The grain on Italian HH on my A-2 just popped after it got soaked last week.
Agreed, go with the stock zipper unless you have a reason to do otherwise. I went for a NOS 1939 Talon with deco stopper, but I always wanted that zipper on my "Dream jacket" no one else will ever know or care.
Here's the deal. I've loved many jackets since I started really doing this 5 years ago. But there's only a couple and why I only have three of those left in the closet. And of those three, the GW Ventura is simply the one I'd prefer to be buried in as I don't think my son will get from his current 38 to the needed 48.
So unless he has a son that takes after me, this one goes to the grave and gets me brownie points down below where I'll use it to fend off the eternal flames!
And your FL reemergence will only be solidified after you put up some current fit pics of your GW! It closes the circle.