Ancient Chinese Crossbows

Crossbows and trigger mechanisms there were mass-produced so heavily that, in about 157 BC, a prince named Liang Hsiao Wang was in charge of regiments that had 50,000 men and several hundred thousand crossbows.

There were many different types of crossbows some were so big that they needed several men to ready them for firing. And, in the eleventh century, repeating crossbows were developed that could fire 20 arrows in only 15 seconds.