Help please? Unknown J. Golcher percussion lock pistol

[Humpy]

Hello all, I am new to this site, so if this is not appropriate please let me know, I have recently got into Flintlock and percussion firearms, I am pretty much clueless about them, after collecting other firearms for over 50 years.
I found this interesting pistol recently, if anyone can share any knowledge about it, I would appreciate it, it looks handmade.
Approximately 68 to 69 caliber smoothbore, 12” barrel,overall 17 1/2 “
 J. Golcher percussion lock.






 Thank you.

[Bob Roller]

I doubt if it's a recent build and that lock is called a "bar in wood" and commonly seen on the left side of a double barreled shotgun
or rifle.Have you removed the barrel to see if there are any names or numbers?This is NOT a junk gun.Using a rod,check to see if it's
loaded.NEVER assume a muzzle loading gun is empty just because it may be old.I am now 87 and remember idiots telling me to cut open
a shotgun shell to get the powder but even then I knew it was a bad idea.Welcome to this forum and what one of us does not know there
will be others who do and are willing to share whatever information is needed.
Bob Roller

[Humpy]

Thank you Bob, yes I checked it with the rod supplied with the pistol, but to be on the safe side I took it outside and set off a percussion cap on it just to make sure it wasn’t loaded.
The person who sold it to me, thought it was a junk pistol, but I wasn’t sure being new to the genre, the more I looked it over the more convinced I was that it was a nice pistol that someone put together in the past, when that past was I don’t know, but it does not look recent.
Thank you for the information, the left side shotgun or rifle percussion lock makes a lot of sense.
I have not taken it apart yet, when I get some time though I will look.