bow
Enable an AI agent to recognise an archery bow, assess its configuration and condition, and determine whether it may be fitted, drawn, maintained, stored or used to launch an arrow.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise an archery bow, assess its configuration and condition, and determine whether it may be fitted, drawn, maintained, stored or used to launch an arrow.
A hand-held elastic launcher whose flexible limbs, held in tension by a string, store energy during the draw and transfer it to a nocked arrow at release.
It can be Identify the bow mechanism and match the assembly to documented configuration guidance.; Check bow fit against a separately recorded archer's handedness and intended draw.; Assess proposed arrows, strings and accessories for configuration-specific compatibility.; Inspect the limb and string load path and flag defects requiring restricted handling or specialist assessment.; Determine prerequisites for stringing, drawing, shooting, adjustment and maintenance.; Record a suitable storage or transport configuration from applicable guidance..
Distinguishing features
In the assumed archery sense, a string loads elastic limbs and transfers stored energy to an arrow; a musical bow instead presents a rubbing surface for instrument strings.
An ordinary hand bow is drawn and held through the archer or a hand-held release aid; a crossbow retains its drawn string through a stock-mounted latch and trigger.
A compound bow remains within scope when cams and cables change its draw behaviour; absence of a simple limb-to-limb string arrangement does not exclude it.
A slingshot primarily stretches elastic bands or tubes attached to a frame, rather than using a string to bend bow limbs.
A decorative replica must have evidence of a functional elastic assembly and intended archery use before being treated as usable equipment.
Scope
+ Bow type, intended use and identifying evidence
+ Limbs, grip or riser, string and any cables, cams or pulleys forming the working assembly
+ Draw characteristics and configuration-specific operating limits
+ Interfaces with arrows, release methods and fitted accessories
+ Condition, maintenance needs and readiness for particular actions
- Musical bows, decorative bows and the forward sections of vessels
- Crossbows and their stock-mounted drawing, retention and trigger mechanisms
- Arrow construction and condition beyond compatibility with this bow
- Archer proficiency, physical capability and protective equipment
- Range management, target suitability and hunting permissions
Characteristics
- Bow sense and functional identity
- archery bow; another sense of bow; replica; unresolved Prevents applying archery handling rules to an unrelated object or assuming a replica is functional.
- Working mechanism
- direct-string limb system; cam-and-cable system; other documented mechanism; unknown Determines which draw observations, adjustments and inspection points apply.
- Handedness
- left-handed; right-handed; ambidextrous; configuration-dependent; unknown Constrains the usable grip, arrow position and accessory arrangement.
- Draw force profile
- force in N or lbf against draw length in mm or in, with measurement convention and configuration Distinguishes a force measured at one length from peak force and holding force.
- Permitted draw length
- mm or in; fixed setting or permitted range; convention and evidence required Bounds drawing and fit decisions without assuming all bows tolerate the same extension.
- Brace height
- mm or in between specified reference points in the braced condition Allows the observed string position to be compared with configuration-specific guidance.
- Working assembly configuration
- identified limbs, riser or grip, string, cables and cams where present, with settings Ties operating limits and condition judgments to the actual assembled bow.
- Arrow compatibility
- supported arrow specifications and selection evidence for the bow configuration and intended draw Prevents treating every arrow that can be nocked as suitable.
- Mechanical condition
- unassessed; no defect observed within stated inspection scope; suspected defect; confirmed defect; awaiting reassessment Separates limited observations from a conclusion that drawing or shooting is acceptable.
- Action readiness
- assessed separately for assembly, stringing, drawing, shooting, adjustment and storage, with prerequisites and evidence A bow may be suitable for storage or inspection while remaining unsuitable for drawing.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.bow-2
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Bow identity Establishes which sense of bow and which archery mechanism the object represents.
The registry name alone cannot distinguish archery equipment from unrelated objects or establish how it works.
Meaning and boundaries
Resolves the registry term and the boundary with neighbouring implements.
Archery sense
Records evidence that this entry denotes a functional archery bow.
- What registry context or identifying evidence establishes that bow means an archery implement here? definition
- Does the object belong here, or is it a musical bow, decorative bow, replica, slingshot or crossbow? boundary
Mechanism and identity
Connects observable construction to a supported bow identification.
Identified bow variant
Records the mechanism and identifying evidence needed to select applicable guidance.
- Does the bow use a direct string system or a cam-and-cable system, and what construction supports that classification? definition
- Which markings, maker records or documented construction history identify this bow and its variant? provenance
Elastic assembly Describes the components and connections that carry the bow's working loads.
A bow's usable limits depend on the assembled load path, including replacement parts and settings.
