The crossbow's ammunition is fairly rare, the weapon itself even more so. In Episode One, it is found on a shelf in the chapter Urban Flight. In Episode Two, the crossbow is found in the hands of a dead Rebel, right after the scene with the Barn Advisor. In Half-Life 2, the Crossbow is first discovered on the body of a burnt Resistance fighter overlooking an Overwatch outpost in the level Highway 17, right before the Petroleum Station bridge. This can be noticed when placing the rebar on the crossbow, it will emit some sparks.
This has the effect of superheating the rebar. What appears to be a small 12v RayOVac Lantern battery is attached to the underside which apparently runs an electrical current through the bolt when it lies upon the firing mechanism.
After firing, the tension wire pulls back to accommodate the next rebar, which the user places directly onto the weapon. Third, the weapon does not have an ammo magazine. Second, the bolts are not fletched, but rather pieces of red-hot steel rebar about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long. First, it is obviously jerry-built rather than manufactured, constructed as it is from various scavenged parts. This weapon is aesthetically different from the one seen in Half-life in a number of ways.
