Gun that shoots arrows !

**MARINE DIVISION TWO** · November 16th, 2009, 07:04 PM

I think my friend was pulling my leg stating there are guns you can shoot arrows from ? what happened to archery ?anyone have any knowledge of this,appreciate any feedback.

**LittleRedToyota** · November 16th, 2009, 07:11 PM

are you talking about crossbows?

**PisnNapalm** · November 16th, 2009, 07:19 PM

Maybe a gun that will shoot flechettes? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flechette

**Brick** · November 16th, 2009, 07:20 PM

Yes, there are "guns" that shoot "arrows". Some are mounted on Main Battle Tanks and the "arrows" are called sabots, they are really a bodkin point arrow. Others are mounted on whaling vessels and some are shoulder-fired and cast an "arrow" also called a harpoon or lance. Then there are historical illustrations of early siege cannon loaded with "arrows' prepped for firing at the defending city walls or gate. Then there is also the fletchette round used by field artillery, there might have even been a fletchette round for the M79/M203 grenade launcher but I'm not sure it ever made it to general issue. Take your pick, your friend isn't really wrong, just lacking a historical perspective.

**ungawa** · November 16th, 2009, 07:29 PM

I saw on UT I think a crossbow upper for the AR. Maybe that's what he is talking about.

**knight0334** · November 16th, 2009, 08:16 PM

I remember back in the mid '80s a couple long guns designed to shoot arrows. One using compressed air, another using blanks.

**Swarner793** · November 16th, 2009, 08:24 PM

I did it a bunch of times when I was a kid. We would load shotshells to the wad, no shot. Then feed an arrow down the barrel and shoot them. It was done more for the experimentation value than anything useful.

I have shot a lot of strange things out of a 12 ga barrel. Someday I will tell you about the time I loaded up a shell with talcum powder. Let us just say, it wasn't like the cartoons.

Be safe (and if you try it, use a bolt).

Scott

**randyc187** · November 16th, 2009, 08:27 PM

i dont know how safe it is, and dont recommend it, but i saw a guy cut the end of a .410 shotgun shell off and dump out the BBs and put it in a single shot .410, he then took a arrow and cut the fletchings off and stuck it down the barrel, he used a aluminum arrow because he said a carbon one wont work, he then aimed down range and shot at a bail of hay about 50 yards away, he hit what he was aiming at and got enough penatration to kill a deer.

like i said i would never do it, and i left the range after that one, i just stuck around to call 911 if he needed help if something went wrong.