Parker from 1911

[Greg Kitchens]

Folks,
Howdy, I'm new to the forum and have never owned a Parker. A widow friend of my mother's has some of her husband's guns and asked me to take a look at them and perhaps later sell them for her if she does not want to hand them down to her grandkids. One is a 16 Ga on an 0 frame that dates to 1911, serial number 156253. Unfortunately, it has been severly neglected in its 99 year history as they outside of the Vulcan steel bbls are in poor shape. Since the bbls measure 24 inches they have likely been cut. Locks up OK though, with a slight left of center lever. The factory butt plate has also been replaced with a Pachmayer. I plan to test fire it and am hoping for some advice as to what shells to use? Are standard light 16 Ga shells OK or might it take a specialty length? Please look at the pics and the markings and tell me anything interesting that comes to mind.
Also, there are three questions I have about this gun that I am hoping someone can answer with the pictures (I'll post the pics in my next entry to this thread):
1. Is the bbl actually cut?
2. What is the color-case hardened metal piece that cuts into the stock behind the frame? I have not seen any pictures of any other Parkers with such a feature?
3. The pistol-grip stock is rounded at the bottom and has no Parker cap like all the pictures of the other Parkers I've seen. What can one tell us about this feature?
Thanks everybody!
-Greg