NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Crossbow

A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles. A mechanism in the stock holds the bow in its fully-drawn position until it is shot by releasing a trigger. Crossbows played a significant role in the warfare of North Africa, Europe and Asia. Crossbows are used today primarily for target shooting and hunting.^[1] Crossbow may mean: the weapon, see crossbow or arbalest the video game, see Crossbow (video game) Crossbow (TV series), a television series. ... For other uses, see Weapon (disambiguation). ... This article is about the projectile weapon bow. ... Trigger may refer to: Trigger, a mechanism to actuate the following devices gun crossbow animal trap Trigger, the cause of an event Triggering the precipitation of a dissolved material in a supersaturated solution Triggering an allergic reaction by exposure to an allergen Trigger, a thought, experience or an event that... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of accuracy and speed when shooting various types of guns, including airguns. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ...

Design

A crossbow is a bow mounted on a stick with a mechanism that holds the drawn bowstring, called a nut. Nuts were made of bone, ivory or metal. A trigger system, usually made of metal, could be used to release the nut. Sophisticated bronze triggers with safety notches are known to have been used on crossbows from ancient China. Complicated iron triggers that could be released with little strength are known in Europe from the early 1400s. As a result crossbows could be kept cocked and ready to shoot for some time with little effort, allowing crossbowmen to aim better. Category: ...

The bow (called the "prod" or "lath" on a crossbow) of early crossbows were made of a single piece of wood, usually ash or yew. Composite bows are made from layers of different material—often wood, horn and sinew—glued together and bound with animal tendon. These composite bows, made of several layers, are much more efficient in releasing energy than simple wooden bows. As steel became more widely available in Europe around the 14th century, spring steel prods came into use. Species See text European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Closeup of European Ash seeds 19th century illustration of Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus) An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families (see end of page for disambiguation), but... Binomial name L. Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. ...

The crossbow prod is very short compared to ordinary bows, resulting in a short draw length. The resulting thick prods are less efficient at releasing energy, but more energy can be stored by a crossbow. Traditionally the prod was often lashed to the stock with rope, whipcord, or other strong cording. This cording is called the bridle. Whipcord is a strong worsted or cotton fabric made of hard-twisted yarns with a diagonal cord or rib. ... A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a horse. ...

The strings for a crossbow are typically made of strong fibers that would not tend to fray. Whipcord was very common; however linen, hemp, and sinew were used as well. In wet conditions, twisted mulberry root was occasionally used. Whipcord is a strong worsted or cotton fabric made of hard-twisted yarns with a diagonal cord or rib. ... A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone and is built to withstand tension. ... For other uses, see Mulberry (disambiguation). ...

The problem when handling crossbows was the comparably short draw length and the great amount of energy needed. Very light crossbows could be drawn by hand, but for others the help of devices was needed to increase the power. The simplest version was a hook attached to a belt and drawing the bow by straightening the legs. Other devices were different levers, ratchets and windlasses. The later could also be stationary devices for the use by several crossbows.

Variants

Crossbows exist in different variants, one way to classify them is the acceleration system, another the size and energy, degree of automation or projectiles. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1702 KB) Summary Digital photograph of a recurve crossbow with ammunition. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 1702 KB) Summary Digital photograph of a recurve crossbow with ammunition. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 350 pixelsFull resolution (2246 Ã— 982 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 350 pixelsFull resolution (2246 Ã— 982 pixel, file size: 1. ...

The simplest acceleration system is a straight or bent prod and it is probably the earliest version of a crossbow.

A recurve crossbow is a bow that has tips curving away from the archer. The recurve bow's bent limbs have a longer draw length than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a more acceleration to the projectile and less hand shock. Recurved limbs also put greater strain on the materials used to make the bow, and they may make more noise with the shot. Modern recurve bow // A recurve bow is a form of bow defined by the side-view profile; in contrast to the simple longbow, a recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is aimed. ...

Multiple bow systems (for example a Chuangzi Nu) have a special system of pulling the sinew via several bows(which can be recurve bows). The workings can be compared to a modern compound bow system. The weapon uses several different bows instead of one bow with a tackle system to achieve a higher acceleration of the sinew via the multiplication with each bow's pulling effect.

