If the book and the gun agree and the choke taper is one inch long or even non-existent I would still say they are original length.

Rick, I'm entertaining a relative this weekend, but will get the choke measurements hopefully tomorrow. I agree with you on the "look back point". I really like that when seen. Hey, I need you to teach me how to post a phrase or description between pictures like you did in your post. I can't figure it out.

Craig, there is no widows peak in the stock. I haven't received the sellers letter on the gun yet, but he says the LOP and the Silvers pad are both in the letter. The LOP measures 14".

Pete, see my statement above to Rick on the choke measurements. Once I get that done, it will tell the story.

Thanks to all for the comments and compliments on the gun. I am very very pleased with it.

Lacquer.

David, Great gun and beautiful piece of wood too!

Thanks. Brush or spray?

I owned a 30" Damascus GH-16ga which the matting went to the end of the rib. The PGCA letter confirmed the 30" barrels and also explained the matting. The letter stated that the gun was built for stock with 32" barrels. It sat in stock for a couple of years and an order came in for a gun with 30" barrels. Parker took the gun out of stock, cut 2" off and delivered it with the matting going clear to end of the barrels. It also only had about 2 1/2" choke tapers.

It was all factory work done before the gun was delivered.

Very similar situation with the 24" 28 ga. Damascus DHE I pictured above. The gun was made with 28" barrels in 1908 and sat in inventory until 1912 when the order came in for a 24" gun. In fact, the stock book entry shows it as a TI3 but the order book shows it as a Dam3.
I suspect the Titanic 28" 28 ga. barrels were saved and a set of Damascus 28" barrels were cut and fitted to fill the order. The open chokes (4" cut off effectively removes all choke) would not have been a handicap as the gun was ordered for Jessie A. Bishop who would sometimes accompany her husband Henry A. Bishop of Bridgeport, CT on grouse and woodcock hunts at their camps in Maine. The Bishops were quite wealthy and were very well known and admired in Bridgeport and NYC high society. Henry A. Bishop had a very special Parker 28/20 two-barrel set made for himself. I'm working on an article about the Bishops and their Parkers.