Chinese repeating crossbow. Repeating crossbow: description and characteristics Repeating crossbow with winged arrows

CHINESE REPEATED ACTION CROSSBOW

Certainly this is the strangest weapon I have ever described.

Although the multiple-action crossbow is a weapon so ancient that the time of its origin cannot be determined, at the beginning of the 20th century. it was still in service in remote areas of the Chinese Empire.

During the war between China and Japan of 1894-1895. The repeating crossbow was often found among Chinese soldiers who came from deep behind the lines.

Rice. 172. Top view of a Chinese repeating crossbow, showing the cutout on the top of its magazine.

A unique feature of this crossbow is the principle of its continuous action, which works perfectly, despite its primitiveness, and gives the crossbowman the opportunity to fire 10 arrows in 15 seconds.

At a time when China was armed with bows and crossbows that fired one arrow at a time, the repeating crossbow was a very effective weapon for stopping the enemy’s onslaught both in the open field and when defending fortress walls.

For example, a hundred warriors armed with repeating crossbows could fire a thousand arrows into the enemy’s ranks in a quarter of a minute.

On the other hand, a hundred archers armed with bows or ordinary crossbows, firing one arrow per shot, could send no more than 200 arrows at the enemy in the same time.

The effect of a continuous stream of thousands of arrows flying into the enemy crowd in just 15 seconds was, of course, much greater than from some measly two hundred, especially considering that the arrows of barbarian peoples were often smeared with poison.

The small and light arrows of the relatively weak Chinese crossbow described here had little penetrating power. For this reason, the arrowhead was sometimes dipped in poison so that even a small wound would be fatal.

One blow from a heavy arrow from a medieval European crossbow equipped with a thick steel bow was enough to kill a person without resorting to such a cruel means as poison.

Design of a Chinese multiple-action crossbow (Fig. 174).

A, A. A magazine in which 10 or 12 small arrows are stacked (one on top of the other) when the weapon is ready for action.

B, B. The stock in which the bamboo bow is fixed.

C, Lever that draws the crossbow. The lever is attached to the crossbow stock and to its magazine via metal hinges (Fig. 174).

E. A wooden piece, along the top surface of which a cut is made for laying an arrow, having a groove for holding the bowstring.

This part is attached to the magazine and forms its lower part.

The principle of operation of the crossbow (Fig. 174)

The moment the bowstring is secured, the arrow falls from the magazine into a groove cut in front of the groove. The arrow cannot fall out of the magazine into the chute as long as the bowstring is held in the groove (Fig. 175).

The trigger mechanism consists of a small piece of hard wood. When the lever is fully retracted, the trigger mechanism pushes the tensioned string upward from the groove holding it (Fig. 174 B). The trigger mechanism is triggered in a vertical slot. The expansion at the end prevents it from falling out of the slot in which it moves up or down (Fig. 173).

Rice. 173. Action of the trigger mechanism of a Chinese crossbow: B - bowstring in the groove above the trigger mechanism; D - arrow in the groove in front of the bowstring; £ - magazine with a supply of arrows

B, Fig. 174. Here the lever is pulled back, causing the bow and string to be drawn back. If the lever is pulled further than shown in the figure, the protruding end of the trigger will be pressed into the surface

Fig. 174. Action of a Chinese crossbow: A - a magazine full of arrows is pushed forward by a lever

The string is held in a groove above the trigger; B - crossbow in readiness to fire After pressing the lower protruding end of the trigger towards the surface of the stock, the bowstring is pushed out of the groove

Crossbow stock. As a result, the upper end of the trigger mechanism will lift the bowstring out of the groove and release it. Then the arrow flies out and the crossbow returns to the position shown in Fig. 171, that is, in a state of readiness for the next shot.

From this description it is clear how simply and quickly this crossbow operates. To release arrows in the magazine, just move the lever back and forth; the speed of its movement depends on the desire of the shooter.

You can fire even a dozen arrows in 15 seconds.

Through a slight modification in the design of the crossbow, it was adapted to shoot two arrows instead of one with a single draw of the bow.

In this case, the magazine and stock were expanded 1/4 inch (1.9 cm) compared to the weapon described above. A thin vertical partition was installed in the middle of the store, dividing it into two compartments. On each side of the central partition there were a dozen arrows, one above the other. The string passed over two parallel grooves, rather than over one. Of course, each chute was located exactly under the corresponding magazine compartment. As soon as the lever was activated, two arrows fell out of the magazine and lay side by side, each in its own chute. The lowered bowstring released both arrows at the same time.

