Bananas for Scale
Medieval Crossbow

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Medieval Crossbow

The mechanized bow that changed siege warfare/Historical Weapons

Medieval crossbows used a mechanical locking and trigger mechanism that allowed any soldier to deliver powerful shots with minimal training. Steel-prod crossbows of the 14th and 15th centuries could penetrate plate armor at close range. They were slower to reload than longbows but more accurate.

Measurements

Total length9 tenths m
5.3 thousandthsWashington Monument heights
1.11Skateboard lengths
Prod (bow) width7.5 tenths m
441 trillionProton diameters
4.9 tenthsDolly Partons
7.5 tenthsBelt lengths
Mass (steel prod)3.5 kg
5Hardcover books
4.4 tenthsRaccoons
778 millionthsAmbulances
Draw force1,500 N
3High-fives
1.5 trillionDust motes
7,500Chicken nugget weights

About 340 lbf

Bolt length3.8 tenths m
3.8 tenthsBelt lengths
852 billionthsGrand Canyon lengths
4.6 millionthsPanama Canals
Effective range100 m
65.8Dolly Partons
71.4Foosball tables
6.45Subway cars
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