Medieval Crossbow

Medieval Crossbow, replica after an original from 15^th century

This crossbow is fully functional and can be used by adults even regularly. It may be sold only to adults (18 years of age or older)! Please send us a copy / photo / scan of the front of your ID card, passport or driving license. Your face can be made unidentifiable.

• overall length approx. 80cm = 31½"
• length of the tiller (stock) approx. 71cm= 28"
• the tiller is made of genuine oak wood
• tiller profile at the lathe (prod) approx. 6x5cm = 2.4*2"
• tiller profile at the end approx. 5,4*2.4cm = 2*1"
• length of the lathe is approx. 64cm = 25"
• the tiller (stock) is coated with dark brown colour oil varnish
• the rotary nut (catch) is made of carbon steel and has a diameter of approx. 4cm = 1.6" and a width of 2.4cm = 1"
• the steel rotary nut has arrow groove (not visible in photo)
• the lathe (prod) is made of wood laminate (not steel) and is wrapped with hemp rope, its ends are covered with cowhide
• the string is always made accordingly to the chosen draw weight. For the draw weight of 70kg it consists of 30 strands Dacron, e.g.
• Draw length approx. 20cm (8 inch)
• Recommended arrow length 30cm = 12"
• Available draw weights approx.: 33, 77, 120, 154 and 242 lbs
• Weight approx. 2020g
• Made in the Czech Republic

Please do not dry shoot from the crossbow (without an arrow). This way you can damage the bowstring!

Please read how to replace a crossbow string.

Operation instructions

This crossbow is not a toy, you can cause with it serious injury. Read carefully these instructions!

1. Check the crossbow before each use (bow, string, trigger, ...). Shoot only if it is completely flawless.
2. Use only bolts supplied with the crossbow or those recommended by the manufacturer. The bolts  (arrows) must not be damaged anyhow as well.
3. Newer dry shoot (without arrows)! You can damage the prod or the string and incur an injury doing so.
4. After drawing the crossbow, secure the trigger against unwanted shooting. Remove the safety chock shortly before intended shooting.
5. Please never aim at people or animals. Be especially careful if small children or pets are present.
6. Shoot at enough strong targets. Put the targets in front of a suitable background (slope, high wall, etc.). Bounced arrows can cause damage or injury as well!
7. If you do not use the crossbow for a longer time or it is exposed to adverse conditions (e.g. high temperature in a parked car on a sunny day), remove the string from the bow.
8. Treat the string with a suitable lubricant or wax to extend its life span.
9. Deal with the crossbow carefully. Do not throw with it and do not put on it any heavy things.
10. The use of this historical crossbow is at your own risk.

Maintenance of the crossbow

The crossbow requires no special care. The most stressed part is the string. It is recommended to wax it before each use - to extend its lifespan. If even one strand of the string is damaged or torn, do no shoot any longer and replace it with new one.

If your crossbow gets wet (in the rain), wipe it with a cotton cloth slightly and let it slowly (not at the radiator) dry. Then oil the metal parts with WD40 e.g. The tiller (stock) and prod serving are treated with varnish from pressed linseed oil. It is possible to renew the coating after some time, but it is not necessary or even not desirable. The crossbow finish (surfaces) get with time and use so called patina, which is firstly visually beautiful and secondly gives the crossbow a historical look.

Comparison of two crossbows

The difference between the Gothic crossbow  and the crossbow Kyler lies in the attachment of the lath/prod. The prods on both crossbows are made of identical materials (ash + fiberglass). If the prod breaks, it does not get splintered. Thanks to the glass fibres, the broken parts hold together.

We do not provide replacement parts for this crossbow. In case of damage you can send it to us for repair. The new lathe must e.g. be professionally placed on the tiller/stock. No visor / sight is installed on the stock. It would be historically wrong and it is to be aimed according to the arrow, which is placed on the wooden arrow rest. The arrow rest can be found at the front near the prod.

The Pulley Windlass to the crossbow is to be placed on the tiller end and removed again before releasing the arrow.

We did not measure the speed of the released arrow. However, experience has shown: the higher draw weight, the more slowly lath. A higher draw weight does not mean a higher arrow speed.

How to draw a crossbow

1. Turn the nut to the locked (ready to fire) position and lock it with the trigger.
2. Place the wooden anti-dry-fire safety between the trigger and the stock (tiller).
3. Insert the tip of your foot into the metal stirrup at the front end of the crossbow
4. With crossbows up to approx. 77lbs draw weight, the string can be drawn by hand
5. For crossbows with a draw weight of over approx. 77 lbs you need a belt hook for cocking
6. We recommend drawing crossbows with draw weights of over approx. 150 lbs with a windlass
7. Make sure that the metal hooks of the respective drawing aid are symmetrically hooked onto the string, otherwise you could scratch the stock when tensioning
8. As soon as the string sits in the hooks of the nut, the drawing/tensioning process is complete and the drawing aid can be removed
9. Now you can insert the crossbow bolt, so that the flat end (or its nock) is snug against the string
10. Remove the anti-dry-fire safety just before shooting.
11. If you then decide not to shoot, use your hands or a drawing aid to release the string. Never dry-fire the crossbow (without an arrow/bolt), this could damage the crossbow bow!