Armored Combat:Equipment standards - Ranged weapons

Equipment standards - Ranged weapons

All missile weapons

1. No missile weapons intended to simulate firearms, slings, slingstaffs, or atlatls are allowed.

Bows and crossbows

General

1. During inspection, your bow or crossbow must have its poundage and draw physically measured with a ruler or other metered device and poundage scale.
2. Marshals must calibrate their bow scales regularly to be accurate at either 35 or 50 pounds, depending upon the most prevalent bow in your kingdom, as measurements obtained with commonly used, standard spring-type scales can vary over time.
3. You are not allowed to use:
   • compound bows
   • compound crossbow prods
   • non-period sights
   • spring/flipper rests
   • plunger buttons
   • stabilizers
   • clickers
   • modern string release aids.
4. Your bow or crossbow must be powered solely by the flex of its limbs.
5. If you are using a heavy bow or heavy crossbow (as defined below) on the field when other people are using light bows or light crossbows, your heavy bow must have its upper limb, or your heavy crossbow must have one limb, covered with at least 4 inches (101 mm) of red material (tape, cloth, etc).

Handbows

1. A handbow's power is measured at 28 inches (71 cm) of draw.
2. If your bow is not designed to be drawn to 28 inches (71 cm), then it cannot be used in armored combat with rattan.
3. Light handbows must measure 35 pounds or less at 28 inches (13.6 kg at 71 cm).
4. Heavy handbows must measure more than 35 pounds (13.6 kg at 71 cm), but less than or equal to 50 pounds at 28 inches (22.7 kg at 71 cm).

Crossbows

1. Your crossbow's draw weight is calculated by taking the poundage of the bow measured at the lock, multiplied by the distance (in inches) from the front of the string at rest, to the front of the string when it is in the cocked position. In the SCA we refer to this measurement as "inch-pounds", which is not to be confused with units of torque. A metric measurement of kilogram-centimeters (kg-cm) is also allowed.
2. Light crossbows measure 600 inch-pounds (691 kg-cm) or less.
3. Heavy crossbows measure 1000 inch-pounds (1152 kg-cm) or less.
4. Modern pistol grips are not allowed.

Siege engines

Siege engines or structures are allowed to be used in combat during melees and battles. The rules for these are in the Siege Engines Handbook.

Throwing weapons

1. No part of the weapon should be able to penetrate a bar grill more than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm).
2. If your throwing weapon has a haft or shaft, it must be made of:
   1. rattan that is at least 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) in diameter along its entire length, or
   2. two layers of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe or equivalent.
3. If HDPE pipe is used:
   1. The outer layer must be 1 inch (25.4 mm) inner diameter HDPE pipe (1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) outer diameter - 1/8 inch wall thickness) and the inner layer must be 3/4 inch (19.1 mm) inner diameter HDPE pipe.
   2. It must have a pressure rating of 160 PSI or greater.
   3. Both ends of the shaft must be covered with either a schedule-40 PVC cap with an interior diameter the same as the outside diameter of the shaft (1 1/4 inches (31.8 mm)), or with a rubber stopper or equivalent means to prevent the tubing from penetrating the thrusting tip(s), fastened securely in place by tape and/or glue.
4. You must use a thrusting tip on any tip that can be reasonably assumed to contact a fighter when the weapon is used or thrown.
   1. Tips must be at least 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) in diameter/cross-section and have at least 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) of resilient material in front of the entire rigid tip of the weapon, to provide progressively resistant give.
5. If your weapon has a head:
   1. It must not be made entirely out of rigid materials.
   2. The head must be firmly and securely attached to the haft or handle.
   3. The head must allow at least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) of progressive give between the striking surface and the weapon haft or handle.
6. The weapon must have the owner's name, kingdom, and branch clearly and legibly printed on it in English characters for identification.
7. Your throwing weapon must not be heavier than 2 pounds (0.91 kg).
8. Throwing weapons are allowed to have fletches as long as they are securely attached and made of a soft material.
   1. Fletches must not project more than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) from the shaft if they are less than 1 1/2 inch (38.1 mm) thick, so that they meet the rules about not penetrating a face guard more than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm).