Category:Crossbow spanning methods

This is a subcategory for images of the various known spanning methods and spanning mechanisms used in ancient, medieval, early modern and modern crossbows, as well as crossbows of various typologies (e.g. bow types, trigger mechanism types).

The reloading of crossbows is a two-stage process, consisting of the spanning of the crossbow's bowstring (locking it safely into a shooting position, before shooting) and the placement of the bolt, quarrel or pellet used by the crossbow as projectile.

Crossbows with the simplest spanning requirements were hand-spanned by human hands, but crossbows equipped with higher poundage bows required the use of specialised spanning mechanisms. These mechanisms were separate attachable tools, carried as basic accessories for spanning a specific crossbow specimen (depending on its design).

A few particular types of historical crossbows from certain cultures featured integrated spanning mechanisms, but these were the rarest variation, the vast majority of historical crossbows being either hand-spanned or spanned by a separate spanning tool.