How to make a trigger for a crossbow dimensions. Drawings of a wooden crossbow or how to make a crossbow out of wood with your own hands
In a post-BP world, cartridges and other firearms will be valued extremely highly, everyone will save them, so it makes sense to think about alternative small arms.
In this guide, I would like to consider options for constructing a crossbow from various materials at hand.
So. The design of a crossbow can be divided into 3 parts:
-bow (the one that pulls the string + the string itself)
-stock (this is both a butt and a guide for bolts (that’s what arrows for crossbows are called))
- trigger mechanism
I myself made a bow for a crossbow from a spring from a Cossack. Insanely powerful, it turned out to be an infection, it’s scary to even shoot from it. Once he shot into the sky, the arrow flew off somewhere into the blue and, what is most surprising, did not return. So my forged tip flew off into the distant distances:-(Also, when I fired for the first time, it made a hole metal roof to a neighbor living 300-350 meters from the place of the shot :-) there was a roar :-) nightmare :-) good thing he wasn’t at home :-) So you yourself can imagine that you can make a powerful weapon from a crossbow.
In principle, you can use any other elastic springs (usually springs from the Volga), textolite and fiberglass, as well as other elastic plastics, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, composite materials that you can find. You can also try to make the bow yourself - fiberglass, epoxy and plasticizer in your hands (as well as 3-4 vices and wooden matrices). It is important to follow the rule - there should be an odd number of layers of fiberglass. There are also all sorts of elastic metals left. Although these are certainly not the most accessible materials, who knows what you will be able to get in the next marauding foray??
Attachment of bow limbs can be of two types - regular and recurve, i.e. the shoulders of the bow will “look” forward in the direction of the crossbow when the bowstring is lowered, and when tensioned they will look like two “waves”.
Bed.
The stock is what everything will be attached to. Consider the loads that the bed will experience:
-the bow will be in front - the heaviest load, the bow is attached using a block, so take into account the dimensions for attaching the block
-in the middle there will be a trigger mechanism
-a bed for bolts will be machined from above and along the surface
-Next comes the butt, an important part of the crossbow, because the next element after the butt is YOU :-)
The materials here are also varied.
The most common material is wood, spruce and aspen are the most used. Next come metal stocks, aluminum and other light metals that you can smelt yourself.
And of course, all kinds of plastics, although this requires special equipment.
Personally, I used the remnants of an old double-barreled shotgun, removed the metal parts and it turned out very convenient, and the butt is ready, and there is a place for the trigger mechanism and somewhere to screw the block.
A special bracket is also screwed to the block into which you will insert your foot when tensioning.
Also take into account the following factors - the depth and length of the guide groove should be suitable for the length and thickness of the arrows, and also take into account the weight distribution that you still need to shoot with it, and probably carry it with you.
Trigger mechanism.
It's a castle. The design of locks is varied and bizarre. I used the so-called "nut"
And my friend used the following diagram(I liked her better)
It is important to take into account that the load on the mechanism will be large, and the wear will be sufficient. Do everything as reliably as possible, God forbid the crossbow fires accidentally. The mechanism itself must be mounted in the stock as securely as possible. Remember, you have a real weapon in your hands, you must be confident in it.
Addition
From my experience, I will say this - if you are going to make a crossbow, then make it a block one. I’m telling you this as a user of the NON-block system :-) I won’t talk about the block system here, after all, we’re looking at a primitive crossbow device here.
Below are examples:
Here is an example of a crossbow from available materials, the bow was glued by the author himself, the butt (also handmade, by the way) and the stock, as can be seen from the photo, are separate
And here is an excellent block tension system
Here is a photo that shows that the trigger mechanism can be made from suitable pieces of metal
This photo shows an example of the same leg brace, as well as a rather interesting design of paired shoulders
And here is an excellent example of using parts from a pistol, smelting the necessary parts from aluminum and using springs from the Volga
This is just an unusual crossbow
The same recurve bow
Materials used from a wonderful site
ENGLISH CROSSBOW. On its wooden stock the date of manufacture is indicated - 1617. The plate is made of Ivory with inlay indicates that this crossbow was a hunting one; a military crossbow would hardly have such artistic decoration. To tension the crossbow string, a force exceeding one hundred kilograms was required, so the crossbowman used a special mechanism with a gear drive. The crossbow stock has a socket that was probably intended for this mechanism. The bowstring is shown in a taut state. In this position, it was held by hooking teeth, which released it when the trigger, located at the bottom of the stock, was pressed. A short 30.5 cm long arrow fired from a crossbow flew a distance of about 400 m. The crossbow's arc was attached to the stock using a ring and a harness. The drawing was made from a crossbow from the collection of the US Military Academy Museum at West Point (New York). 
