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The Chinese crossbow had a longer power stroke, around 51 cm (20 in) or so, compared to the early medieval European crossbow, which typically sat around only 10–18 cm (3.9–7.1 in). This was made possible by the more compact design of the Chinese trigger, which allowed it to sit further back at the rear-end of the tiller.
Medieval European crossbows had a much smaller draw length than bows, so that for the same energy to be imparted to the projectile the crossbow had to have a much higher draw weight. A direct comparison between a fast hand-drawn replica crossbow and a longbow shows a 6:10 rate of shooting [ 92 ] or a 4:9 rate within 30 seconds and comparable ...
Despite this, crossbows were used in the early Crusades, with models having a range of 300 yd (274 m) and being able to penetrate armour or kill a horse. [55] They fired short metal bolts rather than arrows. The French army relied substantially on the crossbow in late medieval times. [56]
The term "arbalest" is sometimes used interchangeably with "crossbow". Arbalest is a Medieval French word originating from the Roman name arcuballista (from arcus 'bow' + ballista 'missile-throwing engine'), [3] which was then used for crossbows, although originally used for types of artillery.
The bow's primary purpose was to shoot birds, as conventional weapons lacked the ability to effectively hunt flying prey. [6] The lighter projectiles from a pellet bow flew faster, so the shooter had a better chance of hitting a moving target. One of the most important changes to the bullet-shooting crossbow was the strong, upwardly curved bow. [6]
The main armament of the Genoese crossbowmen was the crossbow, made in Genoa by the Balistrai Corporation. As well, the mercenaries were equipped with a dagger, a light metal helmet, a gorget, a hauberk and a large shield, called a pavese , which was used while reloading the crossbow. The usual team consisted of a crossbowman and two assistants ...
Modern arbalists shoot crossbows markedly different from medieval artillerymen. Current-day target crossbows must conform to various limitations according to the governing body under which the shoot or tournament is taking place. [12] [13] Firstly, GNAS requires that arbalists shoot at targets separate from archers. Both the World Crossbow ...
Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. Technological, cultural, and social advancements had forced a severe transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity , changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery (see military history ).