Hey Forty Rod - Here's A Treat For Ya!

[Cypress Sun]

Some time back, you had expressed interest in Montagnard crossbows and arrows. I had replied that my late Dad had brought back two crossbows and four quivers full of arrows back from Vietnam.

Last weekend I went over to his house and brought some of his possessions back with me. Among them were one crossbow and two bamboo quivers full of bamboo arrows. My brother got the other set.

Thought you like to look at the pictures of them. 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Cypress Sun

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Thank you.   I had one very similar to the one shown.  I had an option of bringing it home or an SKS  carbine.  Couldn't bring both so opted for the carbine.

 

Those cross bows were very simple: bow and "braided" string, a stock, and  a trigger.  All  three  wood pieces were something very tough and strong.  The string was made from some jungle vine (I think.).   The "arrows" were fire hardened bamboo and could penetrate a steel helmet at fifty feet about two out of three times.

 

And you couldn't hear them shoot.  Maybe  a light hum or a soft  thump, but  jungles can be quite noisy, so even if you heard it you couldn't tell what  nor  where it  was.

[Dapper Dave]

Nifty! There was comedian who had a schtick about being a Marine in 'Nam and getting shot with an arrow.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Very compact, too.  Slide the bow out of the  stock and you had a package about two and half feet long and five inches in diameter.  Took about ten seconds.  The quiver took up more space than that.

[Cypress Sun]

 

 

12 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Thank you.   I had one very similar to the one shown.  I had an option of bringing it home or an SKS  carbine.  Couldn't bring both so opted for the carbine.

 

Those cross bows were very simple: bow and "braided" string, a stock, and  a trigger.  All  three  wood pieces were something very tough and strong.  The string was made from some jungle vine (I think.).   The "arrows" were fire hardened bamboo and could penetrate a steel helmet at fifty feet about two out of three times.

 

And you couldn't hear them shoot.  Maybe  a light hum or a soft  thump, but  jungles can be quite noisy, so even if you heard it you couldn't tell what  nor  where it  was.

 

Dad told me he thought it would be fun to shoot one of the crossbows into his "office" solid wood door just so there would be an arrow sticking out of the door as a joke. It went through his door, across the hall, through the door across the hall and stuck into the wall of the room across the hall. He didn't try that again. 

 

I always wanted to try out one of the crossbows and arrow but remembering the story, I never thought that there was a sufficient backstop to try them out. I wouldn't try one out now due to the age of string and equipment.

 

He also brought back an SKS, I now have that but couldn't find the documentation that he had. I'm going to try to find that on the next trip over to his house in a few weeks.

[DeaconKC]

9 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Nifty! There was comedian who had a schtick about being a Marine in 'Nam and getting shot with an arrow.

Mike Warnke, it's on this album:

 

[Dapper Dave]

That's the guy Christian comedian. Funny guy.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

On 3/17/2026 at 8:54 AM, Cypress Sun said:

Some time back, you had expressed interest in Montagnard crossbows and arrows. I had replied that my late Dad had brought back two crossbows and four quivers full of arrows back from Vietnam.

Last weekend I went over to his house and brought some of his possessions back with me. Among them were one crossbow and two bamboo quivers full of bamboo arrows. My brother got the other set.

Thought you like to look at the pictures of them. 

 

 

 

On 3/18/2026 at 10:34 PM, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Thank you.   I had one very similar to the one shown.  I had an option of bringing it home or an SKS  carbine.  Couldn't bring both so opted for the carbine.

 

Those cross bows were very simple: bow and "braided" string, a stock, and  a trigger.  All  three  wood pieces were something very tough and strong.  The string was made from some jungle vine (I think.).   The "arrows" were fire hardened bamboo and could penetrate a steel helmet at fifty feet about two out of three times.

 

And you couldn't hear them shoot.  Maybe  a light hum or a soft  thump, but  jungles can be quite noisy, so even if you heard it you couldn't tell what  nor  where it  was.

Just listed today on IMA Original Vietnam War Montagnard Crossbow with Six Bolts and Quiver - U – International Military Antiques

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Very tempting but my periodontist tells me I can't afford  it.  He says I need to complete what he's already started.  Maybe later, but thanks all the same.