In my ever increasing effort to find a more unique murder weapon than Chester Campbell's smudge pot, and to keep Lee Lofland guessing, I've found this:
The PSEXTech Tac-15 Tactical Assault Crossbow.
Okay, I know anything in black thsee days is called "tactical," but this baby really is. It comes with or without a scope, will fill the same hole at forty yards, and sends a 425 grain steel bolt on its way at four hundred thirty-two feet per second -- the fastest crossbow on the market.
Zowie! Shazam. Take that, Batman.
This beast features a Picatinny rail for scope and accessories, weighs only 6.3 lbs, features a free floated fore-grip/handguard, so hand pressure will not bend the bow and adversely affect accuracy. It features an integrated quick-cocking design with a lever crank, a good thing, because maximum pull-weight is one hundred seventy pounds. One would need to be big, green and nicknamed "Hulk" to pull this tension without the crank. While you may imagine the creaky, clanging of gears pulling up a moat bridge, this hummer is whisper quiet.
Since "assault" rifles, whatever that term means, often are described as "black rifles," I suppose this would be a black bow -- good thing since it's black, huh? Blends into the night.
Heh, heh, heh. Just a whistle and a thud, the body hits the ground.
At this speed and with the weight of this bolt, I'd guess the bolt would pass clear through a body, but if not, retrieval would leave quite a mess. Either way might have Lee scratching his head for a bit.
And it gets better. Since it's designed on an AR platform, the crossbow fits onto any lower AR receiver. So, your perp or protag can choose on the spot whether he can afford the noise of his AR-15 black rifle, or the slippery silence of a dead-nuts bolt. Just strap the upper on your back and off you go with your AR-15, ready for action.
Too bad these bolts aren't wood: Vampires wouldn't stand a chance.
Better yet, this piece of arsenal auxiliary comes from a company in Tucson. Yes, we like our smugglers to have the latest stuff. And bad guys may buy; no NFA clearance or investigation required. Just walk in and plunk down $1200 of dirty money.
Ain't technology grand?
Sure, Lee would eventually figure it out -- he always does -- but this one would have him scratching his head for a bit. Once figured, tracking would pose no issue, at least while this thing is new, but as demand spreads out and used products become available, tracking would become more difficult. And of course, there are other crossbows on the market, just not with the speed and power of this one.
I know, Chester's still got me beat. A smudge pot is hard to match. But I'm trying.
Wouldn't Vlad the Impaler have had fun with this thing...?
Tactical Assault Crossbow
It's definitely not a woman's weapon of choice. I tried one at a practice range and found it very accurate but someone else had to load it for me, so I settled for a plain old wooden long bow.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right, Jean. Probably have to be a Russian female shot putter to turn that crank. But I may use it in my new story.
ReplyDeleteHey, don't mess with my smudge pot, Ben. I thought of it last week as we were driving by the tractor dealer where I checked out my theory. A salesman there confirmed that a flame near a ruptured gas tank would touch off an explosion. I always liked that ending.
ReplyDeleteWould make a good title, Chester. SMUDGE POT TERROR
ReplyDeleteVery interesting weapon and a well written article. The thought of an arrow whizzing through the air with this kind of power...is terrifying.
ReplyDeleteBen,
ReplyDeleteAre those things legal?
Pat Browning
Ben, I love your articles on weapons. I always learn something new that gets my mystery-writing wheels turning.
ReplyDeleteBut now you've opened a can of worms for me, because Jared (my protagonist) says he wants one.
Yes, Pat, they are. Spooky, huh?
ReplyDelete