There are a lot of loads out there for short tens which are low pressure and mild enough to shoot. The Parker guys who shoot a lot of 2-5/8 and 2-7/8 chambers generally shoot 1-1/8oz with 18.5ngr of Red Dot or there about. Any mild 12 ga load seems to work fine. THis gun has a rotating bolt and is decent steel, so I would think any mild 12 ga load would work. I keep short 10 gauge loaded so it will fit any of my 10's. Sub 6-1/2# is still not light with those loads. They are light to carry though.
I have singles in every gauge from 8 to .410 bore. I always liked them as "carry around " guns while out walking the property for whatever may pop up.
As I said above, I believe the stock is refinished. I have seen a lot of the blond looking walnut on Euro guns. Since the gun has a later pad and no stain, I am assuming that is the case. I found a number of 12 gauge guns in European ads with a few being engraved. All of them had dark finished stocks.