Limbs and support
Identifies the bending members and their connection to the grip or riser.
Limb assembly
Records limb construction, attachment and evidence of a supported assembly.
- Are the limbs integral or removable, and how are they connected to the grip or riser? definition
- What evidence supports the compatibility of the installed limbs, supporting structure and attachment settings? provenance
String and transmission
Identifies the tension members and any mechanisms controlling limb loading.
Tension system configuration
Records the installed string, any cables and cams, and their supported arrangement.
- Which string and, where present, cables, cams and modules are installed? definition
- Which applicable instructions establish their specifications, routing and permitted settings? provenance
Draw envelope Defines how this configuration loads through the draw and where its supported limits lie.
A single draw-weight label cannot establish draw-length limits, holding force or the effect of adjustments.
Draw response
Connects draw force to draw length under an explicit convention.
Force through draw
Distinguishes labelled ratings from documented or measured force behaviour.
- What draw force is documented or measured at specified draw lengths, using which reference points? measurement
- For a cam-operated bow, what peak and holding forces apply at the installed setting? measurement
Configuration limits
Records permitted geometry and adjustment boundaries.
Supported draw settings
Binds draw length, brace height and adjustable settings to applicable evidence.
- What draw-length and brace-height limits are supported for this exact assembly? boundary
- Which settings may be changed, by whom and with what equipment, before the bow needs reassessment? action
Archery interfaces Records the bow-side requirements for interaction with an archer, arrow and accessories.
Physical attachment or apparent fit alone does not establish a usable shooting configuration.
Archer and release
Describes handedness, draw fit and supported release arrangements.
Handling fit
Records bow-side constraints without attempting to certify an archer's competence.
- What handedness and draw setting does the grip, arrow support and current configuration support? definition
- Which finger or mechanical release arrangements are supported, and what bow-side fittings do they require? boundary
Arrow and accessory fit
Connects proposed projectiles and fittings to the actual bow configuration.
Compatible shooting assembly
Records evidence for arrow selection and accessory clearance.
- What evidence supports the proposed arrow's length, spine, mass and nock fit for this bow and intended draw? boundary
- Which installed rests, sights or other fittings require clearance or attachment checks before use? action
Condition and handling Connects observed condition and load history to specific handling decisions.
Stored elastic energy and potentially concealed damage make readiness dependent on evidence and the proposed action.
Load-path condition
Records inspection observations and incidents affecting the working assembly.
Damage and inspection evidence
Keeps visible observations, incident history and unresolved internal condition distinct.
- What cracking, separation, deformation, string wear or attachment movement was observed, and what was outside the inspection scope? measurement
- Is there a documented dry fire, overdraw, impact, unsuitable exposure or repair requiring further assessment? provenance
Action-specific readiness
Determines handling prerequisites from configuration and condition evidence.
Permitted bow handling
Records justified decisions for drawing, maintenance and storage without treating unknown condition as clearance.
- Given the current evidence, which of stringing, drawing, shooting or adjustment may proceed, and which require specialist assessment? action
- What documented procedure and equipment apply to stringing, unloading, maintenance and storage of this bow type? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- recurve bow (Olympic/target and hunting takedown forms)
- compound bow (cams or eccentrics with let-off)
- English longbow (narrow D-section stave, roughly archer-height)
- flatbow / American longbow (wide rectangular limb section)
- self bow (single wooden stave, no laminated belly or back)
- Asiatic composite reflex bow (horn-wood-sinew horsebow and related types)
- yumi (asymmetric Japanese longbow used in kyudo)
- youth and indoor training bows (low draw weight, often solid fibreglass)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- ATA/AMO bow-length designation - AMO {length in inches}, typically 48-70 - Industry convention for naming bow length; measured along the belly between nock grooves with a defined AMO offset, not a tape along the back.
- Draw-weight marking - {pounds-force} @ {draw length in inches}, often #xx @ 28" on recurves - Stamped or labelled on the lower limb of commercial bows; actual weight at the archer's draw length will differ.
- World Archery division - Recurve | Compound | Barebow - Sport class governing fittings, not a product SKU; national bodies add Traditional and Longbow classes.
- Harmonized System - 9506.99 (sports equipment; archery articles are commonly classified in this residual heading) - National eight- to ten-digit splits vary; confirm against the local tariff rather than treating 9506.99 as a unique bow code.
- Wikidata - Q-item for the archery bow as weapon/implement (clustered with 'bow and arrow' in many sitelinks) - Q-id not re-verified in this pass; do not mint a number from memory.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- World Archery Constitution and Rules - World Archery Federation (equipment by division; successor to FITA).
