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Old 12-13-2003, 07:09 PM
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Default Crossbows

What I know about archery:

1. the feathers go to the rear.

2. the point goes to the front.

Someone tell me about crossbows. The medieval kind, not the modern kind.
Would they penetrate armor?
Could an armored soldier use one, i.e. did he have enough mobility in armor?

The projectiles were called...bolts?
What were bolts made of?


Airborne! Steve / 82Rigger
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Old 12-16-2003, 10:16 PM
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Yes, to both. A steel (or iron) tipped bolt could pentrate armour. Preparattion to fire the crossbow was the problem. Most crossbows required the shooter to put foot in a loop at the top of the bow. Usually a hand crank pulled the string into the locking position. Shooter places the bolt in the groove, aim, and fire.
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Old 12-16-2003, 10:19 PM
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A bolt was a wooden shaft with or without an iron or steel tip. Good bolts had feathers (fins). Average bolts were just long pieces of wood. Mail Call (with Gunny Ermi) did a spot on crossbows.
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Old 12-17-2003, 08:50 AM
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Default 82Rigger

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Old 12-17-2003, 08:58 AM
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Default Also...

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Old 12-19-2003, 08:13 AM
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Default Steve

The International History Channel, if you get that one did an excellent program on weapons of the middle ages. They spent a while on cross bows and long bows, wish I had taped it. If you get that station, watch for that program.

Also, remember the TV program called Tool Time with Tim Allen as the star? He had an assistant who's TV name was Al Borland, heavy set with a beard, can't think of his real name. On the History Channel, or maybe that one is also on the International History Channel he does a series called Foot Soldiers. The one he does on the middle ages covers the cross bow and shows how the two types operated. Pretty interesting with a little humor thrown in

Stay healthy,
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Old 12-19-2003, 08:49 AM
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Post My Older Brother had a crossbow.

My older brother designed and made a crossbow out of leaf springs he picked up from a wrecking yard. Wow that thing was powerful. At 25 yards those arrows would go right through an inch board. I believe he had over 300 pounds of pull, it would take two folks to load the bow.

Andy, I watched the same program,. They said that the cross bow really change the way battles were fought because their arrows could pierce any armour of the day. After the expience with my brothers cross bow I have no doubt that the cross bow is a leathal weapon. It was the forerunner to the modern firearm.
They could get up to 400 lbs of pull and some need little pulleys and cranks to get the bow string back. Down side to the cross bow, very slow in reloading.

In many states it was banned as a hunting weapon because it was so easy to use in poaching. (No Sound!)

Keith

P.S. My brother went on to get his Masters in Industrial Art.
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Old 12-19-2003, 11:44 AM
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Wink Keith

Sit down, don't want you to fall down from shock. Crossbows are illegal in this state. However, I have shot them (in N.H.) and they are a whole lot of fun. The one I used had a hand crank on both sides and only took about 20 seconds to lock in place. Not sure how many pounds of pressure it was but it went through a bale of hay like crap through a goose. The only bad thing was a very poor aiming device.

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Old 12-19-2003, 01:31 PM
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Post Andy

The one my brother made back in 57 or 58 was pretty crude. We didn't have a cranking devise. That would have come in handly. Yep, those things were pretty powerful. "I wonder if they are lethal?

Certainly could see how they could change the methods of combat. The long bows were more accurate. However they usually didn't exceed about 40 lbs of pull. Enough power to bring down a man or deer at 50 yds or less but not strong enough to puncture armour.

Keith
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Old 12-20-2003, 01:26 AM
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Default Keith, Andy, et al...

I've been perusing some of the sporting goods sights on the web that market modern crossbows.

Modern crossbows have all sorts of neat improvements..silencers that attach to the string to silence the "twang" when you shoot, adjustable sights, even telescopic sights.

All of which makes me wonder...

How effective would such a crossbow be in a modern urban or suburban conflict? I'm thinking in terms of a sniping scenario, hit and run, etc.
At night, there would be no sound, no flash.
Since they can be fitted with scopes, they can also be fitted with night vision scopes.

Also, ballistic vests are made of Kevlar. Kevlar is a fiber. It stops bullets, but cant it be CUT and SLICED? Can it be pierced with a sharp point or penetrated by the slicing action of a slow-moving razor sharp broadhead?

What do ya'll think?

Airborne! Steve / 82Rigger
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