New to me 73 duster 340

Pistons are rated for compression with a given CC combustion chamber. Just because a piston is rated at "10.5:1" means nothing, unless you have the combustion chamber size that the piston is rated at that compression for. Chambers could be anywhere from 65cc to 72cc. POssibly a little more. So unless this was blueprinted and MEASURED, it's unlikely you just "lucked up" and landed on 10.5.

Condolences on the loss of your grandfather.
Completely agree that’s just what I was told the pistons were for