Description

The above are photos of our standard crossbows with steel prods. These have an overall draw distance of 13 1/2 inches from a 4 1/2 inch string brace at rest, giving a string travel of 9 inches. Our crossbows are available in draw weights of from 60 pounds up to 120 pounds and come with two modern Dacron B50 strings for reliability. When using a prod with a draw weight in excess of 90 pounds best results will be obtained with 11/32 inch diameter shafts and heavy points.

The design in the photo is our thumb release “Machtmeister” model and is based on a mostly wood French crossbow from the 11th Century in Austria. Our reproduction substitutes a forged iron release lever in place of the antler original and a steel prod in place of the yew wood original. We have also added an iron stirrup to simplify spanning. The wooden stock is available in unstained ash or oak while the steel parts have been heat blued and treated to prevent rust. The stock in this example is ash. Like the original the prod on this crossbow is cord bound with waxed hemp. This example has the medieval V bolt groove between the rails, but is also available with the 1/2 inch deep groove for use with 120 degree angled three fletched bolts. The 1/2 inch deep groove is the default.