You can pry my crossbow from my cold, dead hands

[MillCreek]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/japans-gun-laws-worked-so-well-they-need-to-ban-crossbows

When the 'Walking Dead' first became popular, I was pricing crossbows like Darryl's, and I was surprised how expensive good crossbows were.

[WLJ]

This says it all

But human beings will always find ways to kill each other

They're coming for your rocks next.

[Angel Eyes]

Now, the Japanese government is considering banning most people from buying, selling, or owning these semi-automatic bow and arrows.

The Japanese have semiautomatic crossbows now?

[dogmush]

I think there's a German(?) guy on YouTube that designs and builds semi automatic bows and crossbows.  His video's show enough to recreate the designs.

[lee n. field]

I think there's a German(?) guy on YouTube that designs and builds semi automatic bows and crossbows.  His video's show enough to recreate the designs.

Jorg Sprave, "https://www.youtube.com/c/Slingshotchannel/"

[Angel Eyes]

Yes I'm familiar with Jorg Sprave's crossbow designs, but I don't think those are what the Japanese are going after.  It's more likely that Jake Adelstein does not understand what "semiautomatic" means.

[AJ Dual]

Yes I'm familiar with Jorg Sprave's crossbow designs, but I don't think those are what the Japanese are going after.  It's more likely that Jake Adelstein does not understand what "semiautomatic" means.

Yeah, I got the sense that to the author "semiautomatic" means "pistol grip" and "scary looking".

And even Joerg Sprave's stuff isn't semiautomatic of course, because while he's got designs that have a magazine, there's no mechanism in any of his designs I'm aware of that load another arrow or bolt, or draw the bow without some kind of manual cocking or other user input.

[Fly320s]

The Japanese have semiautomatic crossbows now?

Very semi and very un-automatic.  Doing the math, the answer is.... single shot.  But that doesn't sell newspapers and make Pelosi clutch her pearls.