What is a crossbow?
Q: What is a crossbow?
A: A crossbow, or arbalest, is a bow which consists of a bow-like arc called prod and cross-wise body called stock and trigger mechanism. The stock, a piece of wood is mounted on two other crossing pieces. Crossbows shoot short arrows called bolts which are similar to arrows.
Q: When was the crossbow first created?
A: The crossbow was first created by the Chinese people in circa 6 B.C., during the Warring States period.
Q: Who else invented the crossbow?
A: The Greeks invented their own version of the crossbow in 4th century B.C., which they called arcuballista.
Q: Why was the crossbow so popular in the Middle Ages?
A: The crossbow was very popular in the Middle Ages as it was strong and accurate and could be used as a sharpshooter weapon, making it highly sought after by many armies at that time.
Q: How powerful can a good quality crossbow be?
A: A good quality crossbow can shoot its bolt with immense power that may even pierce armour, making it lethal against unarmoured light opponents with just one shot.
Q: What are some advantages and disadvantages of using a crossbow compared to an ordinary bow?
A: Compared to an ordinary bow, a crossbow fires much stronger and more accurately than an ordinary bow, making shooting accurately easier to learn; however, due to its short prod being very stiff, it takes much longer time to load than an ordinary bow and does not have as good accurate range than a longbow.
Q: Are there any safety mechanisms built into modern daycrossbows?
A: Yes, many modern daycrossbows have crank or windlass mechanisms to pull the string in drawn position as well as safety mechanisms to prevent accidental shots from occurring when loading them up for use.
