My own personal "Firearms Curiosa"...

Here's a strange looking muzzleloader handgun...circa.1870

There are no identifying markings, but it strongly resembles the early french  Flobert designs in rifles & pistols made throughout the middle of the 19th century, and when compared to the finish of my other antique's with confirmed dates of manufacture, there is no denying that  the age of the lovely patina that coats all the metal parts is as old as 150 years!

I image that this was a talented person's home workshop project, 19th century "bubba gunsmithing"!!! or perhaps someone hired the local gunsmith to build this piece from a damaged Flobert rimfire rifle or rimfire shotgun?

This is a .50 caliber smoothbore barrel @10 inches long.

The "in-line" percussion system is ahead of its time, and the pistol appears to be built from modified Flobert rifle parts, including the cut down wood stock.

I have safely & successfully shot a muzzleloaded .50 caliber PVC/nylon  Riot-Ball with a cleaning patch wad, no powder, and  only a #11 percussion cap, and the results were 👍

I felt the velocity to be similar to a 400-500 fps airguns muzzle velocity, but only a chronograph test will tell for sure.