The structure of a crossbow. History of the creation and design of the crossbow. Forensic study of projectile weapons

INTRODUCTION

A crossbow is an advanced bow that allows the shooter to aim without straining the bowstring. It improves accuracy and penetrating power and can be used by people who do not have the accuracy and strength required for an archer. Crossbow appeared around 500 BC. in China, by the 12th century it had spread to Europe; At first it was used as a military weapon, then it became a weapon for hunters and athletes. Homemade crossbows used until 1918 (Second World War). An arrow for a crossbow is heavier than for a bow; it is more often called a bolt. The advantages of a crossbow over a bow are obvious: greater penetrating power (some crossbows penetrated any armor from 100 m), increased firing range (up to 400-450 m), but there are also disadvantages: long reload time, high cost of manufacturing the trigger mechanism (as a result of which the crossbow could only be afforded by wealthy citizens), the impossibility of using it when moving on a horse (for this reason it did not find use in the East - among horse archers), as well as the fact that the crossbowman, due to the bulkiness of the crossbow, could not use other types of weapons, his had to be defended - this required good organization of the army. Therefore, the crossbow received its main distribution only by the 14th century AD. The bow for the crossbow was originally made similarly to composite bows - from several materials, but with the advent of damask steel and Damascus steel, the composite was forgotten - the tension force of such a crossbow did not exceed the tension force of the bow, and it was no longer advisable to use it.

Crossbow shooting is different from archery and involves three stages:

1. Tension. In the simplest version, the shooter pulls the bowstring with his hands and fixes it with a restraining stop, while the crossbow is fixed with his foot using a special bracket. Over time, tensioning devices appeared, which made it possible to use more powerful bows.

2. Bolt application. The shooter holds the crossbow at a slight upward angle and places the bolt in the groove, with the back end of the bolt resting on the bowstring stop. Some crossbows have a spring to hold the bolt in place, allowing you to shoot at any angle and in any direction.

3. Aiming and shooting. The crossbow is applied to the shoulder like a gun, aiming is done by analogy.

Devices for tensioning the bowstring:

1. Brace for leg and both arms. The method was used with relatively weak bows.

2. Tension strap with hook. The leg fixes the crossbow, as in the first method, the shooter bends, the hook on the belt engages the bowstring, and when the shooter straightens, the bowstring is tightened and fixed.

3. An improved version of method 2: a rope with a movable roller, also attached to a belt, is used.

4. "Goat's leg." The shooter places both curved levers on pins protruding from both sides of the stock, the opposite end pulls towards himself, dragging the bowstring with his movable paws.

5. Release lever. The hook hooks onto the bracket at the front of the stock and pushes the bowstring back.

6. Gate with rack and pinion. Appeared around 1450 in Germany. The bowstring is tensioned through the collar. Used for the most powerful crossbows. It was popular among hunters, since the military was not satisfied with the draw speed and low rate of fire.

7. Built-in tension lever.

Methods for tensioning a crossbow string.

There were varieties of crossbows for shooting bullets or stones. Their difference is a forked bowstring with a pocket for a bullet. In the 19th century, China began to use repeating crossbows, which used non-feathered bolts that were fed automatically from the magazine when the bowstring was pulled.

They had a good range and were more powerful than most bows, but took much longer to reload. On average, most crossbowmen fired 2 shots per minute.

The crossbow was held horizontally and fired using a trigger mechanism that released a tight bowstring. To load the crossbow, it was placed on the ground and supported with one's foot. The string was pulled back with both hands or using a device. The crossbow fired a projectile that was much shorter than a regular arrow. It had feathers to stabilize it in flight and had a pointed end.

The crossbowman often carried a passive shield in battle to provide coverage while reloading. It was a tall shield with wooden bracelets attached. A squad of crossbowmen was a wall of such shields. As they fired, only the crossbows and their helmeted heads emerged from the shield wall. This kind of detachment forced the enemy to retreat in open space.

The crossbow was a deadly weapon and was very popular for the simple reason that it took little time to learn how to shoot. Relatively raw soldiers could become skilled crossbowmen in a short time, and a well-aimed shot could kill an armored knight who took a long time to train. The crossbow was considered criminal in some circles (knights, especially) because it required such little skill. Richard I of England, the Lionheart, was wounded twice by crossbow arrows. The idea of such great people being easily killed by ordinary soldiers or even worse was terrible for noble people. In the twelfth century, the Pope tried to ban the crossbow as an inhumane weapon.

1. COMBAT CROSSBOW XIV-XVI CENTURIES. Bow, originally “compound”, from the beginning of the 15th century. replaced by steel. Tension force up to 200 kg. The tension was carried out by a “goat’s leg” - an iron lever of a complex shape resting on two protrusions. When turning the lever, with increasing tension force, the radius of rotation of the lever decreased. Firing range up to 300 m. Rate of fire - 2-3 bpm. The descent is "nut". Worn on the shoulder or belt.

2. COMBAT AND HUNTING CROSSBOW XIV-XVII CENTURIES. Bow, originally “compound”, from the beginning of the 15th century. replaced by steel. The tension force reached 300 kg. It was tensioned with a “German collar” - a gear rack with two claws in an iron case with a gearbox. Firing range - 300-400 m. Rate of fire - 1-2 bpm. The trigger is a rotating “nut” with notches at the top (for the bowstring) and at the bottom (for the nose of the trigger guard). In combat crossbows, the trigger guard is simply a lever on an axis, in hunting crossbows it is a complex and very delicate device. Worn on a belt or near the saddle.

