Fire crossbow
The fire crossbow , also known as fire pipe crossbow or Italian "Balestrino-Pistola", is a weapon that was used from the 16th century . It is the combination of a crossbow and a muzzle loading pistol .
description
The fire crossbow is a combination weapon, which means that two different types of weapon, in this case bow weapon and firearm, are combined with each other. The fire crossbow is usually not a crossbow that shoots arrows, but a version called the Balester . The Balester shoot bullets of various calibers . Instead of an arrow holder, the crossbow has a bowl that holds a ball. The firearm is integrated in the shaft of the crossbow and is usually fired with a wheel lock system . There are two different ways of attaching the firearm.
- The column lever, which is the lever with which the crossbow is cocked, is located above the shaft. In this case the wheel lock is located below the lever in the shaft.
- The column lever is below the shaft. In this case, the wheel lock is located above the lever in the shaft.
The first version is the most commonly used. Several copies have been preserved in the collection of the Austrian imperial family. The fire crossbow was used less for war purposes than for hunting purposes.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wendelin Boeheim, Handbook of Arms , Nachdr. D. Ed. Leipzig 1890, Fourier Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985, pages 422 to 425, ISBN 978-3-201-00257-8
literature
- Auguste Demmin, Charles Christopher Black: An Illustrated History of Arms and Armor From the Earliest Period to the Present Time , Wildhern Press, Teddington, Middlesex 2008, p. 908, ISBN 978-1-84830-049-1 ( English ).
- Erich Bayer, Frank Wende: Dictionary of history. Terms and technical terms (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 289). 5th, redesigned and expanded edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-520-28905-9 .