Schnepper

Title

Schnepper

HCA Identifier

Document Number/Property ID: No information
Inventory number: W70/27

Collection Location

Deutches Historisches Museum.
Collection: Militaria/1

Date

Second half of the 19th or early 20th century

Location

Saxony

Description

At the tip of the crossbow, there is a small suspension ring. On the stock, the bolt rest and associated bonework is still there. The number 9 is etched in the bonework near the bolt rest. Painted designs of leaves and tendrils decorate the prod. The prod connects to the walnut wood stock with bindings. On the prod and bindings, there are small green and red pom-poms. The bowstring is a restoration.
Further down the stock, there is a brass bolt clip with a groove in the top which serves as a sight. The lock system is a flap lock. The crossbow has a trigger guard protecting its trigger.
Farther down, metal covers a part of the stock which is sometimes called the neck. The metal is decorated with a very fine grid pattern.
The crossbow has a lightly concave cheek rest on the left side. It protrudes slightly from the rifle-like butt of the crossbow. It is decorated with a nautical star made of inlay in bone as well as either ebony or dark horn.
In terms of damage, there is a crack in the wood by the front of the crossbow. Reinforcing rivets are visible. The lack of damage to the bonework above the cracked wood implies that the bonework was replaced at some point.

Source

Sven, Lüker, and Jens Sensfelder. Die Armbrust: Schrecken und Schönheit [The Crossbow: Terror and Beauty]. Münich: Hirmer, 2020.

Crossbow Top Measurements

Basic measurements:
Length: 74.6 cm
Width (prod length): about 65.2 cm
Weight: 4.3 kg

Detailed measurements:
Total string length: 652mm
String length: approx. 590mm
Middle prod cross-section: 45mm x 12mm
Outer prod cross-section: 32.5mm x 7.5mm
String position: approx. 75mm
String diameter: 11mm (Z) / .8mm (S)

Total length of the crossbow: 746mm
Stock length: 718mm
Prod - lock: 202mm
Stock cross-section at the prod: 77mm x 39mm
Stock cross-section at the lock: 61.5mm x 55mm
Stock cross-section at the butt: 121mm x 47mm
Width of the trigger lever: 8mm
Diameter of the bridling: 5mm (S) / 1mm