Arbalest skilled arbalestier (arbalester) could loose two bolts per minute. The term "arbalest" is sometimes used interchangeably with "crossbow". "Arbalest" is a Medieval French word originating from the Roman name ' (from ' 'bow' + " 'missile-throwing engine'), which was then used for crossbows, although originally used for types of artillery. Modern French uses the word ", which is linguistically one step further from the stem (disappearance of the "s" phoneme in the last syllable, before "t"). The word applies to both crossbow and arbalest (the latter may be referred to as a "heavy crossbow", but an actual heavy crossbow may
M231 Firing Port Weapon M231 Firing Port Weapon The M231 Firing Port Weapon (FPW) is an adapted version of the M16 assault rifle for firing from ports on the M2 Bradley. The infantry's normal M16s are too long for use in a "buttoned up" APC, so the FPW was developed to provide a suitable weapon for this role. Designed by the Rock Island Arsenal, the M231 FPW remains in service, although all but the rear two firing ports on the Bradley have been removed. Work started in 1972 on a dedicated Firing Port Weapon to go along with the Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV)