ChuKoNu : une arbalète à répétition de l'antiquité

The ChuKoNu was discovered during a documentary made several years ago with Sergeant de Rover, known for his historical weapon reconstructions and his 1:1 scale submarine.

The ChuKoNu is an ancient Chinese repeating crossbow capable of firing multiple bolts in rapid succession.

This weapon was used from antiquity until the end of the 19th century.

The presenter wishes to share this weapon as he considers it a beautiful example of clever engineering worthy of presenting to an audience.

The weapon has a top-mounted magazine capable of holding approximately 10 crossbow bolts.

• A small crank lever pushes the bolts one by one. • Each crank action releases a single bolt. • Regular pumping allows the different bolts to be fired.

This weapon could fire up to 10 bolts in 15 seconds, which was extraordinary compared to an English longbow capable of firing about a dozen arrows in one minute.

The crossbow could shoot up to approximately 200 meters.

The ChuKoNu was designed for barrage fire rather than targeting a specific individual with precision.

The weapon was used by spraying an area, imprecise but effective for its barrage fire function.

After emptying a 10-bolt magazine, one had to change the magazine to continue firing.

Despite its accuracy limitations, the ChuKoNu represents an ingenious and effective solution for mass combat.

The presenter considers this weapon a small engineering jewel he has long wanted to showcase.

The Archery and Valois Museum in Crépy-en-Valois has ChuKoNu examples to discover.

The presenter invites viewers to share their impressions and suggest other ingenious weapons to present.

He hopes that in the coming years he will have the opportunity to visit other museums to discover and showcase other similar weapons.