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Our neighbor downstairs randomly gave me this crossbow today (thelemmy.club)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by over_clox@lemmy.world to c/nowhereelsetoshare@sh.itjust.works
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Which is really ironic, as my late father is the formal registered inventor of the Folding Crossbow.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4926834A/en

No, this one isn't a folding crossbow, but it does seem powerful enough to potentially be deadly. It's raining today so I'll have to wait for a good weather day and find an old used slab of wood for target practice.

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[-] Deebster@infosec.pub 13 points 2 months ago

I assume that your neighbour didn't know about the patent (wouldn't be ironic otherwise). Did you grow up firing crossbows, or did younger you just think of it as some weird hobby your dad had?

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

She surely had no idea my dad invented that. I recently made her name Naomi out of coathanger (look at my most recent post history, https://lemmy.world/post/47145754) so even though she had no idea of that, she does know that someone taught me some creative arts and crafts..

Younger me as a child while he was getting his patent registered, I wasn't allowed to use it, but I was totally allowed to see it and watch him use and test it. I had accidentally shot myself in my right arm when I was only 3, with a loaded BB/pellet gun, so daddy played it much safer around me, until age 10.

That's when he took me out for target practice and gun safety training, plus I was allowed to try his crossbow out a few times. His prototype used old Volkswagen leaf springs for the actual bows, but as it turned out, the final result wasn't extremely powerful, but was powerful enough to demonstrate the concept and grant him a patent.

Daddy would actually use his prototype indoors and shoot at the walls though, to kill cockroaches, (sad) LMFAO!

[-] Wizard_Pope@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Daddy would actually use his prototype indoors and shoot at the walls though, to kill cockroaches

Uhm what?? With bolts? Or something more likely to hit a roach?

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

He had originally made 4 arrows for it, 3 with blunt end tips and one with a razor sharp arrow head meant for hunting. He never actually took it out for hunting, it simply wasn't powerful enough for that, but he would shoot those blunt tip arrows indoors at cockroaches (those big waterbug type roaches) whenever one would pop up. It wouldn't even penetrate the walls, it would just leave small dents, but it was his house and he didn't give a shit LOL!

[-] treadful@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 months ago

Your neighbor is cool.

[-] jmill@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I used to have one exactly like that, years ago. Came with about 2 dozen bolts, blue, yellow, orange, and red. It shot ok, about a dinner plate sized pattern at 10 yards. If you shoot a dense foam archery target you'll want a pliers to pull the bolts out, because only an inch or two will be sticking out of the target. Shooting hard wood will break the bolts, if it's half rotten it will be fine.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Interesting, good to know in advance.

I'll probably try it out first by shooting a tree a few times at the park, but of course I ain't gonna make a hobby out of shooting trees ya know. There is a particular dead tree though...

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I tested it today, shooting it straight down into damp but mostly compacted sand mixed with compacted dirt. I measured the arrow/bolt went in approximately 2.65cm, just over an inch by a bit.

I wanted to test it out shooting at a dead tree in our park, but there were just too many people around today. Not trying to be unsafe about it ya know, but testing it gives me an idea how powerful it is. Not super powerful, but still obviously enough to be potentially dangerous if used irresponsibly..

[-] bottleofchips@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 months ago

Just fyi that’s confidence, not irony.

Sincerely,

A Haughty Brit

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 6 points 2 months ago

Oh, leave off. You're just jealous he got a crossbow.

[-] bottleofchips@piefed.blahaj.zone 15 points 2 months ago

I mean look, it turns out I can’t even spell coincidence so I’ll vacate my moral high ground

[-] yakko@feddit.uk 3 points 2 months ago

In fairness I said jealous when I meant envious. The moral high ground will be turned back into wilderness at this rate

[-] Deebster@infosec.pub 2 points 2 months ago

If you hadn't pointed it out, I'd have no idea that my brain had corrected it.

[-] GimmeUrBelt@lemmy.today 1 points 2 months ago

Good man. 🤝🤝

[-] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

it's like raaaaaiiiiiiin...

[-] napkin2020@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

It's a tribute. Your have been a nice enough upstairs neighbour that you finally get one.

[-] IDraw4u@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

That's neat!

[-] thagoat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 months ago

Probably has a body on it. Sell it the dark web immediately.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Oof. Yeah, if I had to guess, it originally had 2 more orange arrows, no clue what it's history is, but it's a keeper regardless.

[-] Kevlar21@piefed.social 2 points 2 months ago

^darkweb^

[-] SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 4 points 2 months ago

It's when you shift your browser to Night Mode.

[-] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

It's a neat toy but the ones I've seen and the one I had were all extremely crappy quality

The string started unraveling after maybe 20-30 shots, then the plastic pieces started breaking off within a month to the point where it could no longer be used.

At most I managed to put 40 bolts through it and it fell apart

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

I gotta warn you. That kind is prone to being fragile, assuming my eyes aren't fucked.

I've run across a handful of the no name hand crossbows over the years, and only luck has kept people from injury when they break under load.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I hear ya, I have no expectations, so I'm gonna play it as safe as I can.

I do know where the safety is and do know how to properly cock and load it. I've blank fired it (no arrow, not loaded) a few times, seems solid..

[-] rljkeimig@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

I don't think you're supposed to do that. Firing it with no bolt can cause a lot of stress because the released energy isn't transferred into moving a projectile.

[-] jmill@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago

It's a important rule generally, but with steel arms at this small size and light draw weight it doesn't really matter.

[-] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Yeah was gonna say. Dry firing a trad longbow is a no-no because of this

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Had to try it a couple times, because they had it strung up backwards (looped in front of the bows, not behind as supposed to be). Yeah I fixed that already.

Not like I'm gonna blank shoot it hardly ever, but I had to try it a few times tonight to make sure I got it strung up correctly.

[-] mx_smith@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I have one just like that and the strings will break and eventually the bow arms will bend, but you can use it for quite a long time. They are a lot of fun.

[-] lauha@lemmy.world -1 points 2 months ago

I'm gonna play it as safe as I can.

So, get rid of it?

this post was submitted on 23 May 2026
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