3. COMBAT AND HUNTING CROSSBOW XI-XIII CENTURIES. The bow belongs to the type of “complex” bow - glued together from wood, covered on the inside with bone plates, on the outside with tendons and covered with birch bark. Tension force up to 120 kg. It is tightened with a foot inserted into the stirrup and a hook on the belt. Firing range up to 200 m. Sighting range, like all crossbows, is about 60 m. Rate of fire - up to 4 bolts/min. The descent is a notch with an ejector or a retractable stop. Worn on a belt over the shoulder.

4. ITALIAN BULLET HUNTING CROSSBOW XVI-XVII CENTURIES. Ballestra Steel bow with complex profile. The bowstring has a special leather or wicker socket for a lead bullet. Tension force 25-30 kg. Firing range up to 100 m. Sighting range up to 20 m. Pulled by hand. Rate of fire up to 6 bullets per minute. Used for court hunting of small birds, usually by women.

5. HUNTING CROSSBOW XVII-XVIII CENTURIES. The bow is steel, often from earlier crossbows. Tension force up to 200 kg. It was pulled by a “goat leg” - a two-part lever made of wood. Firing range up to 200 m. Rate of fire 2-3 bpm. The descent is a notch with a stopper. Worn on a belt over the shoulder. When installing a bar with a groove over the bowstring, it was possible to shoot lead bullets from a crossbow.

6. COMBAT CROSSBOW XIV - EARLY XVI CENTURIES. AND TARGET XVI-XVIII CENTURIES. Steel bow. Tension force - up to 530 kg. It is tensioned with an “English collar” - a system of blocks, pulleys and a collar. The weaker crossbows had one block, the most powerful - 4. Firing range - 300-700 m. Rate of fire - no more than 1 bpm. The descent is "nut". The collar was worn on the belt, the crossbow on the shoulder.

DO IT YOURSELF - Crossbow "Housebreaker"

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

The crossbow is made from springs from Moskvich. Dimensions are visible from the photo. The tension unit allows even a teenager to cock a crossbow into combat mode. The cable is tensioned in two steps and secured.

The suspended boom flight is at least 400 meters. Tension force up to 50 kg. The device for making arrows allows you to obtain round blanks from blocks of wood (preferably hardwood - oak, hornbeam, beech) using a drill. The stabilizer is made of thick electrical cardboard.

The optical sight with laser pointer is not shown in the photo.

BLUEPRINTS

DO IT YOURSELF - Crossbow "Lord"

Characteristics:
Medieval crossbow 14-15 centuries, England, with a collar.
Length with stirrup - 850 mm
Weight - 4 kg, with collar - 5.5 kg
Spindle arrows, beech, birch, feathering - leather 2.5 mm thick. Bolt weight 70 grams, length - 350 mm
The arc is made from a spring from a ZIL car. Length - 700 mm, width: in the middle 45 mm, at the edges 25 mm; thickness: in the middle 8 mm, at the edges - 6 mm
Arc force more than 150 kg
Trigger - walnut with a diameter of 32 mm and a thickness of 25 mm
Arc in protective casing (skin)
The stock is made of oak; covered with natural linseed oil
Bowstring - polyamide thread, finished bowstring diameter 10 mm
The stock is made of horn, the groove is made of mahogany
Decorative overlays - brass, etched pattern
The gate is made of steel, the blocks are brass
The time for charging a crossbow using a collar is 40-50 seconds. The force was not measured, but even children loaded quite easily
Rope on the collar - nylon
Arc fastening - using steel wedges
Range aimed shooting- 250 meters
Bolt flight range - more than 1000 meters

It took several months to collect materials for the gate.

When shooting at close targets up to 100 meters wooden part the bolts were destroyed when they hit the target, punching through a board 8 cm thick.

TRIGGERS

Mechanism?1.

The drawing is schematic and the arrangement of parts is rather arbitrary, but I think everything is clear. Approximate length 8-9 cm.

Mechanism?2.

Mechanism?3.

Mechanism?4.

BEST CROSSBOWS 2007

Modern powerful crossbows come in match and field crossbows. It is known that the invention of the field crossbow is attributed to American Marine archers. The ammunition of a field crossbow is feathered arrows, duralumin or carbon. In field crossbow shooting competitions, a standard five-color bow target is used. Competition tension is 43 kg, outdoor shooting distances are 35, 50 and 65 meters, indoors are 10 and 18 meters.

Match crossbows shoot with non-feathered bolts, and the tension when shooting from 10 meters is 70 kg, at a distance of 30 meters - 120 kg. Competitions take place in closed or semi-indoor areas - specially equipped shooting ranges.

It is worth noting that in terms of their combat characteristics, and most importantly, their versatility of use, modern, technologically advanced crossbows are in many ways superior to firearms in specific conditions of use. For example, during the Vietnam campaign, crossbows performed well and entered the arsenal of American rapid reaction units.

First of all, crossbows have such an important quality as noiselessness. The absence of interacting metal parts eliminates the clanging noise that accompanies shots even from low-noise and silent rifles and pistols. In addition, the energy capacity of modern materials used to create such crossbows, such as Tenpoint Pro Elite ( best crossbow year according to the American magazine Inside Archery) or Stryker (the best new technologies from Outdoor Canada), significantly exceeds the muzzle energy of a nine-millimeter bullet fired from a pistol.

