The crossbow continued to develop through the fifteenth century. A short, stiff bow sat across the end of a stock, with later steel bows drawn by a cord and pulley or a rack-and-pinion mechanism. It fired a short bolt with an iron head. Montgomery's account describes the weapon as heavy, slow, and ineffective in wet weather, but accurate to about 100 yards. It could be handled by comparatively untrained men who lacked the strength to draw a longbow, and was particularly useful for defensive shooting through loopholes.
Notable Point · 3:42:34-3:43:07
Crossbow mechanisms, training, and defensive shooting
The crossbow combined a mechanically drawn bow with a stock, allowing comparatively untrained soldiers to shoot from defensive loopholes.