THREE CROSSBOWS depicted in a painting by an Italian artist of the 15th century. Antonio del Pollaiolo "St. Sebastian". One shooter takes aim with a crossbow, the other two draw the string using a crossbow "stirrup", since tensioning the string required a lot of force. The painting is kept in the National Gallery in London. 
FRENCH COMBAT CROSSBOW XIV century. and two arrows for it from the collection of the US Military Academy Museum at West Point (New York). It was impossible to tighten the bowstring of such a crossbow manually, so a collar was installed at the rear end of the machine, or stock. The stock has a length of 101 cm, the width of the crossbow arc is 107 cm, and the length of the arrows is approximately 38 cm. 
CROSSBOW consists of a curved arc, a bowstring, a hook tooth (to which the bowstring clung) and a release lever. When the lever was pressed, the tooth released the bowstring and the arrow flew out of the crossbow. The stop fixed the position of the tension mechanism, with the help of which the bowstring was retracted back. The design of the tension mechanism is one of the earliest examples of the use of gearing. 
PARADOX ARROW partly explains why short arrows were used when shooting a crossbow. The paradox is demonstrated for the case when the shooter uses an arrow from a conventional bow. When aiming (1), the arrow is positioned on one side of the bow. The sight line runs along the arrow. However, when the archer releases the arrow (2), the force exerted by the bowstring causes the tail of the arrow to move towards the center of the bow. In order for the arrow to maintain its direction towards the target, it must bend in flight (3). During the first few meters of flight, the arrow vibrates, but eventually its position stabilizes (4). The need for flexibility in a bow arrow limits the amount of energy that can be imparted to it. In contrast, a crossbow arrow must be shorter and stiffer, since the crossbow imparts significant energy to it. Such arrows also had better aerodynamic properties. 
TRIGGER MECHANISMS had crossbows different design. In China 2000 years ago, a mechanism (a) was used with a tooth to engage the bowstring, which was mounted on the same axis as the trigger. A curved intermediate lever connected both parts, due to which the release was carried out with a light and short press. The direction of movement of the bowstring during descent is shown on the right. In the West, trigger mechanisms were first used in catapults (b). In these mechanisms, when the bowstring was released, the tooth did not fall, but rose. IN medieval Europe the most common mechanism was the one with the escape wheel (c); its position was fixed by a simple release lever, which hooked into a recess at the bottom of the wheel. When such a lever was pressed, the crossbow could move from its aiming position. Over time, all designs of trigger mechanisms began to use an intermediate lever to facilitate the descent. 
TYPES OF ARROWS for bows and crossbows: regular arrow for combat longbow (a); an arrow used by the Romans (b) for a catapult, similar to a crossbow; a typical arrow for a medieval crossbow (c) and two varieties of arrows for a catapult of another smaller Roman type (d). Below the images of the arrows is their view from the tail and the view from the tip. 
TEST RESULTS in a wind tunnel of the five types of arrows shown in the top picture. The tests were carried out with the participation of the author of the article at the Aerospace Research Laboratory of Purdue University. In calculations performed by W. Hickam, it was assumed that the initial speed of each arrow was 80 m/s. Although longbow arrows were unlikely to have such a speed, the accepted value was convenient for comparative analysis. 
If you don’t want to buy an expensive crossbow (and prices sometimes exceed $1000), you can make a crossbow with your own hands. It's not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The design of the crossbow is quite simple. A crossbow can be made from what is at hand, replacing missing materials with similar ones. A homemade crossbow is quite suitable for target shooting.
General view of a crossbow that you can make with your own hands according to drawings
The design of this crossbow uses the developments of manufacturers in the field of weapons. The drawings show a crossbow of a block design. If you follow the instructions and observe all the dimensions, you can make a high-quality and good crossbow with your own hands, even at home
General diagram of a homemade crossbow assembly:
To begin with, it is advisable to carefully study the drawings of the crossbow and begin assembling it yourself. Making a crossbow with your own hands is not an easy task. But this increases interest in work! After all, a homemade crossbow can bring great joy and respect to the performer.