What are the features, what is the beauty of hunting with a crossbow? Each hunter chooses the type of hunting that is most pleasant to him and, as they say, “what is Caesar’s is Caesar’s, and what is mechanic’s is to the mechanic.” Some people like to stand on a tower near a salt marsh and wait for their doomed victim, some are interested in driving a crowd into the beast and shooting it as an enemy of the people, and some enjoy hunting with a crossbow. For many people, hunting with a crossbow is not a hobby, but an exciting sport. main feature hunting with a crossbow is that the hunter becomes on an equal footing with the victim, he creates for himself the conditions of hunting centuries ago, complicates the hunting process and, accordingly, raises its prestige. Anyone can kill a wild boar with a screw cutter, and there’s nothing special to be proud of. If you want to eat, buy pork and eat, and if you want hunting, sport, courage, put your multi-shot gun aside, pick up a crossbow and go into the forest - show your peasant prowess. The main beauty of hunting with a crossbow is that such hunting is almost silent. A rifle shot can be heard several kilometers away, and all the people and animals in the area know who, where and with what caliber... A shot from a crossbow is almost silent - a light clap that drowns in the foliage after a hundred meters. There are often cases when the bird does not even fly away and there is an opportunity to reload, make adjustments and shoot again.

What does it take to successfully hunt with a crossbow?

Of course, the crossbow itself. Modern crossbows can be divided into two classes - classic crossbows with recursive (curved) arms and block crossbows, equipped with a system of eccentric blocks that facilitate loading the crossbow and speed up the acceleration of the arrow.

Recurve crossbows have a number of advantages - they are lightweight, easy to use and extremely reliable. Having arms with a pulling force of more than 50 kg, recurve crossbows are suitable for hunting any small, large animal and bird. They are easy to assemble and disassemble and easy to transport. They are versatile for long hikes, where every kilogram counts. Heavy block crossbows are good for outdoor hunting of large, often dangerous animals, when you need large stock power and high energy. A compound crossbow is not always needed.

Shooting a capercaillie or a beaver with a block gun is the same as shooting sparrows from a cannon.

In general, crossbows are great for various types hunting: both “from ambush” and “from the approach”. Modern crossbows most often have arms made of high-modulus composite materials, devoid of “fatigue” - the crossbow can be carried cocked for several hours - this gives the hunter the opportunity to quickly shoot at an unexpected target.

The only type of hunting in which a crossbow is useless is shooting at a flying target - it is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to hit.

How powerful should a hunting crossbow be?

The power of a crossbow theoretically depends on two parameters:

1) the force that the arc develops at the limit point of the bowstring stroke;

2) the ultimate ability of the arc to bend or the stroke (excursion) of the bowstring. There are eccentrics who dream of buying a crossbow with a pulling force of 200 kilograms or more. Of course, these are crazy ideas.

For confident shooting at large ungulates at a distance of up to 50 meters, a crossbow with a tension force of 50-70 kg is sufficient. For wild boar hunting, it is better to take a crossbow that is a little more powerful - with shoulders of about 80 kg. I want to emphasize once again that you should not chase power - correctly selected ammunition and good shooting skills will give you much more advantages than monstrous power arms.

Sights.

The main feature of sighting devices is determined by the ballistics of the flight of a projectile (arrow, bolt), which causes a significant change in the position of the aiming line relative to the line of departure with a slight change in the distance to the target. Modern crossbows always have a dovetail, on which you can install whatever your heart desires.

In fact, a crossbow does not need a powerful optic greater than 4x. 4X32 or 4X24 is optimal, but it is best to use a collimator sight - it is convenient both during the day and at dusk, when you need to aim with both eyes.

The collimator is also good for quick shooting at moving targets. I recommend a collimator as the optimal sighting device for crossbows.

What ammunition is used for crossbow hunting?

For hunting large game, it is advisable to use professional, branded arrows (bolts) made of carbon or fiberglass - they are very light, durable with ideal geometry and correct “weight distribution”. Sometimes you can find good aluminum arrows, but they are more suitable for practice shooting or “feather” hunting.

Often, hunting arrows have a threaded insert on the front section of the shaft, which allows you to change the tip from a sporting one to a hunting one and vice versa. A hunting tip is most often equipped with three or more steel blades; in some cases, the tips are collapsible with the ability to replace individual blades.

The fletching of hunting arrows is always longer than that of sporting arrows. This is explained by the fact that the arrow must instantly stabilize in flight and take a firing position; this is especially important when shooting at short distances- up to 30 meters. The length of the arrow usually corresponds to the guide of the crossbow and the excursion of the bowstring - most often hunting arrows range from 40 to 50 cm in length.

The weight of a hunting arrow is approximately 30-35 grams.

Arrows for hunting birds and small game are usually shorter and lighter; Weight Limit 25 grams, and length - 30 cm. Fiberglass and aluminum are ideal materials for cheap, "bird" arrows.

Harpoon arrows for hunting fish deserve special mention. By the way, in America, shooting fish with a crossbow and bow is a popular pastime, similar to our spear hunting. The harpoon arrow has a special needle-shaped shape, which allows the arrow to move easily under water and a tip with a “tooth” in the form of a spear. On the butt plate of the arrow there is a small hook to which a nylon thread is tied; the thread itself, in turn, is wound on an inertia-free reel and attached to the crossbow.

The optimal distance for shooting with a crossbow.

For hunting, it is advisable to use a crossbow with such power that a conventionally straight shot at the chest figure is at least 50 meters. The trajectory of a crossbow arrow has its own characteristics and is difficult to calculate at long distances, so it is advisable to shoot at a distance of a conventionally direct shot - up to 50-60 meters. You don’t have to worry about accuracy of fire - any decent crossbow is several times superior to a smoothbore gun in accuracy of fire.

Where to shoot?