A compound crossbow is a modern crossbow and similar to a compound bow, The limbs are usually much stiffer than those of a recurve crossbow. This limb stiffness makes the compound bow more energy efficient than other bows, but the limbs are too stiff to be drawn comfortably with a string attached directly to them. The compound bow has the string attached to the pulleys, one or both of which has one or more cables attached to the opposite limb. When the string is drawn back, the string causes the pulleys to turn. This causes the pulleys to pull the cables, which in turn causes the limbs to bend and thus store energy. The use of this levering system gives the compound bow a characteristic draw-force curve which rises to a peak weight and then "lets off" to a lower holding weight. A Browning Compound Bow A compound bow is a modern bow that uses a levering system of cables and usually cams and pulleys to draw the limbs back. ...

In size the smallest are pistol crossbows. Others are simple long stocks with the crossbow mounted on them. These could be shot from under the arm. The next step in development was rifle shaped stocks that allowed better aiming. The arbalest was a heavy crossbow which required special systems for pulling the sinew via windlasses. For siege warfare the size of crossbows was further increased to hurl large projectiles such as rocks at fortications. The required crossbows needed a massive base frame and powerful windlass devices. Such devices include the oxybeles. The ballista has torsion springs replacing the elastic prod of the oxybeles, but later also developed into smaller versions.^[2] "Ballista" is still the root word for crossbow in Romance languages such as Italian (balestra). Download high resolution version (527x683, 127 KB)Ancient Chinese crossbow (2nd century BCE). ... Download high resolution version (527x683, 127 KB)Ancient Chinese crossbow (2nd century BCE). ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 2nd century BC started on January 1, 200 BC and ended on December 31, 101 BC. // Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... An arbalest. ... A siege is a prolonged military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... The Oxybeles (ÎŸÎ¾Ï…Î²ÏŒÎ»Î¿Ï‚, literally bolt shooter) Category: ... The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistÄ“s, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) was a powerful ancient crossbow, although employing several loops of twisted skeins to power it, it used torsion (instead of a prod). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. ... The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family, comprising all the languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. ...

The repeating crossbow automized the separate actions of stringing the bow, placing the projectile and shooting. This way the task can be accomplished with a simple one-handed movement, while keeping the weapon stationary. As a result, it is possible to shoot at a faster rate compared to unmodified version. The Chinese repeating crossbow, Chu Ko Nu, is a small handheld crossbow that accomplishes the task with a magazine containing a number of bolts on top and the mechanism is worked by moving a rectangular lever forward and backward. A Repeating Crossbow is one where the separate actions of stringing the bow, placing the bolt and firing it can be accomplished with a simple one handed movement, all the while keeping the crossbow stationary. ... Repeating crossbows History Repeating crossbows have a long history, with the oldest accurate written knowledge dating to the Han dynasty (ca. ...

Bowguns are a type of handheld crossbow which rather than arrows or bolts shoots spherical projectiles from stone, clay or lead. The simplest version has a loop for the projectile in the sinew or more sophisticated version have a barrel.

Projectiles

The arrow-like projectiles of a crossbow are called bolts. These are much shorter than arrows, but can be several times heavier. There is an optimum weight for bolts to achieve maximum kinetic energy, which varies depending on the strength and characteristics of the crossbow. In ancient times the bolts of strong crossbow were usually several times heavier than arrows. Modern bolts are stamped with a proof mark to ensure their consistent weight. Bolts typically have three fletches, commonly seen on arrows. Crossbow bolts can be fitted with a variety of heads, some with sickle-shaped heads to cut rope or rigging; but the most common today is a four-sided point called a quarrel. A highly specialized type of bolt can be employed to collect blubber biopsy samples used in biology research. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 185 pixelsFull resolution (1309 Ã— 303 pixel, file size: 37 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) from the German wiki File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 185 pixelsFull resolution (1309 Ã— 303 pixel, file size: 37 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) from the German wiki File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For James Bond character, see List of James Bond allies#Quarrel. ... Fletching is the ancient art of creating arrows from materials such as wood and feathers. ... Note: a quarrel may also mean an argument or fight. ...

Crossbows could be adapted to also shoot stones or lead bullets. Primarily used for hunting wildfowl, these usually have a double string with a pouch between the strings to hold the projectile.

