Sorry but no dice on the originality thing. Look closely at the wood near the action. See the chips and voids that have finish in them? On the sides and on the bottom. If that is Parker inleting around the Deeley latch then the boys must have had a six beer lunch that day. The fore end has clearly been repaired, crack is easy to see on the right side. Not sure what the line running parallel to the action on the right side of the head of the stock is.
I think you are correct on the possible crack repair on the forend, Steve. Not unusual in that area. But all the other tiny stuff you mention is just age and wood finish flaking away from expansion and contraction from near 90 years storage. It wasn't made last week. There are no gaps anywhere, and what you mention around the forend latch is very common to Parkers. And worth a mention is the fact that digital photos exaggerate every little imperfection.
I don't think this later Remington gun fits into the "nicer finish" category, but I do think it fits into what Parker was doing at the time otherwise, and I do think it is all original. But I've been wrong before...
JR