Crossbow structure: stock, shoulders, butt, trigger mechanism, sighting devices, block system. It is used to make a stock natural wood, solid or laminated timber, mainly hardwood. Exact dimensions The crossbow can be viewed in the drawings. You choose the shape of the crossbow yourself, guided by the convenience and ergonomics of the stock and the desired image. When choosing, you must also consider whether you can make such a form correctly.
Crossbow shoulders and deck drawing:
The use of a small arms stock can significantly reduce labor costs for the manufacture of a crossbow. The main thing is to choose the right size. The mark left by the barrel in such a stock must be hammered wooden blocks, firmly placing them on epoxy glue. The butt and under-barrel pad of a crossbow can also be made of wood. The butt will be attached to the guide and serve as a basis for trigger mechanism.
Butt drawing:
Offered for DIY assembly, the crossbow has block construction. This allows you to compensate for the load when cocking the bowstring and maintain power. Compound crossbows are the most popular among hunters because... You can carry a crossbow in a cocked state for quite a long time. Horton actively uses this design in the production of its crossbows.
Drawing of block assembly parts:
Pay special attention to the processing of the arrow guides and bowstring. The clarity of their finish greatly influences shooting accuracy. The guide lines must be perfectly straight and smooth. Optimal choice there will be polishing on milling machine and subsequent processing sandpaper with fine grain. Next comes polishing the guides. You can see the dimensions of the boom guide groove in the drawings. The crosspiece, with the shoulders attached to it, is installed at the end of the stock. It is usually made from an aluminum billet. Wood can also serve as a suitable material.
A crossbow sight must consist of a rear sight and a front sight. You can also install an optical sight on the crossbow, providing a mount for the aiming bar. Vertical adjustments are made entirely, mounted on the cover of the trigger mechanism, and horizontal ones - with a front sight mounted on the bracket of the elastic element.
There can be many design options for sights and sighting devices for a crossbow, depending on the possibility of manufacturing, the availability of ready-made sights from conventional weapons (air rifles), etc.
It should be borne in mind that the flight path of a crossbow arrow (crossbow bolt) is quite high, so the rear sight must be installed significantly higher than the front sight. The angle of elevation of the aiming line depends on the weight of the arrow, the tension of the string, the shooting distance, etc. In our crossbow at a distance of 50 m it is approximately 6°.
Convenient are the designs of the rear sight, which allow it to be removed or folded during transportation. It will also be convenient if the rear sight can be adjusted manually by raising or lowering the bar. Thus, you will be able to shoot the crossbow under different conditions(distance to target, arrow weight).
The crossbow, the manufacture of which is described above, is designed for shooting bolts with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 450-470 mm. You can easily make them yourself from a duralumin tube with a wall thickness of 0.5 mm. The tip and liner are attached to the bolt in front, and the feathering is attached to the back, just as they do for archery. It should be borne in mind that the shank of a bolt for a crossbow, unlike an arrow for a bow, should not have a cutout for the bowstring; it should be flat. It can be carved from wood in the form of a cork and inserted into the end of the tube, having previously been lubricated with glue.
They asked about how the trigger mechanism works. I decided to make a separate article on this issue.
Let's look at how the crossbow trigger mechanism works.
Externally, the crossbow looks like this:
Crossbow appearance
The crossbow's trigger mechanism is painfully simple. Its purpose is to make the descent smooth and easy. A smooth and easy release of the bowstring is the key to hitting the target.
The proposed trigger mechanism is not only easy to manufacture, but also durable. At the same time, it allows the trigger to automatically return to its original position.
It all looks simple. We saw the crossbow stock into two parts to place the trigger mechanism between them. We cut out two steel or brass plates. They should be the same, in the figure they are indicated in purple. They can be made various shapes, the main thing is that they fulfill their role. We fasten two pieces of the stock and hold the mechanism.
Crossbow trigger mechanism
The drummer holds the string. The drum holds the trigger. As soon as the trigger is pulled, the drum is freed from the obstacle and begins to rotate. The string flies off the drum and the arrow hits the target.