Accessories

The ancient crossbow often included a metal grid serving as iron sights. Modern crossbow sights often use similar technology to modern firearm sights such red dot sights and telescopic sights. Many crossbow scopes feature multiple crosshairs to compensate for the significant effects of gravity over different ranges. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1536, 1364 KB) Photograph taken through the telescopic sight of my crossbow, by me. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1536, 1364 KB) Photograph taken through the telescopic sight of my crossbow, by me. ... Looking down the iron sight of an M15A4 Carbine (a civilian copy of the M4 carbine) The term iron sights refers to the open, unmagnified aiming system used to assist the aiming of a variety of devices, usually those intended to launch projectiles, such as firearms, airguns, and crossbows; they... A Norwegian soldier holding an MP5 with an Aimpoint CompM2 red dot sight. ... View through a 4x rifle scope A telescopic sight, commonly referred to as a scope, is a device used to give an accurate point of aim for a firearm. ... A crosshair or reticle is a shape superimposed on an image that is used for precise alignment of a device. ...

Quivers can be mounted to hold ammunition. These are often made from plastic and usually hold the bolts in fixed positions along the structure. A popular detachable design consists of a main arm that is attached to the weapon, a plate on one end that secures four or more individual bolts at a point on their shafts and at the other end a cover that secures their heads. This kind of quiver is attached under the front of the crossbow, parallel to the string and is designed to be quickly detached and reattached. Other designs hold bolts underneath the crossbow parallel to the stock, sometimes on either side of the crossbow. For other uses, see Quiver (disambiguation). ...

A major cause of the sound of firing a crossbow is vibration of various components. Crossbow silencers are multiple components placed on high vibration parts such as the string and limbs to dampen vibration and suppress the sound of loosing.

History

First evidence

It is not clear exactly where and when the crossbow originated, but there is evidence that it was used for military purposes from the second half of the 4th century BC onwards. The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. ...

The earliest documention of a Chinese crossbow is in scripts from the 4th–3rd century BC attributed to the followers of Mozi. This source refers the use of a giant crossbow catapult to the 6th to 5th century BC, corresponding to the late Spring and Autumn Period. Sun Tzu's influential book The Art of War (first appearance dated in between 500 BC to 300 BC^[4]) refers in chapter V to the traits and in XII to the use of crossbows.^[5] One of the earliest reliable records of this weapon in warfare is from an ambush, the Battle of Ma-Ling in 341 BC. By the 200s BC, the crossbow (nǔ, 弩) was well developed and quite widely used in China. Several remains of them have been found among the soldiers of the Terracotta Army in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 BC).^[6] Founded by Mo Zi (whose actual surname was Di, and whose given name was Mo), Mohism (墨家), or Moism, is a Chinese philosophy that evolved at the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism (Hundred Schools of Thought). ... Replica catapult at ChÃ¢teau des Baux, France For the handheld Y-shaped weapon, see slingshot. ... The Spring and Autumn Period (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was a period in Chinese history, which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC to the first half of the 5th century). ... Sun Tzu (孫子 also commonly written in pinyin: Sūn Zǐ) was the author of The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy (for the most part not dealing directly with tactics). ... For other uses, see The Art of War (disambiguation). ... The Battle of Maling was a battle between the states of Qi and Wei in the warring states period. ... The Terracotta Army (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally soldier and horse funerary statues) or Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 life-size Chinese terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Chinese: ; pinyin: ). The figures were discovered... For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ... The monarch known now as Qin Shi Huang (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Shih-huang) (November / December 260 BCE â€“ September 10, 210 BCE), personal name YÃng ZhÃ¨ng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (officially still under the Zhou Dynasty...

