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Matthew K. Shea
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 Posted: Mon 03 Apr, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: crossbow bayonets |
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The recent Please help me understand crossbow forms topic lead me to browse the projectile weapons album, when I came across this interesting crossbow. It has what looks like a small spike protruding from the prod. I've never seen or heard of anything like this. Is this a bayonet for the crossbow? Would this have been effective? Has anyone know anything about this?
Proud member of the Academy Of European Medieval Martial Arts.
"Those who live by the sword live a good, long time!"
~Minsc, in Baldur's Gate II
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Hisham Gaballa
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| Posted: Mon 03 Apr, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: crossbow bayonets |
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| Matthew K. Shea wrote: | | The recent Please help me understand crossbow forms topic lead me to browse the projectile weapons album, when I came across this interesting crossbow. It has what looks like a small spike protruding from the prod. I've never seen or heard of anything like this. Is this a bayonet for the crossbow? Would this have been effective? Has anyone know anything about this? |
I doubt it. Apart from the fact that the spike looks too short to be an effective weapon, I think that is a hunting crossbow.
AFAIK bayonets weren't invented until the late 17th century, the first bayonets were plug bayonets which blocked the muzzle of the musket. 
Last edited by Hisham Gaballa on Tue 04 Apr, 2006 1:58 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Mon 03 Apr, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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It may very well function as a simple stake to hold the crossbow in the ground while it is being reloaded. I can very easily see how one could push the it into the ground and hold it steady in place with the foot stirrup while reloading the crossbow. It would make sense if one were using a complex winding or reloading mechanism for a heavy draw weight crossbow. Just my 0.02 cents worth of opinion.
Bryce
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Mon 03 Apr, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Actually looking at it again I would have to say that my idea has more merit since there it is a very long crossbow, there isn't any foot stirup for it, and it appears to have a very long draw length that would require it to be anchored properly to draw.
Bryce Felperin
Member of the Autonomous Collective
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Alexander Ren
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| Posted: Mon 03 Apr, 2006 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Bryce Felperin wrote: | | It may very well function as a simple stake to hold the crossbow in the ground while it is being reloaded. I can very easily see how one could push the it into the ground and hold it steady in place with the foot stirrup while reloading the crossbow. It would make sense if one were using a complex winding or reloading mechanism for a heavy draw weight crossbow. Just my 0.02 cents worth of opinion. |
That's just what I was thinking.
There are a couple other crossbows in the albums page with similar spikes at the front.
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/2471.html
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/2206.html
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/2467.html
Alex
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Matthew K. Shea
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| Posted: Tue 04 Apr, 2006 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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I'll buy into the stabilizer argument. I hadn't noticed the lack of a stirrup before, and the spike does look a little flimsy if you're going to be facing down an armoured charge. Definitely seems more plausible than the bayonet, which I was having a hard type wrapping my head around anyway. Thanks for the responses, guys.
Proud member of the Academy Of European Medieval Martial Arts.
"Those who live by the sword live a good, long time!"
~Minsc, in Baldur's Gate II
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James Barker
Location: Ashburn VA Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 365
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| Posted: Wed 05 Apr, 2006 5:22 am Post subject: |
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Not sure what the spike is for but that is a light weight crossbow for hunting birds.
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Mark Eskra
Location: Hillsboro Illinois Joined: 14 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Wed 14 Jun, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject: ah Ha |
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Saw one in a Chicago museum once...never could ID...Might be out of period, but bayonets were actually a persistant tradition of footsoldiers with pikes, the advent of gunpowder doing little to slow it-WW2 English Webley pistols have been known to have bugger pickers attached in some cases.
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Lafayette C Curtis
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| Posted: Sun 28 Dec, 2008 4:02 am Post subject: |
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Sorry for the thread necronomancy, but the discussion just reminds me of a particularly ridiculous fantasy interpretation from a D&D sourcebook:
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This is a standard topic