Montagnard Crossbow

[bulltaco]

My neighbor is a Marine who served in Viet Nam in 1965-66 as a helicopter mechanic. He once showed me a crossbow with a bamboo quiver of bolts that he traded two packs of Salem cigarettes for. It is a simple design, but identical to the ones used in John Wayne's movie, "The Green Berets".

We were neighbors near Raleigh, NC until 2000 when he and his family moved to Sedona, AZ in a career re-location. About 2003, he showed back up separated from his wife and in a state of emotional flux. He told me he had come back to "clean out his diddy bag". He offered to give me the crossbow and bolts or he was going to take them to the dump with the rest of his stuff/diddy bag. I told him I wanted the crossbow and bolts because I realized that they held a historical value, at least to me. I wished I had gotten him to write out some kind of documentation of authenticity, but I did not.

Currently, the items are gathering dust in the corner of my 17 year old son's bedroom. I was wondering if these items have any real historical value and if they are unique. We have a History Museum in Raleigh and I thought about donating them to the Viet Nam War section to be exhibited. How ever due to a relative's advice I have re-considered that history would be best served with a private collector.

So here is my question. Does the crossbow have any value or will it be some item to end up in somebody's yard sale?

 

[Atticus]

You might want to give Mr. Motts a call. Kinda far from your home...but this museum is a pretty unique one, as is your bow.

http://www.mottsmilitarymuseum.org/home.html

 

[hksw]

Can you post photos? It's always interesting (at least to me) to examine old/ancient tools and tools from different cultures no matter how crude and rudimentary they may seem. Those folks revered their tools and weapons as much as I revere mine, I would imagine.

 

[rustymaggot]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Montagnard-Cros...063768587QQihZ019QQcategoryZ587QQcmdZViewItem

heres one that didnt sell on ebay because the reserve wasnt met.

 

[bulltaco]

I'll get some pics. George, my neighbor watch the Montagnards forge the bolt heads in a clay oven. They are pretty cool looking and sharp too. The crossbow is exactly like the ones used to take out the sentries in the covert part of "The Green Berets". The weapon is over 40 years old.

 

[Lon]

Three 'Nam tours between '64 & '72. Flew KC-130F, H-34, & A4-F in country. The true crossbow was a real weapon, but because the GI's wanted them, many cheap almost toy-like copies were made for barter or sale. You can visually determine if it is "real" just by the quality of workmanship and wood. In Africa, an H-34 was brought down by a crossbolt through the engine oil cooler mounted horizontally under the engine.
Historical value? Sorry, don't really know.

 

[bulltaco]

The items on Ebay look exactly like what I have.

 

[rustymaggot]

Lon,

just thought id say hello. cause thats my real name.

 

[CWL]

Don't think there is much historic value, maybe sentimental value though.

These are still made in SE Asia, but mostly for tourist trade.