Armex Tomcat MKII 80lb crossbow pistol review

[Tonka]

These little bows are controversial, some love them, others loath them. I seem to remember Timelord giving them a bashing. I have one, and rate it half as a cheaply made toy and half as a very useful tool. But one thing is for sure you can't go wrong for the cost of these things for tool or toy.
I have had a few different types.. they do fall apart... BUT the bits that go tend to be surplus to it actually working. The cocking mechanism can go, but at 80lb a kid can cock it just by pulling on the string. The sights can break... but it's pretty much just as accurate to aim by looking down it. In fact if you remove all the bits you don't need it's a rugged and compact unit. For survival you would just need a spare string and prod as with any bow.
The version shown in the review is the one I have now, and seems to be the best of the bunch... not a bit has fallen off yet! But it will.

Why I personally rate it as a good tool (with the crap stripped off - no need to do in advance, it will be self removing over time)
is that:

They are cheap and easy to get and keep multiple spares for.

They can be inconspicuously carried, and don't add much weight to a BOB even with plenty of bolts.

It is easy to make your own bolts for, as it isn't powerful enough to shatter dowl, like a 200lb crossbowwould, and the bolts are short enough not to require being too straight along their length like a longbow. Pretty much a stick with gaffa tape flights and a tin snipped broadhead from an old car door would do the job... it is not a precision instrument. I, erm, fired a wooden spatula out of mine only this afternoon... I got board and distracted whilst cooking.

They are surprisingly powerful at close range. I did some tests with full power (UK Legal) air rifles and pistols. It does not have the range and accuracy of a decent air rifle, but it matches an air pistol for accuracy (which is fair as they are about the same size) and for power it beats it into a pulp. I found the penetration at close ranges of about 8 yards to at least match the air rifle with the best pellets, but with a much heavier bigger diameter projectile.

That is why I don't think they can be dismissed as just a toy, even if they may seem in next to much bigger cross bows.

These pistols will bag a rabbit at the kind of range they let you get within before hopping off, and do it with easy to make ammo post SHTF.

They don't offer serious protection against raiders though... but may act as a deterrent. They won't stop a man, but they would bloody sting and be an infection risk.

Oh, and most importantly, with the aluminium bolts they pass the skull piercing test, so can theoretically keep zombies away... important for some.

You can also practice with it in a normal garden... it's hard to do this with big cross bow.

So I still value my air rifles and stores of pellets for birds and longer range use, and I favor my bigger bows for use against bigger buggers. And it's not going to replace side by side 12g, but there is a place for this little cheap piece of cast ally in my BOV.

Now that reminds me I need to go outside and retrieve that spatula before my wife gets home.