The earliest date for the crossbow is from the 5th century BC,^[7] from the Greek world. This was called the gastraphetes, which could store more energy than the Greek bows, and was used in the Siege of Motya in 397 BC. This was a key Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily, as described in the 1st century AD by Heron of Alexandria in his book Belopoeica.^[8] This date for the introduction of the crossbow in the Mediterranean is not accepted without doubt because of the temporal difference between writer and event and the lack of other sources stating the same. At least Alexander's siege of Tyre in 332 BC provides reliable sources for the use of these weapons by the Greek besiegers.^[9] The gastraphetes (Greek Î³Î±ÏƒÏ„ÏÎ±Ï†ÎÏ„Î·Ï‚, lit. ... Combatants Carthage Greek city-states of Magna Graecia, led by Syracuse Commanders Hamilcarâ€ Hannibal Magoâ€ Himilco Hamilcar Gelo Dionysius I Timoleon Agathocles The Sicilian Wars, (480 BC-307 BC) were a series of conflicts fought between Carthage and the Greek city-states of Magna Grecia, headed by Syracuse, over control... This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 kmÂ² (9,926 sq. ... (Redirected from 1st century AD) (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. ... Heros aeolipile Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria (c. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ... In 332 BC, Alexander the Great set out to conquer Tyre, a strategic coastal base in the war between the Greeks and the Persians. ...

The efficiency of the gastraphetes was improved by introducing the ballista. Its application in sieges and against rigid infantry formations featured more and more powerful projectiles, leading to technical improvements and larger ballistae. The smaller sniper version was often called Scorpio.^[10] An example for the importance of ballistae in Hellenistic warfare is the Helepolis, a siege tower employed by Demetrius during the Siege of Rhodes in 305 BC. At each level of the moveable tower were several ballistae. The large ballistae at the bottom level were designed to destroy the parapet and clear it of any hostile troop concentrations while the small armorbreaking scorpios at the top level sniped at the besieged. This suppressive shooting would allow them to mount the wall with ladders more safely.^[11] The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistÄ“s, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) was a powerful ancient crossbow, although employing several loops of twisted skeins to power it, it used torsion (instead of a prod). ... Helepolis (Taker of Cities) was an ancient siege engine invented by Demetrius I of Macedon and constructed by Epimachus of Athens for the unsuccessful siege of Rhodes, based on an earlier, less massive design used against Salamis. ... Demetrius I (337-283 BC, Greek: Î”Î·Î¼Î®Ï„ÏÎ¹Î¿Ï‚), surnamed Poliorcetes (The Besieger), son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Stratonice, was a king of Macedon (294 - 288 BC). ... Combatants Antigonid dynasty Rhodes Ptolemaic dynasty Seleucid Empire Commanders Demetrius ? Strength 1500 11200 Casualties 1300 5400 For other uses, see Siege of Rhodes (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 310 BC 309 BC 308 BC 307 BC 306 BC 305 BC 304 BC 303 BC 302... A parapet consists of a dwarf wall along the edge of a roof, or round a lead flat, terrace walk, etc. ...

Europe

The use of crossbows in European warfare dates back to Roman times and is again evident from the battle of Hastings until about 1500 AD. They almost completely superseded hand bows in many European armies in the twelfth century for a number of reasons. Although a longbow had greater range, could achieve comparable accuracy and faster shooting rate than an average crossbow, crossbows could release more kinetic energy and be used effectively after a week of training, while a comparable single-shot skill with a longbow could take years of practice. Image File history File links Balestriere1. ... Image File history File links Balestriere1. ... Combatants Normans supported by: Bretons (one third of total), Flemings, French Anglo-Saxons Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson â€ Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, thought to be around 4,000, but... Lemonwood, purpleheart and hickory longbow, 45 lbf draw force. ...

In the armies of Europe,^[12] mounted and unmounted crossbowmen, often mixed with javeliners and archers, occupied a central position in battle formations. Usually they engaged the enemy in offensive skirmishes before an assault of mounted knights. Crossbowmen were also valuable in counterattacks to protect their infantry. The rank of commanding officer of the crossbowmen corps was one of the highest positions in any army of this time. Along with polearm weapons made from farming equipment, the crossbow was also a weapon of choice for insurgent peasants such as the Taborites. The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... A reenactor troupe armed with a variety of polearm known as a halberd. ... The Taborites (Czech TÃ¡boritÃ©, singular TÃ¡borita) were members of a religious protestant community centered on the Bohemian city of TÃ¡bor during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century. ...

