tony

Sincerely,

Maverick

Here are two pictures of the box on the "dark side".

Stefan

While black absorbs all wavelengths of the visible spectrum,  the most common component of black ink is carbon black, which resists degradation because of its structure. 

So, if you expose the dyed cardboard to UV radiation, the black lettering should become more visible as the red fades. 

What UV radiation does to the underlying cardboard itself..... "further affiant saith not." 

steff said
Have you actually done that already, and what kind of UV lamp did you use?
  

No I have not.  I just know that exposure to U.V. light will usually cause colors (ink) to fade.

I have a few boxes of Winchester ammunition from the 1910s whose red labels have darkened significantly. You can hardly read anything on them anymore. Does anyone know of a way to restore them and make them lighter in color?

Greetings from Germany

Stefan

Some of the most effective automotive cleaners are capable and in fact designed to break down everything but metal, including firearm metal and wood finish. I've sold many pallets and even a few drums of it over my automotive career, it's wonderful stuff. I know no one here has a firearm with a synthetic stock but I've heard some can be destroyed by brake cleaner. On top of that many are highly flammable. I keep a case of brake cleaner in my tool shed but it won't be used on my guns!

Mike