What are the functions of all parts of a crossbow?

When it comes to discussing modern weaponry, it must be said that the crossbow is indeed a weapon that was well ahead of its times, given the engineering and the sheer capacity of the weapon.  The crossbow is a weapon that is a cross between a rifle and a traditional bow. The crossbow was quite an iconic weapon that is said to have made its debut sometime in the middle ages. Excavation of 2,500 year old graves in China has revealed crossbows and it is also believed that around the same time they were prevalent in the Mediterranean regions as well. Over the years the crossbow has gone through many modifications and the current version of the crossbow, does require skilled archer to operate it. Design of a crossbow The basic design of the crossbow starts with the stock or the holding portion of the weapon. This is more or less like the stock of a rifle. In the stock there is  a slot that houses the arrow of the bow which is called the bolt. Through these bolts look like arrows they are shorter and heavier, and are often made of metal. In front of the stock there is the bow portion that is called lath or lathe. This is attached horizontally to the stock. The string of the bow can be drawn back right up to the end of the bow. It is also held in place by the sear which is a special lever. The sear in turn is attached to a trigger. When one pulls the trigger of the crossbow, the string of the crossbow is released and the bolt moves forward at a very high rate of speed. The modern version of the crossbow can fire up to a distance of 405 feet in a single second! The velocity of this weapon is thanks to the draw of the bow. Despite having bows that are much shorter than the traditional bows, the kinetic energy of these bows is much higher. The weapon is compact in nature and is superior because, the bolt is held in place by mechanics instead of relying on human strength. Several crossbow versions There are various versions of the crossbows that you can now find. There are the recurve crossbows that are more powerful but can be a little bit noisy. They are also likely to be more susceptible to wear and tear. The modern day archer is likely to be found with a compound crossbow. This is a crossbow that requires much less strength, because the system of the pulley is add more velocity when the trigger is pulled. There are even repeating crossbows that have been invented by the Chinese. These are bows that use a box that is gravity fed to load the arrows onto the bolt holder. Crossbows today are quite sophisticated weapons that are used for sports. Most crossbows however are likely to require replacement of some parts, when they are subjected to wear and tear. The replacement parts are quite easily available online today, with the number of crossbow enthusiasts rising constantly. Click to check out the most popular crossbows.