Parlor gun?

[Jayhawker in TX]

I received what I believe is an old parlor gun from my former father-in-law and am attempting to identify it. The barrel is octagonal but appears to fire a BB or small pellet. The overall length of the gun is 40". but the actual barrel length is only 7". The rear site mechanism is missing.
I have not been able to locate any identifying marks on the piece.
I will attempt to attach a couple of photos from my phone..
Any assistance in identifying this odd piece would be appreciated.

 

[Jim Watson]

Sure looks like a Zimmerstutzen to me.
It might be a pure muzzle loader or it might be a "front loader" with the breech action gone with the sights. See a nice one at:
http://www.pbase.com/halp/zimmerstutzen

 

[Jayhawker in TX]

Thank you for the prompt response, I do not find any indication for a breech loader but the resemblance does definitely indicate that this may very well be a Zimmerstutzen. I will do some searches and see if I can come up with a closer match.