Pistol Crossbow

[bigpaul]

we will use what we have to hand, whatever that is!

[Midnitemo]

yes an 80ft lb pistol crossbow is potentially lethal but not as quickly and effectively as you need it to be....head heart or groin(for a male aggressor) are you're only real options and they are pretty small targets in the heat of the moment, heavy clothing could easily turn or defeat a pistol bolt, and unless you have two of them you are only going to get one chance...nobody wants to get stuck with a pistol bolt and if you do it's going to cause the victim major problems(eventualy) but I believe it won't stop them getting to grips with you in the short term...myself personally if i was confronted with one i'd more than likely charge them down if I needed what they have or I needed to go through them...the only time i'd defer to one is if I might them by chance and there was no need to endanger myself.

[bigpaul]

I don't think an 80LB crossbow is the "be all and end all" but if my property was being attacked its the first thing to hand, so I would use it, however there are other things which I could and probably will use in the event(which I wont go into on an open forum ), suffice to say I have more than the one option.

[Midnitemo]

I would to mate but I wouldn't build a defence strategy based on one

[bigpaul]

(19 October 2013, 15:10)Midnitemo Wrote: I would to mate but I wouldn't build a defence strategy based on one

no, its just one option.

[Timelord]

(19 October 2013, 07:38)River Song Wrote: I'm not convinced with the argument that a 80lb self cocking pistol is a 'toy'.

I bought one and have tested it out. It WILL pierce flesh and more than 'pierce'

If the body mass target is robustly clothed then you may need a head shot. Imho a co2 bb gun will do less damage. A decent 80lb pistol crissbow WILL kill. Dont be too quick to discount.

Allonsy

Well, it is not strictly a toy I agree, but neither is it a serious weapon. Toys can also kill people but are essentially just toys. For security only a serious weapon should be considered for when a weapon is needed. There are considerable negative aspects to the functionality of one of the type of 80lb pistol xbows being effective. Additionally attempting to hit the head with one in a stress filled dynamic environment is like rolling a dice with your life at stake. The odds for this weapon effectiveness are poor. A human skull may well deflect an angled low power bolt across the majority of its surface. This seems sheer folly to base ones first reaction defence on. The first reaction is all important and should be of better substance, otherwise the odds of event survival are significantly lowered. The whole 80lb pistol xbow argument is wasting breath that could be better spent elsewhere and shows a lack of knowledge of the weapon/armour ballistic subject. Please do your own research into ballistic properties of projectiles, hand held weapons and defensive qualities of materials, including the human body itself. Calculating your strategy based on advertising blurb and non researched perceptions from the web or oneself is a serious undermining of all your interlinked plans. This is constructive advice. Sincere regards, TL.

[bigpaul]

this is getting boring now, and it wasn't even my thread to start with! I don't think ANYONE is putting all their security(post SHTF) on one 80LB pistol crossbow, its just one option we MIGHT have in a given scenario, if someone has broken in and is charging up the stairs and the ONLY thing to hand is a pistol crossbow then i'm damned well going to use it, better that than nothing! if nothing else I'll smack him in the face with it and slow him down whilst I grab something a bit sharper!

[Timelord]

That is a rather simplistic answer that directs the thread off at a tangent as if it is answering points that have not actually been made in that way. No one said anyone was putting all their security on the basis of an 80lb pistol crossbow. If that is all you immediately have to hand if a person breaks into your house, then that is poor preparation. If some posters are under the illusion it is adequate, they are undermined already. All your other security could be irrelevent if you are having to resort to the pistol crossbow as a defence against a mortal threat. I agree it is boring when this topic is repeatedly put forward by some as a good mortal threat response, when they are in fact only theorising. The danger I am trying to make clear is that it is not only irresponsible but is doing enquirers no favours by suggesting that a supposedly "self cocking" 80lb pistol crossbow is adequate by posters who appear to not have any actual suitable relevant knowledge of ballistics and wound effects. What is actually boring in the information & facts being discussed?? On the basis of "the item is just one option we MIGHT have in any given scenario" and it being "the ONLY thing to hand" (ppp) then what is the point of discussing its suitability as everybody already knows something is better than nothing? We could apply this to any item and attempt to rebuff any comparisons or factual data.
If you are smacking someone in the face with the pistol crossbow while you grab something sharper, then it is quite possibly too late as the assailant may already be engaging you with his weapon. If you had the sharper item, then it would have made sense to already have it in the hand and not to have to be grabbing for it whilst already engaged in hand to hand combat. There are much better defensive weapon & combo choices than the pistol crossbow which has serious tactical flaws. If you had a decent pistol crossbow modelled after some historical ones, then that would be better and would give better odds but still suffers tactically, especially against multiple assailants. Sorry if this is boring you but it could be important to other people one day with no time for a review. TL.

[bigpaul]

this has gone on far too long, a pistol crossbow was only ONE of my options and not even a main one, and was in answer to the opening post, and only that.

[Steve]

I'd rather be armed with a sharp stick.