Drum with arrow
After the shot is fired, we pull the string back, while the drum hooks onto the string with a protrusion and rotates to its original position. Here the trigger spring works, and the trigger fits into the groove of the drum. That's it, the drum is again firmly fixed and does not rotate. We put the string on the hooks of the drum and that’s it. The crossbow is ready for a new shot.
Smol comments:
Well written! Thank you!
Syama comments:
very intelligible, respect))
Crossbowman comments:
3 Drawings and nothing else is needed, everything is clear =) thank you very much....I especially liked the animation
I comment:
very nicely written! And there are pictures. Super!
comments:
unclear
unknown comments:
but write more clearly I don’t get it 11
comments:
cool, thanks!
Dima comments:
But there is an easier mechanism
geo comments:
If you hang 20-30 kg on such a mechanism, you’ll be crazy about pulling the trigger. The design is theoretical, but significant changes are needed for practice....
Ilya comments:
I did nothing, by the way I shot down a magpie at 20m
Dimonchyk comments:
cool, let's try it
Dimonchyk comments:
where can I get the drum?
Maxima comments:
Strange, am I the only one who noticed that the drum on the hypha is upside down? It seems to me correct as in the picture, especially since placing it in a combat position is implied by a bowstring.
RH comments:
Animated? It’s not just that it’s upside down, it’s spinning there!!! :)
Regarding the difficulty of descending on a crossbow weighing 60 kg - 1. they are prohibited, 2. you can install a sear.
vang helsing comments:
luche chem nichego
V.A.Zh. comments:
Thanks a lot!
Daemon comments:
And if you need to shoot down, then how?
FyLL comments:
Make a holding frame for the arrow. It should rise at the moment of the shot.
They asked about how the trigger mechanism works. I decided to make a separate article on this issue.
Let's look at how the crossbow trigger mechanism works.
Externally, the crossbow looks like this:
Crossbow appearance
The crossbow's trigger mechanism is painfully simple. Its purpose is to make the descent smooth and easy. A smooth and easy release of the bowstring is the key to hitting the target.
The proposed trigger mechanism is not only easy to manufacture, but also durable. At the same time, it allows the trigger to automatically return to its original position.
It all looks simple. We saw the crossbow stock into two parts to place the trigger mechanism between them. We cut out two steel or brass plates. They should be the same, in the figure they are indicated in purple. They can be made in various shapes, the main thing is that they fulfill their role. We fasten two pieces of the stock and hold the mechanism.
Crossbow trigger mechanism
The drummer holds the string. The drum holds the trigger. As soon as the trigger is pulled, the drum is freed from the obstacle and begins to rotate. The string flies off the drum and the arrow hits the target.
Drum with arrow
After the shot is fired, we pull the string back, while the drum hooks onto the string with a protrusion and rotates to its original position. Here the trigger spring works, and the trigger fits into the groove of the drum. That's it, the drum is again firmly fixed and does not rotate. We put the string on the hooks of the drum and that’s it. The crossbow is ready for a new shot.
Smol comments:
Well written! Thank you!
Syama comments:
very intelligible, respect))
Crossbowman comments:
3 Drawings and nothing else is needed, everything is clear =) thank you very much....I especially liked the animation
I comment:
very nicely written! And there are pictures. Super!
comments:
unclear
unknown comments:
but write more clearly I don’t get it 11
comments:
cool, thanks!
Dima comments:
But there is an easier mechanism
geo comments:
If you hang 20-30 kg on such a mechanism, you’ll be crazy about pulling the trigger. The design is theoretical, but significant changes are needed for practice....
Ilya comments:
I did nothing, by the way I shot down a magpie at 20m
Dimonchyk comments:
cool, let's try it
Dimonchyk comments:
where can I get the drum?
Maxima comments:
Strange, am I the only one who noticed that the drum on the hypha is upside down? It seems to me correct as in the picture, especially since placing it in a combat position is implied by a bowstring.
RH comments:
Animated? It’s not just that it’s upside down, it’s spinning there!!! :)
Regarding the difficulty of descending on a crossbow weighing 60 kg - 1. they are prohibited, 2. you can install a sear.
vang helsing comments:
luche chem nichego
V.A.Zh. comments:
Thanks a lot!
Daemon comments:
And if you need to shoot down, then how?
FyLL comments:
Make a holding frame for the arrow. It should rise at the moment of the shot.