With this device, a hundred warriors could fire 2 thousand arrows in 15 seconds, that is, twice as many as from a conventional repeating crossbow.

The effective range of these Chinese crossbows was about 80 yards (73 m), with a maximum range of 180-200 yards (165-183 m). Light and short bamboo arrows were skillfully crafted and equipped with metal tips, very heavy in relation to the length of the arrow shaft. The lack of plumage did not restrict their freedom of movement when they fell out of the store one after another. For the same reason, the width of the magazine inside was slightly greater than the diameter of the arrow.

Arrow length was 12-16 inches (30.5-40.6 cm) depending on the size of the crossbow; its diameter was /16-/&schima (0.8-0.95 cm).

The 3 ft 6 in (1 m) long bow was made either from a single piece of male bamboo or from several flat pieces glued together.

In the latter case, the string was passed through a hole in each end of the bow (Fig. 174).

Rice. 175. Magazine of a Chinese multiple-action crossbow with the side walls removed

The bowstring was made from animal tendons twisted into a fairly strong cord.

It can be seen that the arrow cannot fall out of the magazine into the groove along which the bowstring runs, as long as the latter is secured in a groove above the trigger, as shown in Fig. 174, A.

The design of this crossbow is so unusual that at first you don’t believe that this is possible.

However, a fact is a fact: inventor Valentin Artemyev from Novosibirsk created unique weapon— a multi-shot automatic sporting crossbow.

The crossbow-revolver is structurally different from traditional crossbow models in that it is based on an original method of tensioning the bowstring, from which other functional features of the development presented to your attention logically follow. The main distinguishing feature of this design is the principle of a rotating rocking bow, which ensures quick tension of the bowstring and rotation of the drum equipped with several arrows with clear installation of each next arrow into the firing position.

Crossbows of this class can be aimed at shooting at a distance of no more than 30 meters. Of course, the arrow's flight range is much greater, but the inventor has not yet strived for records.

Artemyev's crossbow weighs up to 3.5 kg when fully loaded. In terms of rate of fire, it has no equal among crossbows. (It is clear that any other crossbows shoot only one arrow and then require slow manual reloading). The inventor, without prior preparation, shot a drum equipped with 8 arrows in 18 seconds.

How was such a miracle weapon invented? Yes, apparently, it’s simple: something short-circuited in my head, says Valentin, and it went on and on. First the idea of a revolving bow arose, then the drum was born, and then I decided to fold it like an umbrella. I'm probably not alone in this strategy; and many inventors follow exactly the same pattern. There was just an interest in doing something completely new and unusual. Happened!

“One day in the smoking room at the factory where I worked,” recalls Valentin, “there was a conversation about the history of weapons and then about crossbows. All of them were inconvenient, since after each shot they required a long reload with the next arrow. I got the idea to create a multi-shot automatic crossbow.

- How did I invent it? I just had an interest in doing something completely new and unusual. Something clicked in my head and off I went. First the idea of a revolving bow arose, then a drum was born in my head, and then I decided to add a crossbow to everything, like an umbrella. I'm probably not alone in this strategy, and many inventors act according to the same scheme. I've been inventing and experimenting for over a year. A modern crossbow, like any weapon(remember the Kalashnikov assault rifle), should be easy to use, but very reliable.
Therefore, it is necessary to work out the clear interaction of all parts and assemblies. The idea turned out to be viable. The world's first repeating crossbow was created and tested.

“My “machine” weighs,” the inventor continues, “in a fully equipped state, about 3.5 kg.” As for range, I aimed to create a sports model. Crossbows of this class shoot accurately at a distance of no more than 30 meters. Of course, the arrow's flight range is much greater, but at this stage I was not aiming for records.

From the editor: Having held the crossbow in my hands, I confirm that this is a miracle of sports weapons technology of the 21st century - beautiful and thought out to the smallest detail. An indirect confirmation of this was the assessment of the crossbow by German crossbowmen, to whom photographs were sent. They just didn’t understand - how could this be? They didn’t understand that Russia had made a qualitative leap in sports weapons technology. (How, in the 19th century, the invention of a drum pistol - a revolver - made small arms automatic). (C)

Prototype

The prototype is a hollow shaft on which a drum is mounted with several longitudinal guide grooves for laying arrows. At the front end of the drum there is a flange on which a ratcheting device is made, which serves to rotate the drum, as well as to fix it through holes, the number of which corresponds to the number of guide grooves. In the front part of the hollow shaft there is a pressed eyelet, which has a hole located perpendicular to the shaft axis, in which it rotates freely in horizontal plane body-bracket with a bow mounted on it. The arms of the bow are hinged, thanks to which they can fold, freeing the bowstring from tension, and significantly reducing the overall dimensions of the entire structure (when folded, the crossbow fits in a medium-sized case).

