Advice needed on coaching a Parker 12 gauge

[Romney Stewart]

I just inherited my great grandfather’s 12 gauge Parker shotgun. As best I can tell the serial number of the gun shows it was manufactured in 1901 and it is made of Vulcan steel. It was missing some screws and I took it to a gunsmith who repaired it, but there is a dent in the barrel several inches down that the gunsmith says make the barrel unsafe to shoot as is, so his recommendation station is to stagecoach the gun and cut the barrel off at some point below the dent. My questions are 1) am I better off leaving the gun as is in its original condition but unshootable, or 2) what barrel length should I have the gun shortened to that would make it a great Parker coach gun? Is the value of the gun completely ruined if the gun is coached even though it’s more fun and functional? I have attached a few pics. Thanks for any advice!