Crossbow stock

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention, there is provided a crossbow stock having a stirrup mounted on the fore-end portion of the stock for pivoting relative thereto about a stirrup axis between a first position in which the stirrup extends from the stirrup axis in a direction longitudinally of the stock beyond a fore-end of the stock and a second position in which a part of the stirrup remote from the stirrup axis lies adjacent to the stock, and means for releasably opposing pivoting of the stirrup relative to the stock from one of said positions when the stirrup has been set in said one of the positions.
The stirrup of a crossbow stock in accordance with the invention can be set in a position in which it does not contribute significantly to the overall length of the bow and in which it does not intrude on the space immediately adjacent to the fore-end of the stock.
A further advantage of a crossbow stock in accordance with the invention is that, when in its second position, the stirrup can conveniently be used as a finger-grip and thus enable the user to hold the crossbow more easily, in particular, to control the bow more easily during firing.
The stock preferably includes a releasable clamping mechanism for clamping a bow prod to the fore-end portion of the stock in the position of use and, in these cases, the stirrup preferably constitutes a handle of the clamping mechanism.