Killer places for crossbow shooting - not only thoracic region and neck, but also belly. For example, a wild boar, after an arrow hits the stomach area, simply sits on the ground and screams, a couple of seconds and the second, control arrow stops the torment. The most “killer” places, of course, are the neck and chest: a hunting arrow easily spreads the ribs and, even breaking one of its blades, goes deep inside and inflicts fatal wounds. When hitting chest an adult deer from a “60-kilogram” crossbow from a distance of about 50 meters, the arrow goes 20 centimeters inward and reaches vital organs. If the tip was fastened “tightly” and cannot be unscrewed, then it is no longer possible to remove the arrow from the victim, you can only cut it out.

How humane is hunting with a crossbow?

Firstly, a hunter with a crossbow has only one responsible shot and must clearly decide whether to shoot or not. If the distance or power of the crossbow does not allow you to confidently kill the animal, it is better not to shoot at all. A crossbowman never fires like a madman at the bushes in bursts - everything is always decided by one single arrow.

Secondly, it has long been proven that a shot from a crossbow at distances of up to 60-70 meters is more effective compared to a bullet. Unlike a bullet, an arrow does not have a shock or stopping effect; more precisely, the “stopping effect” is achieved in a different way - a crossbow or archery arrow, hitting the victim’s body, does not allow movement, paralyzes.

Possessing a three-blade tip, the arrow causes serious damage and causes rapid blood loss.

There are practically no wounded animals in crossbow hunting, so hunting with a crossbow is more humane than with other types of hunting weapons.

What should you pay attention to when hunting with a crossbow?

First of all, safety precautions. This technique is exactly the same as firearms, only with small additions. The most important thing is that while shooting, it is important to vigilantly watch the fingers of your left hand - they should not fall on the line of movement of the bowstring - we do not have many fingers to spread them out.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the shoulders of the crossbow so that during the shot the shoulders do not hit branches or foreign objects. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the bowstring - it should not have any visible damage or tears that could cause the bowstring to rupture during the shot. Blank shots should not be allowed - they can damage the shoulders and bowstring. Otherwise, the rules for handling a crossbow are based on the same laws of reason and rules of conduct for hunting.

Like many centuries ago, the design of the crossbow remains virtually unchanged

Compound Bow with separated shoulders

Fiberglass and aluminum are ideal materials for crossbow arrows and bolts. Often the bolts have a threaded insert on the front cut of the shaft, which allows you to change the tip from a sporting one to a hunting one and vice versa. A hunting point is most often equipped with three or more steel blades

1.Castle

The lock secures the crossbow string in the cocked state. The principle of its operation is based in one form or another on a design invented by the ancient Chinese: when cocked, the bowstring snaps a “nut” onto a spring-loaded trigger. Subsequently, this design was continuously modernized, became more complex, and acquired adjustments, fuses, and additional parts to facilitate descent. Even an electronic trigger mechanism is not uncommon on expensive sports models.

Unlike a firearm trigger, in which a lot of force is not required to hold the “striking pin,” the parts of a crossbow lock bear all the power of its shoulders, so high-strength steel is most often used for their manufacture, and less often, titanium or composite materials. Although some “craftsmen” try to make locks from aluminum, they do not last long and, as a rule, apart from injuries, they do not bring any other joy to their owners.

2.Box

The stock is the basis of the crossbow. It is the design and materials of the stock that determine the convenience, comfort and appearance of the entire crossbow. For a hunter, the stock will be light and flexible, for an athlete it will be long and heavy, with numerous adjustments, in the gift version it will be expensive and beautiful, with carvings and inlays, and for children it will be small and safe, pistol-type. The most suitable material is wood or glued veneer. Plastic is not welcome. But not any tree is suitable for creating a stock; it is best to use walnut, oak, mahogany for these purposes, that is, strong and tough types of wood.

3. Shoulders (arches)

The arms of a crossbow are the elastic elements of a bow that store the human mechanical energy produced during the draw for the subsequent shot. The shoulders are attached directly to the stock, on powerful crossbows— to the stock through a metal block (5). Crossbow bow designs are divided into traditional and compound bows.

In turn, the shoulders can be straight or curved (recursive), have a monolithic or separate design.

The traditional design is a regular bow as we understand it, the ends of which are tied with a string. In the block design, blocks (round or eccentric) are fixed at the ends of the arms, through which the bowstring is passed. Due to these blocks, the process of cocking a crossbow is significantly simplified, while the power of the shot remains the same.

The most common materials for the production of shoulders are reinforced fiberglass, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and duralumin. Previously, when materials were tight, old springs from Moskvich were used as a blank for the bow. Not only was such a crossbow incredibly heavy and massive, it was dangerous, since the steel tended to burst at the most inopportune moment, scattering sharp fragments in different directions. Therefore, subsequently they began to put a protective bandage on such bows, and then they completely abandoned this material.

4. Stirrup

The crossbow stirrup is designed to facilitate the cocking process. The stirrup can be loop-shaped or T-shaped. In both cases, the shooter’s legs hold the crossbow by the stirrup while the string is tensioned.

5. Block

The block is the second most important component of a crossbow after the lock. This element plays a connecting role between the shoulders and the rest of the crossbow structure. It is the block that bears the entire load of the arcs in their pure form. It is the block that must withstand enormous loads during a shot. It is on the block that all the energy of the so-called “reverse recoil” occurs, when the arrow has already flown out, and the shoulders continue to straighten further at enormous speed. That's why so much attention is paid to the block. Typically, high-strength steel is used for the block; on expensive crossbows, titanium is used. Although I sometimes met crazy would-be designers who put an aluminum profile block on their 80-kilogram crossbows. And then they wondered why, after a dozen shots, she was turning inside out.

6. Bowstring

The string of modern crossbows is a thread folded several times, followed by braiding of the rubbing parts. The best way For a bowstring, a strong and low-stretch thread is suitable, such as Dacron, lavsan, aramid thread (in common parlance - Kevlar) or a foreign analogue of Fast-Fligh. On powerful crossbows, as well as on auxiliary bowstrings of block crossbows, a steel cable is used.

