Quote Originally Posted by Spiryt View Post
Crossbows being weapons of common man is also somehow problematic - even very simple crossbow would be costly, cumbersome (heavy or/and large, with bow being often quite long and stock being long in perpendicular direction as well), and somehow specialized.
Again it depends. In the late middle ages (15 century + at least) and the renaissance crossbows were the most common ranged weapon in Sweden. it was the main hunting weapon for nobles (as a hunting weapon it was even preferred up through the 17th century, since it could be loaded much quicker than the rifles and muskets, and much more quiet as well) as well as the populace and also a common symbol for rebellion (because during the late middle ages and later it was illegal for the farmer class to carry weapons outside knives and hunting gear). So one of the things farmes armed themselves with during rebellious uprisings against local lords as well as the crown, was crossbows (and pitchforks and spears and clubs of course).

Anyway, of course these crossbows were not the really big ones. They needed to be loadable by a single person without help and only take a limited time doing so. The huge purely military crossbows with cranks and stuff to load them is well... purely used by the military and professional soldiers.