Terssen Model 1868
Manufacture d'Armes de l'Etat (Belgium) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1868
Also known as: Fusil Terssen Mle 1868, Terssen M1848/68, Terssen M1777/1868
Overview
The Terssen Model 1868 is a Belgian single-shot breech-loading service rifle chambered for the 11mm Albini cartridge. Designed by Colonel E.J.B. Terssen, commandant of the Manufacture d'Armes de l'Etat in Liege, it was adopted as a temporary stopgap in 1868 while delivery and extractor problems delayed the Albini-Braendlin rifle. The rifle was created by converting older percussion long arms — chiefly the M1848 Thouvenin carbine and French M1777-pattern muskets — to fire metallic cartridges. Its breech uses a lift-block mechanism, broadly similar to the American Allin Springfield Trapdoor, unlocked by turning a large knob on the right rear of the block that cams a locking lug clear so the block can be raised forward.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4700 g (165.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1295 mm (50.98") |
| Barrel Length | 790 mm (31.10") |
| Action Type | Hinged Breechblock |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 410 m/s (1345 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2017 J (1488 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1100 m (1203 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11x42mmR Albini · primary — also known as 11mm Albini, 11mm Belgian, 11x42R, 11mm Terssen
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Single Shot, Lift Block Breech, Rotating Locking Knob, Pivoting Extractor, Ramp And Leaf Rear Sight
Variants
- Terssen M1777/1868 - Front Lock Conversion
- Terssen M1848/68 - Back Action Conversion
Service history
Operators
- Belgian Army · adopted 1868 · as Fusil Terssen Mle 1868
Production
Production years: 1868-1873
Produced as a stopgap conversion at Liege; exact totals not recorded
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Colonel E.J.B. Terssen
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
Built in two conversion patterns: the front-lock M1777/1868 and the back-action M1848/68. Withdrawn from front-line service once Albini-Braendlin production caught up, with surviving examples relegated to second-line and reserve use.
Background
The Terssen owed its existence to a procurement bottleneck: when the newly adopted Albini-Braendlin rifle suffered extractor faults and delivery delays, Belgium needed breech-loaders fast. Colonel Terssen's trapdoor-style conversion let the State factory recycle stocks of obsolete percussion muskets into modern cartridge rifles almost overnight.