A Crossbow Magazine Gun
The Arrows are Stacked in the Magazine and Fired in Succession by the Bowstring Released at the Trigger
A new type of bow gun that a boy can make, and which will give him plenty of good sport, is one of the repeating or magazine variety. To make the gun, cut a soft pine board, 40 in. long and 5 in. wide. With a saw and knife, cut the gun form as shown. Cut a groove along the top of the barrel, where the arrow will lie ready to be shot out when the hickory bow is released. The magazine holding the five arrows is made of thin boards, 24 in. long, and is held in place by four small strips. The magazine is 3 in. deep, thus permitting the five arrows to lie evenly in it without crowding. The bow is of seasoned hickory and is set into the end of the barrel. The notch in which the bowstring catches, should be cut just under the rear end of the magazine. The trigger is an L-shaped, pivoted piece, and pushes the cord off the notch when ready to fire. As soon as the first arrow leaves the gun the one just above it drops down into the groove when the bowstring is again pulled back into place behind the notch. Pressure on the trigger shoots this arrow, another takes its place, and the cord is pulled back once more. The arrows should be of light pine, 22 in. long and ¹⁄₂ in. square, the rear end notched and the front pointed. To make the arrow shoot in a straight course, and to give it proper weight, the head end should be bored with a ³⁄₁₆ in. bit, 3 in. deep, and melted lead run into the hole.—E. F. Dalton, Cincinnati, Ohio.
¶Ruling pens often work improperly, or have a tendency to cut the paper because of tiny feather edges at the points. These should be carefully honed and stropped off.