7. Guide

The crossbow's guide, as the name suggests, is designed to hold the arrow and guide it towards the target. U medieval crossbows the groove was made either directly in the stock, or in the form of a bone lining with a groove. On the simplest modern crossbows, a plastic guide is glued directly on top of the stock. On more “advanced” ones, the guide plate is made of a material that has sufficient anti-friction properties so that the arrow moves along it easily and evenly, and the bowstring wears out as slowly as possible. In systems with with great effort tension, it is even recommended to use oil to lubricate the guide. Such a guide is fixedly attached to the body of the crossbow, or two guide plates are used, located at some distance from each other. As for the distance between the guides (groove), its dimensions depend on the diameter of the arrows used, as well as the height of the tail. As a rule, the width of the groove (with chamfers removed) should be such that the axis of the arrow intersects the center of the bowstring, which in turn should lie (without vertical force) on the upper surface of the stock and move parallel to it when fired.

8. Sighting device

Due to the steep trajectory of the arrow, the installation and design of crossbow sights has its own characteristics. The sights used are divided into three categories: open, diopter and optical.

Below we will look at each of them separately, along with the design features in more detail.

Open. This design is a development of the idea of a bow sight. The fixed rear sight is complemented by a console mounted next to the bow, on which a set (three to five pieces) of horizontal front sights (each can be adjusted horizontally and vertically) for different shooting distances (the so-called “comb”) is attached. When aiming, the shooter selects the desired height of the front sight depending on the shooting distance.

Dioptric. Basically, these sights are installed on sports crossbows and are identical in design to sights for bullet sport. All the differences are only in the front sight: it has a wide range of adjustments and can be equipped with a leveling level to control the “blockage” of the weapon. In addition, it is usually possible to tilt the diopter itself and its front sight in order to eliminate the ellipse of the front sight if they do not match in height. On the other hand, there is a tendency to move away from the firearms ideology of aiming. Nowadays they prefer to carry out all micrometric adjustments on the front sight, while the diopter itself remains stationary.

Optical. Existing designs for bullet weapons are quite suitable for installation on crossbows. You just need to remember that the mount has a bevel towards the target of about one or two degrees.

The material was prepared with the assistance of the Interloper crossbow center

(often mobile) and used as throwing machines; such crossbows were called arcbalists.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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The basic part of the crossbow is the stock, inside which the trigger mechanism is attached. On the upper surface of the stock there is a guide groove for bolts, and at the end of the stock a stirrup and a crosspiece were installed with elastic elements (shoulders) attached to it, which are usually made of steel, wood or horn.
A typical trigger mechanism consisted of a trigger lever, a nut (a washer with a slot for the arrow tang and a hook for the bowstring), and a retaining spring. The shorter arm of the trigger lever rested against the protrusion of the nut, the spring pressed on the long arm and held the mechanism in the cocked position. When the crossbowman pressed the trigger lever, the short arm came out of engagement with the nut, which in turn rotated around the axis under the action of the bowstring and released it from the hook.

During the transition to professional armies, interest in throwing combat did not increase. Since the time of Maria's reforms, the Roman Legion no longer included regular units of throwers. The archers belonged to the auxiliary troops and armed themselves, and since the Romans actively used detachments of eastern archers with compound bows, in combination with regular legion throwing machines they did not leave a niche application for the crossbow.
However, in Rus' there is more ancient evidence of crossbows - not only chronicles, but also material ones. So, the Ipatiev Chronicle, under the year 1259, reports: “It is weak to take it,” says the ancient chronicler about the city of Kholm - the citadel of Prince Daniil Romanovich - the boyars and good people will shoot in it, to strengthen the city, vices and crossbows.”
Another example is the discovery in the ruins of the chronicle city of Izyaslavl of the remains of a deceased Russian crossbowman. A special hook was found on the warrior’s belt, which was used to fasten a crossbow string for cocking the crossbow for battle. Moreover, if we compare all the finds of crossbow belt hooks, it turns out that the hook of the Izyaslavl crossbowman is the oldest in Europe.
However, there is also evidence to the contrary. The Chronicle of Henry of Latvia reports that in the Principality of Polotsk at the turn of the 13th century, the crossbow was not known. [ ]

Spreading

It is interesting that the number of points found for bolts and arrows is 1/20. That is, arming a Russian shooter with a crossbow was an exception, but not uncommon - approximately the same as the ratio of machine guns to machine guns in the modern army. Until the closure of this institution by Alexei the Quiet in the 17th century, in Moscow, along with the cannon, there was also a state-owned crossbow yard. But this did not allow the crossbow to triumph over the bow.

Specifications

In Rus', crossbows were called crossbows. The crossbow was a small bow made of horn or iron, embedded in a wooden plow (stock) with a strip (stock), on which short, forged iron bolts were inserted into the existing groove. The tense bowstring clung to the release lever, pressing which the shooter released the bowstring.
Later, crossbows began to be divided into hand-held and easel. A hand crossbow was tensioned using a lever and a stirrup (an iron bracket for resting the foot) or a collar, and the release was carried out using a simple trigger device.
The easel crossbow was mounted on a special machine (frame) with wheels. It used a steel bow and a thick bowstring made of rope or ox sinew, for cocking which a toothed device was used - a self-shooting brace. The cocking of kolovorots (self-shooting kolovratov) was a major improvement in the design of crossbows in the 12th-14th centuries, since their size was sometimes extraordinary: among the Polovtsian khan Konchak “byahu luzi tusi self-shooting, one 50 husband can strain”(“there were tight self-shooting bows, one could strain 50 men”).
This passage seems to mean not that the weapon was actually cocked by 50 men, which is highly unlikely, but that such was the power of his bow - that is, "man power" was used as a unit of measurement for the force of draw; in reality, the weapon was most likely cocked by one or two shooters using one or another gate-type mechanism, similar to the Arab easel crossbows of that time.
For example, a resident of Alexandria, Murda ibn Ali ibn Murda at-Tarsusi around the 1170s, describing a powerful easel bow made by Sheikh Abu l'Hasan ibn al-Abraki al-Iskandarani "ziyar"(adapted from the French translation by Claude Cahen), indicates that his

the shooting force would require twenty people with dexterity to pull it, but whose job actually provided by a single person, when firing the most powerful and deadly, thanks to the most durable and the most efficient device.

