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Discussion: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
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13th.Casualty |
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CyprusBill |
1. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 25 2008, 9:31 PM EDT
It would take a lot of engineering. Some kind of gas-powered piston to recock the bow for the next shot, or something. Some sort of magazine for the bolts. And they'd have to be real sized bolts, not the throwing dart sized things he was ripping loose. The right gunsmith/machinist/engineer could probably do it, but not a hell of a lot of other people. If they make one, I want one. 0 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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13th.Casualty |
2. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 25 2008, 11:48 PM EDT
No duh. It combines the pros of a semi auto and a crossbow without the cons...except probably the weight and maintinance.
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Tuck-Duck&Roll |
3. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 10:53 AM EDT
"So...Van Helsing's automatic crossbow, huh? I mean, automatic, no reloading required, silent...stuff like that. So, uh, what do you think? It IS possible to make one...right?The ancient roman legions did have an automatic crossbow (of a sorts), but not like the one in the Van Helsing movie. Theirs was a large mounted weapon, that had to be moved by horse (or man) and it required three men to operate it. It shot iron tipped bolts that went from 22 to 36 inches long. The weapon used a magazine that held 5 bolts. The estimated effective range of the weapon was almost 200 yards and at it's extreme range it could still go through an average shield of the day, killing the owner of that shield. The rate of fire was dependant on the skills of the team employing it, but it's estimated to be 1 per minute. I watched a show (on Discovery Channel) some time back about the ancient war engineering of the roman legions. The weapon was employed enmass at the front of their defensive positions to lay whithering fire on an attacking force. This weapon was only usefull for defensive purposes due to its weight and slow rate of fire. The producers of the show had an historical reenactor construct a replica of this crossbow and he actually shot the thing. The bolt he shot weighed a hair over 2 pounds and he launched it almost 100 yards, through a 1 inch thick board. The painted dot (about 24 inches) he was shooting for he just missed by I'd say less than 6 inches, not bad. Just awesome what the ancients were capable of doing. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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13th.Casualty |
4. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 2:30 PM EDT
I saw that too, but that needs to be carried by a horse. I was thinking of using it as a primary assault weapon.
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The_Professional |
5. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 3:22 PM EDT
Sounds lie something to be submitted to the fantasy items page. But, what if you engineered like so; a grenade launcher body and magazine, each bolt is encased in a sabot and it operates on compressed air, or green/red gas like in airsoft weapons. The bolt would be launched and the the next bolt would be loaded via the compression of the gas.
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13th.Casualty |
6. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 5:14 PM EDT
You mean something like these?http://www.defensereview.com/1_31_2004/AA12%20Shotgun_FIREBALL%20WITH%20CASE%20EXTRACTION.jpg http://www.defensereview.com/stories/milkor/SOF%20Week_Milkor%2040mm%20MGL-140_5.jpg Do you find this valuable? |
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CyprusBill |
7. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 9:20 PM EDT
Ooh, ooh, ooh! I've been looking for this for ages. Finally found it. See if you could get you hands on one of these babyies!http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=93538775 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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13th.Casualty |
8. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 26 2008, 9:47 PM EDT
Dude. Wow. Does it need manual reloeading though?
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Tuck-Duck&Roll |
9. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 1:21 AM EDT
Dang, thats one mean looking arrow chucker. Wonder what the arrow penetration would be on a target?
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CyprusBill |
10. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 1:56 AM EDT
If the gun can get the arrow moving with any velocity, the broadhead at the end is gonna give you at least 2-3 inches of penetration. Most paintball guns shoot anywhere from 200-300 fps. A good compound bow gets in that ball park as well, so I think I'd expect rather decent penetration from this.Here's it's little brother. http://www.isoldmygun.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=893718301 Do you find this valuable? |
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Hell_Razor |
11. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 10:30 AM EDT
First off, that was a movie. Never trust Hollywood to make anything out to be realistic in any manner, it's for entertainment only. Second, the time, money and effort put in to engineer something like that could be better spent learning first aid or learning how to use a real damn weapon. If you want to invest in a silent projectile weapon, you're almost better off going through the mountain of paper work and fees required to legally own a suppressor.
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13th.Casualty |
12. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 12:14 PM EDT
Well, that's one project I'm gonna be working on while I still can.
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13th.Casualty |
13. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 1:52 PM EDT
Now how 'bout this one? Does anybody remember this movie?http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808473330/info Remember the ninja with the revolver nailgun? This one? http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808473330/info Sorry for the quality, but that's the only one I could find. Anyway, the guy had a revolver nailgun. It was automatic, silent, and seemed to be easily reloaded. Do you find this valuable? |
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13th.Casualty |
14. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 27 2008, 1:54 PM EDT
I meant this one.http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/577/577801/elektra-ninja-garner_1105146819.jpg Do you find this valuable? |
Dvergamali |
15. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Apr 30 2008, 4:39 PM EDT
repeating crossbow is a waste of time and engineering. Whatever force that pulls an reloads could just as easily be used to propel the arrow.
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lordofweasels |
16. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Aug 31 2008, 12:40 AM EDT
No, bad idea, do you have any idea how utterly hard to maintain something that complex would be? it would be a mechanical nightmare under post- z-day conditions, not to mention crossbow bolts aren't that easy to come by and making really good one's takes a lot of time, while it is POSSIBLE, it's just a very bd idea.
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Ninjakatana98 |
17. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Jul 2 2010, 7:30 PM EDT
Go on Spike.com and watch the Sun Tzu vs Vlad the Impaler on Deadliest Warrior. thats a semi auto crossbow with a 10 round mag. Just get a handgun already.
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SovietPrince |
18. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Jul 2 2010, 7:48 PM EDT
there are already plenty of semi autos.. made in all sorts of ways. no one has made a practical auto crossbow... yet.it wouldnt be a waste of engineering... imagine if YOU became the person to perfect the automatic crossbow... and nobody said ANYTHING about using it in zday. the OP was specifying if anyone had thought about it.. and, hollywood may make things up... such as the double barrel/semi auto crossbow in Daybreakers.. but its still possible to construct, with the proper intellect. Do you find this valuable? |
AlexHigginbotham |
19. RE: Van Helsing's automatic crossbow?
Jul 2 2010, 7:57 PM EDT
This is information from Deadliest Warrior, accuracy isn't guaranteed.Sun Tzu apparently had a wooden sort of magazine fed cross bow. I didnt see it tested, but it apparently beat Vlad the Impaler's mid range weapon. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
