Historians admittedly do not know by whom,
where or when the bow and arrow were
invented; origins are covered by the mists
of time. Historians face the same problem
when it comes to the invention of the
crossbow, the true story probably will never
be known. But we have some clues and
writings to indicate that the invention may
be at least 2000 years old, probably much
more. Much of the development and refinement
of the crossbow took place in what is now
Italy, which came to be the centre for
crossbow warriors. It's easy to imagine an
intelligent soldier of the times, viewing
the hand-held bow and arrow in use, figuring
out how to build and use a much more
powerful bow by mounting it atop of stick or
wooden stock.
Crossbows
Crossbow History
Crossbow Overview
1) Channel Groove - A Grooved section of the crossbow
down the length of the barrel, allowing the crossbow bolts
fletching to ride the crossbows length when shot.
2) Rear Sight
3) Crossbow Stock
4) Prod - This is the actual crossbow section that
stores all of the crossbows power and releases thus firing
the crossbow bolt.
5) Crossbow Nock - A Crossbow nock is a plastic cap
that sits on the end of the prod and provides a smooth
protective sleeve for the string and prevents fraying.
6) Stirrup - This is cocking aid and allows the
bowman to hold the crossbow in a stationary position while
using both hands to cock the bow string.