Modern researchers estimate such a tension force of “20 human forces” as equivalent to 1000...2000 kg.

Usage

The difficult fate of the crossbow was due to the fact that, while decisively superior to the bow in range and accuracy, and most importantly in penetrating power, it also had significant drawbacks - an inconvenient shape, high cost and difficulty in loading.
The high cost limited the spread of crossbows to social boundaries - only wealthy militias could afford such weapons. But the organization of the militia armies of ancient and medieval times was based on a property qualification: rich citizens went on campaigns in armor and fought in close combat, and ordinary warriors used throwing weapons.
However, the crossbow had an undeniable advantage. An archer had to study archery for years when it was enough for a crossbowman to understand the mechanism of reloading and aiming.
Although the penetrating power of crossbow bolts was great, the lever crossbow did not penetrate steel cuirasses, and the speed of the projectile, although greater than that of a bow, remained insignificant in absolute terms. The main thing is that crossbow bolts, just like arrows from a bow, got stuck in shields - even if the tip pierced the shield, the shaft still got stuck in it.

Excluding the special case of the relatively massive arming of infantry with crossbows in the Han Dynasty, this weapon received real recognition only in Europe from the 14th century, when numerous squads of crossbowmen became an indispensable part of knightly armies. A decisive role in raising the popularity of crossbows was played by the fact that from the 14th century their bowstring began to be pulled by a collar. Thus, the restrictions imposed on the tensile force physical capabilities arrow, were removed, and the light crossbow became heavy - its advantage in penetrating power over the bow became overwhelming - the bolts began to pierce even solid armor. At the same time, the gate made it possible to cock the crossbow without much effort.
The worst examples of crossbows, both in Europe and in Rus', were made for a long time with wooden arches, which reduced their advantages over bows to a minimum - to ease of aiming. However, crossbows have an extremely simplified design - with a wooden bow and without a trigger mechanism (the bowstring, when taut, clung to the gentle protrusion of the stock, from where it simply collided with a fingernail thumb) were in circulation among poachers until the 17th century. The projectile for such devices was often not an arrow, but a stone or a lead bullet.
The arc of a military crossbow was made first from a conventional bow composite, and later from elastic steel.

Crossbows saved the shooter's physical energy compared to bows. Although the tension of a crossbow was many times greater than the tension of a bow (for example, to cock a Chinese crossbow it was necessary to squeeze out more than 130 kg), even collarless crossbows were much easier to cock, since they use different groups muscles. The bow is pulled by the extensor muscles of the arm and upper back, which are poorly developed in the average person, while the crossbow is cocked by the strongest muscles - the legs, biceps and abdominal muscles. Also, the load was reduced due to the fact that when drawing a bow it was necessary to maintain a balance between strength, accuracy and speed of movement, while for a crossbow only strength was important. As a result, if the bow tension was always limited physical development arrow, then the tension of the crossbow is mainly due to the strength of the trigger mechanism.
On the other hand, even light crossbows had a shot energy of up to 150 J, versus about 50 J for bows. The ability to use a lever, legs, or at least eight fingers (instead of two) to tension the bowstring made it possible, even with a bow twice as short (for lever bows - usually 65 cm, for hand and hook designs - up to 80 cm), to achieve a significant increase in the power of the weapon.
A bolt from a light crossbow could have a weight of 50 g and an initial speed of up to 70 m/s. Such bolts flew at a distance of 250 meters and were dangerous up to 150 meters, and chain mail penetrated from 80 meters, and armor made of leather and iron also penetrated nearby. The bolts of the most powerful lever samples (for example, from gastrofeta) pierced a bronze cuirass from 50 meters.
Even at a short distance, the trajectory of the bolt was, by modern standards, very far from flat, but at ranges close to the maximum, the fire was carried out exclusively with a canopy. For a very long time, crossbows were not aimed in the usual sense - pointing at the target. As a matter of fact, this is precisely why the classic crossbow did not have a butt in the usual sense of the word for us: Chinese crossbows, Roman archubalists, and European crossbows, until the late Middle Ages, were not applied to the shoulder, but were simply held in the hands, giving them what they needed to defeat elevation of the target - when shooting at a group target in a major battle, this was quite enough, but hitting individual targets already required the shooter great art and excellent practical knowledge of the ballistics of your weapon. Europeans apparently began to realize the convenience of placing a long stock against the shoulder during a shot only by the 14th century, and curved butts of the modern type appeared on crossbows in the 16th-17th centuries, already under the obvious influence of firearms, for which, due to their large mass and powerful recoil, this method of retention turned out to be the only possible one.
The rate of fire of a light crossbow (with a lever design) reached 4 shots per minute. The sighting range was 60 meters.
The “muzzle energy” of the heavy crossbow has already reached 400 J (for comparison, the Makarov pistol has a muzzle energy of 340 J). The heavy crossbow had an arc of up to 100 cm in span and accelerated a 100 gram bolt to 90 m/s. Accordingly, the firing range reached 420 meters, but the lethal force was only sufficient up to 250, and shooting at a moving target remained effective up to 70 meters. At the same time, chain mail penetrated from 150 meters, light armor from 50-70, and steel cuirasses (together with the chain mail and padded jacket underneath) from 25 meters.
The rate of fire, however, was already only 2 rounds per minute - the collar was worn separately, it had to be attached and detached. And the heavy crossbow itself weighed up to 7 kg (versus 3-5 kg for a light one), and required support in the form

