Throughout the history of mankind, many types of weapons have been invented. One of them is a crossbow. This mechanical throwing device is significantly superior in its combat characteristics to its predecessor, the conventional bow. The crossbow turned out to be such an effective weapon that it is still used in a number of armies.
Crossbow - Advanced Bow
A crossbow is a special type of melee weapon capable of shooting at a considerable distance. It is a mechanical bow designed for throwing arrows. In terms of its destructive power and accuracy of shooting, the crossbow significantly surpassed the traditional bow, although at first it lost to it in the rate of fire. Crossbows were most actively used in medieval wars. An arrow fired from such a weapon from several tens of meters pierced through and through the war horse along with the rider.
For firing a crossbow, arrows of a special design were used, which look shorter and thicker than usual. In war and in hunting, hand-type crossbows were used, but some varieties of these weapons were widely used as combat vehicles.
In ancient times, large crossbows were called ballistas.
The first crossbows were simple in design, so making them was easy enough. Only later did this weapon become more sophisticated. New types of crossbow bows appeared, which had a complex plate composition. For the convenience of loading, the crossbow began to be supplied with special tensioning mechanisms, which greatly facilitated the work with the weapon. To pull the bowstring, it was enough to turn the special handle several times.
Crossbow device
The basis of any crossbow is a bow or shoulders. Previously, this element was made from durable wood. Modern sports and combat crossbows are made from more suitable materials. Steel, fiberglass, carbon, composite materials with high strength characteristics are used. The bow can be straight or arched. The ends of the bow are equipped with bowstring attachments.
The shoulders of the crossbow are attached to the stock, which gives the crossbow the look of modern small arms. The stock makes it possible to hold the weapon in your hands and aim. The usual material for this element is natural wood such as walnut, beech or oak. Modern samples of crossbows have a plastic stock. Boom rails are provided on the top of the body. In the rear, the stock is equipped with a butt.
In front of the old crossbows, you can see the stirrup - a leg brace designed to hold the weapon when loading it.
An important part of the crossbow is the trigger mechanism called the lock. It is designed for heavy loads and can withstand strong bowstring tension. Not only the effectiveness of shooting depends on the reliability of the trigger, but also the safety when handling weapons.