This diagram shows side and top views. The numbers indicate:

3 – bow, 13 – arrow (bolt),
15 – bracket,
18 – drum,
28-29 – retractable telescopic butt,
34 – pistol grip.

The following diagram shows the sequence of actions from pulling the bowstring to firing:

Turn the bow clockwise (or vice versa, depending on the version) until it engages with the trigger rod.

Turn in the opposite direction until it stops (at the moment of turning, the string is tensioned and the next arrow is installed, using a ratchet mechanism, into the firing position).

And the shot (the trigger is activated, and the lowered bowstring throws out another arrow).

Such a scheme ensures fast (about 1 sec.) reloading and bringing the crossbow into combat readiness, due to which the rate of fire increases several times in comparison with traditional designs.

A folding bow and a telescopic butt make it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the structure as a whole, while bringing it into working position takes no more than 10 seconds.

Placing arrows directly on the drum (as in a revolver) also significantly reduces the preparatory time for bringing into combat readiness and reduces the reloading process to a simple turn of the bow, during which the drum rotates synchronously, and the next arrow is fixed in combat position.

The bowstring is captured at the end point of the bow's rotation. Its tension occurs at the moment of reverse rotation, and due to the formation of a lever, the tension force of the bowstring is significantly reduced.

This diagram shows the sequence of placing the crossbow in the transport position:

The arms of the bow fold in a horizontal plane.

The arms of the bow are folded in a vertical plane and fixed, the butt is pushed into the central shaft until it stops and is fixed there.

Working copy

As you can see from the picture, this is a compact design that bears little resemblance to a traditional crossbow. But, in fact, this is a full-fledged crossbow and, even more than that, it is a multi-shot and rapid-firing machine, equipped with an optical sight and a telescopic butt.

The bow is securely mounted in the stowed position using a spring-loaded carriage. An articulated bracket with two degrees of freedom ensures installation of the bow in a firing position.

The string is attached to the ends of the bow by earrings-hooks and is tensioned by turning the shoulders into a horizontal position until it stops.

And in this photo the crossbow-revolver is fully assembled; — the bowstring is on, the butt is extended to working length, the weapon is ready for use.

The string is tensioned by turning the bow until it is captured by the trigger mechanism and turning it back until it stops.

The bowstring is taut; - the weapon is ready for battle. Now all you have to do is remove the safety, take aim and press the trigger guard. Preparing for the next shot is done by turning the bow. The bowstring is pulled in reverse and, using a ratchet mechanism, the drum rotates synchronously, placing the next arrow in the firing position.

Many fans of films about old England have the deadliest view of the medieval throwing weapons considered a large bow. Less popular and well-known is its competitor - the combat crossbow. Nevertheless, according to experts, it was crossbowmen who formed the basis of the infantry in the Middle Ages. Today, weapons designers create crossbows of various types: sports, recurve, block. Shooting models are suitable for sports or recreation. One of the interesting examples of throwing bladed weapons is a repeating crossbow. The description, design and characteristics of this product are presented in the article.

Acquaintance

A crossbow is a type of throwing weapon. Its design includes a bow, a special stock and mechanisms responsible for cocking and lowering. Crossbows first appeared in China.

Before this, the main metal bladed weapon was the bow. However, experienced shooters noted that it was not able to conserve energy. In addition, when using a bow, aiming took a lot of time. In this regard, a repeating crossbow compares favorably with a bow. It is noted that shots from this weapon are more powerful and accurate. However, according to experts, in such a criterion as speed, a crossbow is significantly inferior to a bow.

How does the weapon work?

Shooting from a multi-shot crossbow is carried out using special bolts located in the magazine. First, the shooter must pull the bowstring, after which the bolt moves into the groove. Then the trigger mechanism is activated and the arrow leaves its groove. A repeating crossbow is equipped with a special lever, which, in order to prepare the next arrow, must be pulled immediately after the shot. The main element in the design of the crossbow is the shoulders, which are provided with the ability to rotate. To cock the weapon, you need to move one shoulder all the way and then return it to its previous position.