- AMO standards for bow length and draw-weight measurement - Archery Trade Association (formerly Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization).
- IFAA Book of Rules - International Field Archery Association (field classes, including traditional).
- National and subnational hunting and weapons law - wildlife agencies and police (minimum draw weights, legal nocks and lights, transport, and whether a bow is a 'weapon').
- Kyudo equipment practice for yumi and tsuru - All Nippon Kyudo Federation.
- Crossbows Act 1987 - UK Parliament (regulates the neighbouring device, marking the legal split from a hand bow in that jurisdiction).
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Olympic and World Archery target rounds with a sighted recurve.
- Bowhunting under seasonal licences, now dominated in North America by compounds.
- Field, 3D, indoor, and clout archery as club sport.
- Kyudo as a Japanese martial way with a standing yumi.
- Historical European martial practice and warbow shooting.
- Recreational backyard and school archery with low-poundage training bows.
- Museum, reenactment, and film objects; no longer a standard-issue military weapon.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- draw weight at stated draw length - 15-70 for modern target and hunting; historical war bows commonly reconstructed in the 80-180 band - lbf
- draw length - 24-32 for adult bows - in
- AMO bow length - 48-70 - in
- brace height - 6-9 on typical modern recurves - in
- compound axle-to-axle length - 28-38 on current hunting and target compounds - in
- compound let-off - 65-90 - %
- IBO-advertised arrow speed (compounds) - 280-360 - ft/s
- braced bow mass - 0.8-2.5 - kg
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Dry-fire (release with no arrow): cam derailment and limb explosion, especially on compounds.
- Limb delamination, splintering, or chrysals (compression failure in the belly of a wooden bow).
- String, serving, or nocking-point failure under load.
- Riser or limb-pocket fracture on takedown and compound bows.
- Arrow shatter on release from a cracked shaft or badly mismatched spine, with fragments toward the face and bow hand.
- Overdraw past the design draw length, including cable or string derail from a cam.
- Broadhead and pass-through injuries in hunting; ricochet from hard targets.
- Incorrect brace height or tiller causing limb twist and stacked stress.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- North America: compound bows dominate hunting; IBO/ASA 3D and speed ratings shape the market.
- Olympic circuit, much of Europe, and Korea as a target nation: sighted recurve is the prestige form.
- United Kingdom: 'longbow' is a strict Archery GB/GNAS construction class, not the same object as a US 'longbow' or flatbow.
- Japan: yumi is a separate named object with kyudo form, not a WA recurve with local trim.
- Korea, Mongolia, Turkey, Hungary and neighbouring steppe traditions: thumb-ring composite bows versus Mediterranean finger draw.
- Legal status ranges from sporting goods to regulated weapons; some hunting jurisdictions ban or restrict crossbows while allowing hand bows, or the reverse.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- crossbow - The prod is spanned and held by a lock and released by a trigger on a stock; a bow is held at full draw by the archer's fingers or a mechanical release aid and has no lock.
- violin bow (and other musical bows) - A stick tensioning hair to excite a string by friction; it does not store draw energy to launch a projectile.
- slingshot / handheld catapult - Energy is in elastic bands on a rigid yoke, not in bending limbs and a bowstring.
- atlatl - A throwing lever for a dart; no tillered stave and no stored elastic energy in a stringed limb.
- decorative ribbon bow - A knot form; no stave, string, or projectile.
- ship's bow - The forward extremity of a hull, a ship part rather than a portable launcher.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of bow this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Constitution and Rules (equipment provisions by division) - Competition classes (recurve, compound, barebow), legal sights and stabilisers, and the institutional boundary between a bow and a crossbow in sport.
- AMO measurement conventions for bow length and draw weight - Industry identifiers: AMO length, draw weight at a stated draw length, and how commercial limbs are marked.
- The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume 1 - Self bow, flatbow, longbow and composite construction; tiller, chrysals, and wooden-limb failure modes.
- Longbow: A Social and Military History - English longbow as a distinct historical and sporting type, draw-weight ranges of war bows, and British usage.
- Bow and arrow - Overview of types, regional traditions, and the distinction from crossbow and atlatl; used only as a map of the topic, not as a primary technical source.
What the second pass must settle
- Does vr.tr.bow denote an archery bow, or a different sense of bow absent from the supplied registry context?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own this concept, requiring a registry link rather than a separate publication?
- Which traditional, compound, training and adaptive bow variants must this registry entry cover, and where is its boundary with crossbows?
- Which authoritative sources establish measurement conventions, compatibility requirements and handling limits for each included bow family?
- What inspection evidence is sufficient for each readiness decision, particularly for bows with unknown history, undocumented repairs or concealed damage?