Repeating crossbow (lian nu) also known as a Zhuge crossbow (zhuge nu), made of wood. Consists of magazine, lever, stock, bow, bowstring and trigger. The magazine holds up to 10 bolts, and is formed by two halves secured by a wooden peg with a steel disk closure at the back and a steel ring painted brown at the front. The lever is joined to the magazine and stock by two wooden pegs with steel disk closures. The bow is made of three layers of bamboo staves bound together by rattan wicker, fixed in the frontal part of the stock and locked tight by a wooden block. The bowstring is of twisted sinew tied around the end of the bow through a hole. A hole on the underside of the stock indicates that a wooden shaft is missing. The crossbow is operated by a trigger mechanism. By pulling the lever forward, a bolt falls from the magazine onto a groove, while the bowstring is automatically pulling backward until it is caught in a notch above a wooden trigger. Then the lever is pulled back until the trigger is pressed against the stock. When the upper end of the trigger lifts the bowstring out of the notch, the bolt is discharged. By moving the lever forwards and backwards again the bowman can shoot off arrows in succession, discharging approximately 10 in less than 15 seconds. Moving the stock handle can easily adjust the direction of the shooting arrow.
fighting
