I can't help much with your questions, but
YOU FOUND 4' OF 2-1/8 303 AT THE SCRAP YARD?!?!!!!
I had a similar experience with my local metal retailer/scrap yard.
I stop by every time I'm in the area to see what's in the scrap bins, and one day found a bunch of 303 stainless round rod in three diameters.
I got the following:
1.5" diameter rods, 1 each in the following lengths: 27", 30.5", 32" and 36".
1.75" diameter rods, 1 each in: 25.5", 32.5" and 2 at 42".
And one 2.75" diameter rod at 39".
It had all come in as rods of 8+ feet and they had cut them up just to get them to fit in their recycle bins! The material was sold for scrap by the Idaho Department of Forestry, go figure!?
I got it all for 1.25 a pound, wish now I had bought more!
Needless to say, I stop in very regularly to see what the day might bring