REPEATINGCROSSBOW

By Austin H. Phelps

HIS REPEATING CROSSBOW has all thehandling characteristics of a fine repeating

rifle of the slide-action type. In the hands of anexperienced crossbowman it will deliver fiveshots in five seconds with near-rifle accuracyover ranges up to 40 yards. The steel-pointedarrows, or quarrels, as they are correctly called,are loaded from the top into a magazine just asare the cartridges in a bolt-action rifle. Afterloading, the bow is cocked by a slide, and thequarrel is fired by pressing a trigger which re-leases the bowstring. Nocking of the five quar-rels in the magazine is done automatically bythe repeating mechanism as shown in the lowerdetail in Fig. 3. The two-piece barrel, Figs. 1 and2, has a square bore, the groove being cut to full

T

POPULAR MECHANICS166

Above, this repeating crossbow is loaded just like a bolt-actionrifle, five quarrels being placed in the box magazine at oneloading. Below, note the trim lines of the finished job. If de-sired, you can install either open or peep sights on the barrel

An assembly view of the two-piece barrel showing the pumpslide, brass runners, and the top barrel in position. Stock shouldbe handmade to specifications that fit individual user in the sameway as a rifle or shotgun stock. Use hardwood for all parts

depth in both halves. Then partsof both halves are cut away so thatwhen assembled there will be anoffset slot for the bowstring as inthe lower detail in Fig. 2. Brassrunners, fitted with 3½-in. brassstrips soldered edgewise to them,are screwed to the lower barrel asin the center left-hand detail inFig. 2. Care must be taken to spacethe runner strips so that the inneredges are exactly flush with theinner edges of the magazine liners.After making a trial assembly, itmay be necessary to file the slant-ing ends of the 3½-in. strips or theunderside of the upper barrel topermit free passage of the bow-string through the offset slot. Thepurpose of the offset in the slot isto force the bowstring upward suf-ficiently to release it from thenotch in the quarrel, permittingthe latter to enter the bore in freeflight.

In making the stock, it's a goodidea to copy a rifle or shotgunstock that fits you and has a gripand tang shaped to your liking.Bandsaw the wood to the roughoutline of the stock selected, thenfinish to contour with wood raspsand sandpaper. Care must be usedin cutting and finishing the maga-zine slot in the stock, as the maga-zine liners must be spaced accu-rately so that the quarrels dropfreely into firing position, Fig. 3.The inner rear corners of the lin-ers are rounded to a smooth curve.To assure free movement of thequarrel in firing position, it mayalso be necessary to round the in-ner corners of the brass runners.The pump slide, Fig. 2, engages thebowstring as in Fig. 1 when inthe forward position. Overhangingbrass strips, which are screwed tothe guide blocks, Fig. 2, ride on thebrass runners. In cocking, theslide is drawn back as far as it willgo and the forward end is pulled

NUT EMBEDDEDIN WOOD

15° 15°BOW

WEDGE

DETAIL A

BUTT HINGE

Bow PLATE¼"

2"2"

1¾"

2½"

METAL CLAMP

LEMONWOOD, HICKORY OR YEW BOW

1½"3"

7¼"

½"

sQ.STEEL POINTDRLLED FOR

TENON ON SHAFT

WALNUT STOCK

1

COVER, 3/8" X 1 X 9"

MAGAZINE LINERS,¼ x 1½ x 5"'

TOP BARREL

1" SQ.

2

ROUNDED CORNERS

TRIGGER GUARD,3/8 x 1" x 5"

5/8"

1/8"3

4

BRASS PUMP SLIDE

45".

3¼¼13½

18"

2½.57½

18"'

13½"

3½"'4½"

3/8"1/8"

¼"14½"

½"

1"

1½"4½"

¾"

3/8"

LOWER BARREL3½"

10¼

1/8" BRASSRUNNERS.

2½"