About the advantages

A repeating crossbow, unlike a bow, can be kept cocked for a long time. This will not affect the quality of the shot in any way. The first examples of Chinese crossbows were very bulky. However, their designs have been improved. And today, on the shelves of specialized stores, more compact multi-shot combat crossbows are presented to the attention of fans of bladed throwing weapons.

About the disadvantages

TO weaknesses repeating crossbows include:

Presence of noise (the shot is accompanied by a characteristic bang).
The weapon is not designed for long distances.

Do-it-yourself repeating crossbow

Judging by numerous consumer reviews, making throwing weapons is not difficult at home. Below is a diagram of a repeating crossbow.

According to craftsmen, handicraft products are obtained from scrap materials, which in their characteristics are practically indistinguishable from branded models. To do this, you should adhere to the following parameters:

The weight of a homemade repeating crossbow should not exceed 3 kg.
Weapon length: 96 cm.
Width: 82 cm.
Weight of one bolt: no more than 25 g.

What will you need for work?

Before you begin making a crossbow, you need to ensure you have:

A piece of car spring 0.6 cm thick.
Wooden block.
Steel sheet 0.3 cm.
Mounting bolts with nuts.
Steel corner 5x5x0.4 cm.
Profile pipe.

The craftsman should also prepare a set of keys, sanding discs, pliers, a screwdriver, an awl and a knife. Since the work will be performed using a welding machine, a circular saw and a grinder, you should prepare safety glasses.

Progress

According to experienced craftsmen, it is better to work according to a finished drawing. A repeating crossbow must be equipped with the following components:

Fastening. This is the central piece to which the stock and shoulders are attached. Fasteners can be made from steel sheet. Trimming is done using a grinder. Then the sheet needs to be bent and the ends welded to each other. You need to make a hole in the mount through which it will be connected with a bolt to the crossbow stock.
The shoulders are made from automobile springs. The workpiece must be equipped with four holes.
Block system. It consists of special wheels on which the bowstring slides. The advantages of the block system include ease of tension and high sliding speed of the bowstring, which has a positive effect on the speed and range of throwing weapons.
The bowstring can be made from a steel cable with a diameter of 0.3 cm. Experienced craftsmen do not recommend using a cable with a larger diameter. This recommendation is due to the fact that it will be much more difficult to tie and fasten a cable that is too thick. If it is thinner than 0.3 cm, then, most likely, it will quickly stretch or fray. In order to make a bowstring, you need to make two oak loops at the ends of the cable. It is better to connect them to the block axis not directly, but using additional parts. In this case, the load on the cable will be distributed evenly, which will prevent it from chafing.
The crossbow stock is made of aspen or maple boards 3 cm thick. Judging by the reviews of the owners, these types of wood have a beautiful texture and are easy to process. In addition, aspen and maple have high toughness and strength. It is not advisable to use an oak board, since the crossbow will be too heavy. A bed made of spruce or pine will warp when wet. The wooden surface of throwing weapons looks much more impressive after careful polishing. Many home craftsmen apply paints and varnishes to their homemade products.
The crossbow must be equipped with a special guide groove for the bolt. Shooting from a weapon will be more accurate if the groove is smooth and well polished. Its width should correspond to the diameter of the bolt. At this point, the DIYer will need a circular saw.
The boom is held in place by a special spring. Its task is to firmly press the bolt to the stock, thus preventing it from leaving the guide groove before firing.

About sights

Home craftsmen equip their crossbows with optical sights. These devices can be purchased at specialized stores. Judging by numerous reviews, it is quite possible to install an optical sighting device designed for bullet shooting models on throwing weapons.

The crossbow can also be equipped with a whole crossbow and a front sight. The rear sight is designed to perform vertical corrections. It is mounted on the trigger cover. Correction in the horizontal plane is carried out using a front sight installed at the junction of the shoulder and the stock. According to many owners homemade crossbows, it will be much more convenient to transport a weapon with a detachable sight.

About arrows

Judging by the reviews, branded arrows intended for bows are suitable for homemade crossbows. If desired, the home craftsman can make them heavier or reduce their length. Before use, it is advisable to test a group of arrows and align an optical sight under them.

Dear lovers of homemade edged throwing weapons, I offer you one more design of the original repeating crossbow. The photos show. How to load this crossbow. Actually, there are no dimensions or assembly descriptions here, of course, but if you have been modeling and manufacturing this type of weapon for a long time, you will easily understand how to assemble this structure.

As you can see from the photographs, almost the entire crossbow is made of multi-layer plywood. The arc is made of a piece of solid wood in the form of a slats with machined edges. You will find a method for making a bowstring , Find out how to do it by following the link. The rest depends on your imagination and skill.

