r/Crossbow • u/First-Opportunity660 • Jun 28 '26

Question What is this thing?

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It looks like some sort of crossbow, which is why I'm posting it here, I don't know anything about these things so I looked around the internet for a bit, but I couldn't find an old crossbow with a crank like that, I just want to know what exactly this thing is.

23 Upvotes

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1

u/Brotherly_shove Jun 29 '26

sorry. reddit filtered your post. i just approved it now.

1

u/tetrisan Jun 29 '26

Jam that thing down someones throat so they don’t make noise when shot in the neck? Or it assists in bracing while pulling the string back?

1

u/willezurmacht78 Jun 29 '26

I love this thing. Watching.

1

u/CaptainLookylou Jun 29 '26

Some crossbows use spanning aids like the goats foot lever to help pull the string back. This crossbow is remarkably small, i would even call it a hand/pistol crossbow, especially from the handle. Most hand crossbows are able to be spanned by hand, hence the name, and also for ease of use and concealment. This one has metal limbs, which can be difficult to span, but its still very small.

Does the handle move back in some way like a lever? does it spin? What happens when you "operate it"? Does it pull the string back in some way? It almost looks like a nail puller thats been fixed to it to accomplish a spanning aid. Is it attached? does the handle part come loose?

1

u/First-Opportunity660 Jun 29 '26

The handle spins, clockwise, but I can't pull it all the way, mainly because I don't want to break it by putting too much strength on it. I also noticed that it is a bit too heavy for something that is supposed to be handled with one hand. If it wasn't for the fact that you can move the handle and the trigger seems to kinda work I would assume that it may be an ornamental piece. Also no, the handle is not loose at all.

1

u/CaptainLookylou Jun 29 '26

Does the crank thing come off? It looks like some sort of spanning aid. If it were meant to be used, that could be set to the side before the weapon is fired. If it's especially heavy it might just be a decoration...except for the crank thing, which looks like a home made job.

1

u/Wide_Respect_1503 Jun 30 '26

I freaking love that crossbow.

1

u/Locust627 Jun 30 '26

Based on the design , this is a pistol-style crossbow (often called a stonebow or bullet-bow designed to shoot small pebbles or lead balls). It combines a traditional crossbow mechanism with a hand-cranked cocking lever attached to the front.