What mechanical disadvantage significantly hindered very early European crossbows, unlike their Chinese counterparts employing advanced metallurgy?

💡 Explanation

Early European crossbows suffered from premature wear because they lacked sophisticated metallurgy to resist high stresses of torsion spring action, resulting in yield strength degradation limiting sustained power during firing, therefore weakening the bow arms rather than just string issues.

• Which constraint was critical regarding the expansion rate of early Chinese gunpowder weapons?
• Which consequence occurs due to incorrect stone alignment during Roman arch construction?
• Which navigational outcome was critically improved by the invention of the marine chronometer?
• Within 6th-century Byzantine Sericulture, which consequence arose from limiting silkworm diet variation?
• Which effect increased the scaling production of Song Dynasty crossbow trigger mechanisms when using cast iron?
• Which outcome arises when prolonged use of terrace farming leads to reduced soil organic matter?