Problem early Nitro stock finish - how to spot them?

[RedFeather]

Been seeing used Nitros coming up for or sale now and also one or two left on store shelves. How can you tell if a Nitro has the old, flaking finish or the later, improved? Is the pattern different, etc? Did all "early guns" have defective coatings or only some? How bad was it?

[Remo]

I had an early Crosman NPSS that had the stock peeling issue.  It manifested itself like your skin peeling after a sunburn, with a very thin film lifting from the stock surface in several spots, mostly where there was contact from being shouldered and fired.  The peeling should be obvious upon physical inspection of the stock.  Crosman replaced the peeling stock on my rifle completely with one that doesn't peel soon after I received the rifle, and its been fine since