Mounted knights armed with lances proved ineffective against formations of pikemen combined with crossbowmen whose weapons could penetrate most knights' armor. The invention of pushlever and ratchet drawing mechanisms enabled the use of crossbows on horseback, leading to the development of new cavalry tactics. Knights and mercenaries deployed in triangular formations, with the most heavily armored knights at the front. Some of these riders would carry small, powerful all-metal crossbows of their own. Crossbows were eventually replaced in warfare by gunpowder weapons, although early guns had slower rates of fire and much worse accuracy than contemporary crossbows. Later, similar competing tactics would feature harquebusiers or musketeers in formation with pikemen, pitted against cavalry firing pistols or carbines. A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder is a pyrotechnic composition, an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot gas which can be used as a propellant in firearms and fireworks. ... Japanese arquebus of the Edo era (teppÅ) Example of an arquebus The arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus[1] or hackbut; from Dutch haakbus, meaning hook gun[2]) was a primitive firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. ... Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ...

Elsewhere

In Asia, crossbows were used as antipersonnel and siege weapons. The Chinese developed the repeating crossbow with an automatic reloading system. Image File history File links Ref-chamballista. ... Image File history File links Ref-chamballista. ... South East Asia circa 1100 C.E. Champa territory in green. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... A Repeating Crossbow is one where the separate actions of stringing the bow, placing the bolt and firing it can be accomplished with a simple one handed movement, all the while keeping the crossbow stationary. ...

The Saracens called the crossbow qaws Ferengi, or "Frankish bow", as the Crusaders used the crossbow against the Arab and Turkoman horsemen with remarkable success. The adapted crossbow was used by the Islamic armies in defence of their castles. Later footstrapped version become very popular among the Muslim armies in Spain. During the Crusades, Europeans were exposed to Saracen composite bows, made from layers of different material—often wood, horn and sinew—glued together and bound with animal tendon. These composite bows could be much more powerful than wooden bows, and were adopted for crossbow prods across Europe. In older Western historical literature, the Saracens were the people of the Saracen Empire, another name for the Arab Caliphate under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... A composite bow is a bow made from disparate materials laminated together, usually applied under tension. ...

In Western Africa and Central Africa^[13], crossbows serve as a scout weapon and for hunting, with enslaved Africans bringing the technology to America.^[14] In the American south, the crossbow was used for hunting when firearms or gunpowder were unavailable because of economic hardships or isolation.^[15] Light hunting crossbows were traditionally used by the Inuit in Northern America. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Use of crossbows today

Crossbows are mostly used for target shooting in modern archery. Image File history File links Blubber_biopsy_sample. ... Image File history File links Blubber_biopsy_sample. ... The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of accuracy and speed when shooting various types of guns, including airguns. ... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ...

In some countries they are still used for hunting, such as many states within the USA, parts of Asia and Australia or Africa. Other uses with special projectiles are in whale research to take blubber biopsy samples without harming the whales. ^[16] A few modern military units are equipped with crossbows as even lower noise alternatives to suppressed firearms. This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... This article is about the animal. ... Remains of seventeenth century blubber cauldrons at the abandoned Dutch settlement of Smeerenburg in Svalbard, Norway This article is about the body tissue. ... Brain biopsy A biopsy (in Greek: bios = life and opsy = look/appearance) is a medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues for examination. ...

Comparison to regular bows

With a crossbow, archers could release a draw force far in excess of what they could have handled with a bow. Moreover, crossbows could be kept cocked and ready to shoot for some time with little effort, allowing crossbowmen to aim better. The disadvantage is the higher weight and clumsiness compared to a bow, as well as the slower rate of fire and the lower efficiency of the acceleration system.

Legal issues

The Second Lateran Council under Pope Innocent II in 1139 may have banned the use of crossbows against Christians.^[17] The authenticity, interpretation and translation of this source is contested.^[18] The crossbow often has a complicated legal status due to its lethality and its similarities with both firearms and other archery weapons. ... The Second Lateran Council was called by Pope Innocent II in 1139 as an attempt to reunify the church after the two papacies. ... Pope Innocent II (died September 24, 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was Pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III (Guibert of Ravenna). ...

Today the crossbow often has a complicated legal status due to the possibility of lethal use and its similarities with both firearms and archery weapons.

Contents

Design

Variants

Projectiles

Accessories

History

First evidence

Europe

Elsewhere

Use of crossbows today

Comparison to regular bows

Legal issues

See also

Notes

References

External links