This was more of a question I was thinking about. Are there any crossbows with set triggers? Or has anyone experimented with that concept? Seems like it could be cool idea. I guess I have to study up on crossbow mechanisms to see if it would be feasible on any style.

Crossbows that show many pins on the side, like the one with the fancy brass trigger-guard that you'll see at the top of the page, use set triggers. What looks like a tickler/trigger is actually a trigger guard. Do some digging around on this site and you'll find some diagrams of set triggers. Be careful of Payne-Gallwey's diagrams, they're not always accurate. Geezer.

I guess as they say everything old is new again and here I thought I had come up with something new But if set triggers can be documented to SCA period that would rock.

Set triggers are eminently documentable as early as first quarter of 16th century. According to Egon Harmuth, Two axle locks generally date @ 1450-1500. 4 and 5 axle (set trigger) locks date from 1500 on.
Now getting the SCA archery marshallate to understand that is another question altogether. Sheesh! Geezer.

Where could I find this documentation? Any books or other works you recommend?

Edited to add: I found a bunch of pictures on this site which is great but any help on paper documentation would be more than helpful.

Hey bazilisk120,

Good to see you jump in....And not just jump in, but jump into researching of mine and a few other member's favorite of the medieval models. Geezer, GOOD STUFF!

There isn't much styraight b=forward info on the net about our subject everything is in the libraries/archives, museums(in the heads of good knowledgeable Guides), and historical/arms forums(most are in other languages)...don't get discouraged thou... look through this one here >>>Link ...there is some info there, but like Geezer said - don't believe all of it...some things you have to try out to see if it's true.

I'm almost done gathering the materials/tools for this type of crossbows and am currently testing out a few things in the background(bone decoration substitute) parallel to fixing some mistakes in my brothers bow...so as soon as that is done, we will go live on this one.

As for set triggers...I heard they were a big hit in the match target crossbows for a while. Had a picture somewhere

Ah..there it is ...don't see a safety here, but I do see a crazy looking setup.



PS: Mr SAM has a whole collection of *most popular at the times* triggers on this page of the Russian forum >>>Link

Payne-Gallwey claims set triggers were invented for crossbows and adapted to fire arms.He claims they showed up in the 16th century (pg169). Set triggers as units and kits are available on various black powder sites.

I always hate to agree with Payne-Gallaway about anything; but I think he is probably right here.

Using a "ready made" set lock for a firearm is a clever idea.

Mac

I have a friend with a crossbow he believes is 400 yrs old, stock appears to be for popinjay type targets and it has double set triggers.Hooked trigger guard, bone table inlay, incised. Bolt rest, screw type bow irons so it may not be as old as he thinks.
William Reid, in Weapons Through the Ages, pg 117, claims set triggers appear on crossbows about 1540. Reid was on staff at the Tower of London for 13 years and highly respected for his expertise on antique weapons.

If you want to use a set trigger with out raising too much resistance, try a single set trigger. The same black powder catalog that sells triggers will also sell trigger guards.
Reid claims that a great deal of cross pollinating occurred between firearms and crossbows so a musket like trigger would not be entirely out of order.
I saw a safety for a lever type trigger that was a sliding dowel cross pin. A portion was flattened and enlarged buttons were on each end to prevent its loss. When the flattened section was over the trigger bar it could fire, round part was safe. Needed a way to keep it from rotating, or it would not fire no matter which side it was pushed to.