Missile Weapon Standards

General

1. All combatants bear final responsibility for the condition and safety of their own equipment.
2. Weapons must be licensed if required by mundane law.
3. No metal or unapproved rigid plastic may be used on any striking surface of a weapon.
4. No weapon may use the combustion of flammable materials as a means of propulsion.
5. With the exception of manually pumped compressed air used in cannon rounds, no weapon may use compressed gas as a means of propulsion.
6. All projectiles must have the owner’s name, kingdom, and group clearly and legibly printed on it in English characters for identification.
7. Missiles must not contain any material which could enter a combatant’s eyes if the missile breaks open e.g. beans, sand, etc.
8. No weapon may be thrown or discharged at targets within 5 metres.
9. It is forbidden to discharge any missile from a missile weapon other than those types of missiles which have been approved for use in that type of weapon. Doing so may be considered grounds for removing the combatant from the field. The combatant may be subject to further disciplinary action.

Bows

Edits to this section are required to meet Society minimum standards and current rules around crossbows

1. A combat archer may use any recurve or long bow that is in a safe and usable condition, so long as the bow does not exceed 30 pounds draw weight at 28 inches of draw.
2. The draw weight of the bow is to be determined at 711mm (28 inches) draw length, as measured from the centre of the bow riser.
3. Combat archers may use a crossbow provided that it is in a safe and usable condition and does not exceed 600 inch-pounds in power.
4. The possession and/or use of crossbows is illegal [Archery:Crossbow Legislation | in some jurisdictions]. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that their weapons are legal - Footnote - In regards to crossbow legislation enacted 1st July 2004 in Victoria, the SCAA has obtained an exemption for SCA legal combat crossbows and combat blunts used by members of the SCA. Please note this does not include any bolts with field/target points. The exemption requires that someone with an SCA combat legal crossbow must be carrying proof of membership of the SCA. THIS FOOTNOTE IS NO LONGER VALID - REMOVE. ADD NEW CONTENT - Regardless on the mundane legal ability to use crossbows, SCA Ltd's insurance policy prohibits the use of crossbows on moving targets (including people), in all parts of Australia.
5. The power of a crossbow is determined by multiplying the length of the power stroke in inches by the draw weight in pounds at the locked position on the string. The draw weight is to be measured at the nut, ie. the string position when the crossbow is nocked. The power stroke is the distance from the string’s rest position to the locked position.
6. Compound bows and compound crossbows are not permitted.
7. Bows shall be inspected before use by a marshal who is knowledgeable regarding archery equipment and safety.
8. The use of bows and crossbows that have a period appearance is strongly encouraged.