A crossbow, of course, is of no value for practical purposes, that is, you cannot hunt with it. He rather represents simplified model a real crossbow, and will be of interest only to those who like to make original crafts from wood. But if desired, it can also be used for target shooting.

In this picture crossbow cocking mechanism is in neutral position

Then we fix the bowstring in the groove of the crossbow stock

Now let's pull the boom using the lever system

And finally, having fixed the magazine on the crossbow stock, we fire. The shot is fired by pushing out the bowstring using a pusher. For those who need a crossbow for more serious matters, it is recommended

Cho-ko-nu, or Zhuge Nu, also known as an “automatic crossbow” (in reality, not even semi-automatic) is a kind of forerunner of the Gatling gun, which in turn became the prototype of modern machine guns.

At least some general principle their actions are similar, since the reloading mechanics worked due to the muscular strength of the shooter. Only he had to not rotate the handle, while at the same time activating the movable block of barrels...

...and work with the lever, cocking the bowstring of the crossbow's shoulders:

Cho-Ko-Nu device

The arrows, under the influence of their own weight, were sequentially fed onto the guide from a kind of “box magazine” (picture below). The circle under the arrows is a cross-section of the bowstring.

In the initial stages of loading, it prevented the arrows from falling out, and after cocking it ended up in a transverse groove, from which in the final phase of movement of the lever it was simply pushed out and the shot was fired.

The effectiveness of Cho-Ko-Nu, a little history and comparisons

It is clear that the efficiency, as well as the firing distances, of Cho-ko-nu and the creations of Richard Gatling are incomparable. Well, the time interval between their appearance is almost two and a half thousand years!

In reality, the “automatic crossbow” was, rather, a weapon of self-defense, including for commoners, due to its fairly simple design, which did not require special skill in manufacturing. There are also reports of the use of poisoned bolts. Based on the totality of tactical and technical characteristics, a dozen villagers armed with Cho-ko-nu, hiding behind a fence, could easily repel the attack of a band of unarmored robbers with hatchets and knowledge of the secret techniques of the “Drunken Crane Style”. In the event of a confrontation between regular army units, such devices were unlikely to be effective.

Although... The Chinese would not be Chinese if they had not glorified the somewhat fantastic combined-arms capabilities of such an extraordinary invention in their “historical” action films.

So, in the PRC, propaganda of its own history, whatever it may be, and its own achievements is a matter of national importance. In addition, if you look more closely, you will notice that in the frame from the film a crossbow is used not with poor “village” short shoulders as elastic elements, but with an almost full-fledged Asian bow. This will be discussed in the final part of this article.

And further. Zhuge Nu existed almost unchanged until the beginning of the twentieth century, while the Gatling gun had an extremely short life, and it was soon replaced by real automatic small arms. Well, this is another confirmation of the ever-accelerating scientific and technological progress of mankind, especially in the field of devices designed to destroy their own kind.

It is also worth delving a little deeper into the historical retrospective of Chinese technology. Both the crossbows themselves and their locks/triggers (pictured) were found in burials from the time of Shi Huangdi (3rd century BC).

So, even if they were made in different workshops, as evidenced by the marks of the masters, they are completely interchangeable, that is, they are made according to the same drawings and patterns. This indicates the highest level standardization and metrology of the ancient Chinese military-industrial complex :)).

And the weapon itself was superior in its shooting characteristics to much later Western European analogues. Primarily due to differences in elastic elements.

Take a closer look at ancient engravings: the working stroke of the bowstring for all crossbows (not easel monsters) is tiny, and it had to be compensated for by a colossal tension force.

By the way, these days the developers of a unique hunting model from the Canadian company Excalibur have taken this path (see “ “).

And the crossbows of ancient China, unlike Europe, often used a common Asian composite bow (wood, horn, sinew) as elastic elements, which could almost be tied in a knot without damage. Therefore, the guides were quite long, and the shoulders did not require prohibitive “power”.

Drawings of Cho-Ko-Nu

But let’s return to the main character of our story today - the “automatic crossbow” Cho-ko-nu. For those who want to independently recreate this wonderful weapon, we offer the following, although not Russified, but quite working drawings.

Modern "Cobra System Adder", or Cho-Ko-Nu Crossbow in Taiwanese

We understand that someone already winces at the mention of , but PoeLang has come up with such an unusual product... The modular approach allows you to literally sculpt “new” samples on a single base. Well, we can’t pass by and publish regular posts on