Nikolay Borisov
Sometimes questions arise related to the technical side of the ancient throwing weapons. For example, what was the speed and flight range of crossbow arrows from different crossbows, what was the efficiency of medieval crossbows, and others.
Based on descriptions ancient weapons, using experiments with modern throwing weapons, it is possible to make estimates and calculations on the throwing weapons of past times.
The book “Bows and Crossbows,” compiled by Roslavlev, 2002, includes the “Book of Crossbows,” written by a researcher of ancient throwing weapons, Ralph Payne-Gallwey, and published in 1907.
Ralph Payne-Gallwein describes various crossbow designs and also gives some of their characteristics.
For example, for a powerful hunting crossbow with a steel arc, he provides the following interesting data: the bowstring that is put on the arc should be 1.25 shorter than the distance between the hooks of the arc; 1.875 cm, If more, then the arc energy will not be fully used, if less, the same thing. For this crossbow, the base size is 12.75 cm and the working stroke is 15 cm. The length of its steel arc is 76cm. The weight of such a crossbow is 6 kg without a cranekin.
From the book by Ralph Payne-Gallwein it also follows that the minimum working stroke of the bowstring of medieval crossbows was 12.5 cm.
The book contains drawings and dimensions of medieval crossbow arrows.
Here is another example - a large siege crossbow, weighing 8.15 kg. Ralph Payne-Gallwein acquired it in the early 20th century, repaired it and tested it.
The main data of the crossbow: the draw force is 1200 pounds (544 kg), the working stroke of the bowstring is 17.5 cm, the flight range of a crossbow arrow weighing 85 grams is 420.6 meters. The arrow has a length of 35cm. The bow of a crossbow is a straight steel bow 96.5 cm long.
There is an opinion that the flight of ancient crossbow arrows is very slow and with almost no loss of speed, and the initial speed of the ancient crossbow arrow (bolt) was about 50m/sec.
This makes me skeptical, because I can’t believe that the bolt, which flew a distance of 420m, had such a low initial speed.
Ralph Payne-Gallwein, at the beginning of the 20th century, did not have a chronograph to measure the speed of flight of arrows, and I, in the 21st century, do not have ancient crossbows to test them directly.
But, despite this, finding out the initial speed of an arrow (bolt) from an ancient crossbow, and, at the same time, calculating its efficiency (or crossbow efficiency) is an interesting task and quite acceptable in the 21st century.
To solve this problem, you need to make a replica of a medieval bolt and shoot it from a modern crossbow.
When making the replica, I was guided by the arrow that Ralph Payne-Gallwein shot from a powerful fortress crossbow across the Menai Strait (England). It is known about the arrow that it had a length of 35 cm and a weight of 85 grams. In addition, I was guided by its description and a detailed drawing of a crossbow arrow of a slightly shorter length.
The finished replica of a medieval arrow has the following characteristics: length 35cm, the cross-section of the wooden part has the shape of a square with a side of 16mm at the beginning, then the cross-section decreases and by the end it is also a square with a side of 13mm. At the very end, the arrow is narrowed on both sides to a size of 10mm. All square ribs are rounded, and the maximum diameter of the ribs is 18mm. The weight of the replica is 81.12 grams, including the weight of the tip - 43.53 grams. In short, the weight of the replica fell slightly short of 85 grams, but the designs of these arrows differ mainly in length and fit into the general picture of crossbow bolts of that period.
The main difference between the replica of a medieval bolt and its analogue is the design of the tail. If a medieval arrow has 2 or 3 feathers, then mine has 4. They are somewhat smaller than the medieval ones, but there are more of them and the total fletching area will not differ much from the fletching area of medieval arrows. It is also necessary to keep in mind that some medieval crossbow bolts were made without any feathering at all.
For calculations on crossbows, you will need to determine the ballistic coefficient of such an arrow. It will not differ much for medieval arrows of similar design.
To determine the ballistic coefficient of a replica medieval crossbow bolt, I conducted experimental shooting with a Hunter Supreme SL compound crossbow from Horton.
The characteristics of the crossbow are as follows:
- tension force – 68.6 kg;
- working stroke – 26.5 cm
During experimental shooting, the initial speed of the replica, determined using the Canadian CHRONY chronograph, was 48.31 m/sec. The maximum flight range, at an angle of 43° to the horizon, was 205.3 m. According to the calculation in the spreadsheet, the ballistic coefficient of the replica is 10.3.
When shooting experimentally across the direction of the wind, the arrow flew in the forward and reverse directions to almost the same distance. The same cannot be said about a modern arrow, for which the difference in flight there and back was 7; 8%.
In order to conduct experimental shooting with the replica, I had to remove the clamping bar from the crossbow, which prevented the installation of the arrow in the crossbow.
In addition, in order for the arrow to receive the correct direction, the arrow had to be installed with its edge in the guide groove. The feathers on the arrow are glued to the ribs, so the feather on the guide rib additionally helped to ensure the correct direction of the arrow's movement along the crossbow's groove.
Calculation of the performance of a shot from a Ralph Payne-Gallwein crossbow.
Let's plug in the ballistic coefficient 10.3 into the spreadsheet; the take-off angle is 43° and we will substitute different speed values into the initial data until the flight range is 420.6 meters - the distance at which Ralph Payne-Gallwein shot when testing a crossbow. The result is an initial speed of 75.m/sec. The energy of the bolt at this speed and weight is 85g. will be – 239 J.
Now let's determine the efficiency of a siege crossbow. To do this, you need to have a graph of the “force - tension” curve of such a crossbow
Since we do not have data on the corresponding curve, we can construct it with some assumptions using information on straight Longbow bows provided on the Internet.
Internet resource address: http://crossbow.wikia.com/wiki/Bow_design
http://www.dryadbows.com/Defining.pdf
as well as the ACS Bows website.
A longbow without a string is a straight stick, just like a steel crossbow bow when unstrung. That is, both of them fall into the “simple straight bow” category.
In theory best option the “force-tension” curve for a straight bow, is a straight diagonal, which is drawn on the drawing of a rectangle, bottom side which is the length of the working stroke of the bowstring, and the vertical side is the value of the forces when the bowstring is gradually tensioned.
The area under the diagonal of the rectangle is the potential energy stored by the onion.
In real longbows, the force-tension curve is somewhat concave. Thus, for Longbow the area under the force-tension curve is 91% of the ideal. In our case, there is also a long straight arc, and without a large error, by analogy with Longbow, we can take the stored energy equal to 91% of the ideal.
Having constructed such a graph and made calculations, we find that the potential energy of the Ralph Payne-Gallwein crossbow will be 425 joules.
Now you can estimate the efficiency of a fortress crossbow when firing bolts weighing 85g. Initial energy An 85 gram bolt, as calculated above, is 239 J. The efficiency of such a shot will be:
239/425 = 0.562 or 56.2%.
According to the calculation in the spreadsheet, at takeoff, such a bolt will have a speed of 58.3 m/sec. In this case, its energy upon impact will be 144 joules. The energy loss at a distance of 420.6 m will be 40%.
According to wound ballistics, the enemy is defeated if the blow has an energy of 80 - 100 joules. In our case, at the end of the bolt, if it hits the enemy, his defeat is guaranteed, and even armor will not save you.
The flight time at an angle of 43 degrees will be 10 seconds. The maximum flight path height is 123m.
This material provides a photograph of the arrows included in Table 2, plus a replica of the medieval crossbow bolt discussed in this article.

