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A bullet-shooting crossbow, sometimes referred to as “stone bow,” is a modified version of the classic crossbow. The bow was usually constructed with wood or steel, depending on the preference. It typically utilizes bullets and stones as projectiles instead of the traditional quarrel. ==History== The crossbow has been around since the 5th century BC. China was the first to create the hand-held crossbow. The ammunition of choice was the bolt and was often made of bronze. It was used effectively as a weapon both in battle and for hunting.〔Wagner, Donald B. Iron and Steel in Ancient China. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1993. p. 157.〕 As powerful a weapon as the crossbow was, it didn’t have the capability of hunting smaller animals like birds, squirrels, and rabbits. As a weapon, the bolt crossbow was much more popular and therefore more widely developed than the bullet-shooting crossbow. Consequently, the standard crossbow was more frequently updated with new ammunition, attachments, and other improvements, leaving the bullet-shooting crossbow in the past.〔Gallwey, Ralph P. The Book of the Crossbow. Courier Dover Publications, 1903. pgs. 3-6.〕 The earliest known bullet-shooting crossbow was invented in the 16th century. It was a simple, two-string crossbow that shot small projectiles. The earliest forms of ammunition included clay balls, which were rolled and baked to form round, hard bullets. The bow’s primary purpose was to shoot birds, as conventional weapons lacked the ability to effectively hunt flying prey.〔(【引用サイトリンク】Ballistics of the Bullet-Shooting Crossbow )〕 One of the most important changes to the bullet-shooting crossbow was the strong, upwardly curved bow.〔 This allowed the strings and pouch, which hold and launch the bullet, to be placed away from the rest of the gun. This allowed for a straighter stock or body of the crossbow, which utilizes stronger springs to launch bullets faster and more accurately. Though it was used extensively for hunting, the bullet-shooting crossbow wasn't significantly improved until the late 18th century. The English changed the design to allow for a more powerful spring and larger ammunition. The bow was adapted to shoot half ounce lead bullets, which are more accurate and do much more damage than stones and clay pellets.〔 The bullet-shooting crossbow featured many similarities to the slingshot, a similar but much simpler weapon. Both feature a pouch that holds a small projectile. In comparison tests, the bullet-shooting crossbow only shoots slightly faster, but much more accurately than the slingshot.〔 With the invention of safe, more powerful, and more accurate rifles, the bullet-shooting crossbow became obsolete shortly after. By the time the 19th century came around, the bow appeared to be on its way out. Gunpowder is much more powerful and destructive than a crossbow, and guns quickly became the new weapon of choice both for hunting and war. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bullet-shooting crossbow」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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