A crossbow or crossbow, as it was called in Rus', is a bow of increased elasticity, made on a wooden stock with a butt, externally reminiscent of the butts of modern hunting rifles. They shot from a crossbow with short arrows (bolts), usually made of metal.

A guide was hollowed out or mounted in the stock of the weapon, into which the bolt was placed before firing. The main mechanisms intended for shooting were also located there: a tension mechanism for cocking a crossbow and a trigger mechanism for firing a shot.

The history of the creation of the crossbow goes back several thousand years. This is a very old weapon, however, the crossbow was invented much later than the bow. In fact, this is one of the options for developing bows. The first mentions of crossbows in ancient chronicles date back to the 5th century BC. The ancient Chinese thinker Sun Tzu tells us about them. In addition, Chinese archaeologists still find individual structural elements of crossbows, which indicates the high quality of the materials from which crossbows were made in ancient times.

At the same time, residents also made weapons similar in design Ancient Greece. The simplest crossbows were also used by the ancient Romans. In Rome there were several versions of the crossbow. Historians are well aware of their names “manuballist”, “arcuballist”.

For some time, crossbows were consigned to oblivion: they were not made and were not used during wars. The second stage in the development of these weapons occurred in the 12th century. At this time, a series of internecine wars had just broken out in Europe.

The advantages that a crossbow gives over a conventional bow include the faster flight speed of a heavier projectile, better accuracy and, as a result, greater effectiveness in battle. Mechanical devices used to cock a crossbow made it possible to achieve enormous shot power, and also to store it ready for shooting for a long time, which was not possible with a regular bow.

The range of an aimed shot from a crossbow exceeded that of a bow. This was due not only to the springs used, but also to the ammunition used. The crossbow bolt weighed about 400 grams, which, combined with its high flight speed, allowed it to hit warriors protected by armor that could not be penetrated by a bow. In addition, the use of a groove along which the bolt slid during the shot had a beneficial effect on shooting accuracy.

However, the crossbow had one very big drawback. The reloading process was very difficult and took a lot of time, which during the battle could cost a warrior his life. The simplest crossbows were reloaded only by the muscular strength of the shooter himself. He rested the crossbow on the ground, stepped on the stop bracket and pulled the bowstring upward, securing it to a special trigger stop. Only in the 19th century did more complex crossbows appear, the design of which made it possible to increase the rate of fire of these weapons. However, medieval warriors could only dream of such crossbows.

With the development of technological progress, crossbows were modernized and became more complex. They were equipped with additional mechanisms to reduce the load on the shooter and speed up the tension of the bowstring. Instead of a gutter, they began to use tubes with slots (prototypes of future firearms barrels). Thus, the “arquebus” appeared - a crossbow capable of firing bullets.

Nowadays it’s easy to buy a crossbow in almost any store that sells goods for hunting or sports. Using modern composite materials and new technologies, manufacturers have achieved the highest power and reliability of crossbows.

The history of crossbows continues to develop today. However, the scope of use of crossbows these days is extremely narrow. As a rule, this is a sport. However, they remain in service with the military. Special reconnaissance and anti-terrorism units of the leading countries of the world use crossbows to silently shoot at the enemy and to overcome obstacles.