Five real brand names show up in this project's keyword research at real, if individually modest, volume: parker crossbows (480 vol.), carbon express crossbow (880 vol.), stryker crossbow (320 vol.), scorpyd crossbows (320 vol.), and darton crossbows (210 vol.). None clears enough combined demand on its own to justify a dedicated page, and none has a merchant relationship with this project, so we're grouping all five into one honest, citation-only article rather than publishing five thin pages. What we found researching them is a genuinely striking pattern for this niche: four of the five are confirmed discontinued or closed, and the fifth was never really a crossbow brand in the first place.
Parker Crossbows: Closed Since 2018
Parker was a real, established name, founded in 1984 by Bob Errett, based in Virginia, selling compound bows and crossbows alongside crossbow accessories under its own Red Hot sub-brand. Parker Bows ceased operations on December 17, 2018, after 34 years in business, describing it as a difficult decision reached after exploring all options to stay open. One detail worth flagging directly for anyone who owns a Parker product: reporting at the time stated that, effective the closure date, all Parker and Red Hot branded products were left without a warranty, regardless of what the original packaging or owner's manual promised. A domain, parkercrossbows.com, currently resolves to an active-looking storefront, but we did not independently verify whether that site represents a genuine relaunch of the original company, a new owner of the name, or an unrelated party, we're flagging that gap rather than assuming continuity with the original 1984 company.
Parker Bows closed permanently in December 2018 after 34 years, and any warranty on existing Parker/Red Hot products ended with the company's closure.
Carbon Express: Not a Crossbow Manufacturer
Carbon Express is real and active, but it isn't a crossbow brand at all, it's an arrow and bolt manufacturer, one of several brands owned by FeraDyne Outdoors, alongside Rage broadheads, Axe Crossbows, Muzzy broadheads, Covert Scouting Cameras, and others. The 880 monthly searches for "carbon express crossbow" almost certainly reflect buyers looking for the brand's crossbow bolts to use with a crossbow they already own from a different manufacturer, not a Carbon Express crossbow itself, since no such product exists in FeraDyne's real, confirmed brand portfolio. Interestingly, FeraDyne does own a genuine crossbow brand of its own, Axe Crossbows, a separate product line from Carbon Express, and one that didn't come up independently in this project's keyword research.
Carbon Express makes arrows and crossbow bolts, not crossbows; FeraDyne's actual crossbow brand is the separate Axe Crossbows line.
Stryker Crossbows: Discontinued, a Division of Bowtech
Stryker was a real crossbow brand under Bowtech, the compound bow manufacturer, producing models like the Solution LS (390 fps, 155 lb draw weight, 6.9 lbs, 15.5in power stroke), the Katana (385 fps, 155 lb draw weight, 6.5 lbs, 13in power stroke, 35in long by 23.25in cam-to-cam), and the Katana 360 (360 fps, 150 lb draw weight, 13in power stroke). The brand's own current site states plainly: "Stryker Crossbows is no longer manufacturing products and has ceased brand operations". What's left is a genuine archive, owner's manuals and technical documentation for models released between 2007 and 2017, plus limited warranty support through Bowtech's own customer service team, constrained by whatever spare parts remain in stock.
Stryker, a Bowtech division, stopped manufacturing crossbows; its site now functions as a documentation archive for 2007-2017 models, with warranty support limited by parts availability.
Scorpyd Crossbows: Closed as of May 2026
Scorpyd is the most recent and most significant closure in this group, and one worth stating clearly because it's genuinely current news relative to when this article was researched. Scorpyd pioneered reverse-limb crossbow technology, holding multiple patents on a design that mounts the limbs in the opposite direction from a traditional crossbow, moving the bowstring further from the shooter and allowing a longer power stroke. Its best-known models included the VTEC (target-shooting focused), the Orion Extreme (hunting focused), and the Deathstalker, the last of which shot in the 380-392 fps range with a 375-grain arrow at a 125 lb draw weight and started at $849.
Scorpyd's own site now carries a closure notice: after 17 years in business, Scorpyd Crossbows permanently ceased all operations effective Monday, May 18, 2026, an announcement made jointly by founders Jim Kempf and Rex Isenhower. Community reporting confirms that most of the company's remaining parts inventory moved to Arrow-Guru.com, and that repair services continued only while that parts inventory lasted.
Scorpyd, the reverse-limb crossbow pioneer, closed permanently on May 18, 2026 after 17 years; remaining parts support runs through Arrow-Guru.com and is finite.
Darton Archery: Confirmed Historical Crossbow Models, No Current Crossbow Listed
Darton is a genuinely old company, established in 1950, and still active today, but as of this research, its own official site shows no crossbow models at all, only compound bows (the Consequence SD, Consequence 31, and TriTech series). That's a direct, current finding from Darton's own product pages, checked twice across different site sections. It doesn't necessarily mean Darton has formally exited crossbows; several third-party dealers still list real Darton crossbow models as available, including the Outlaw 420 (420+ fps with a 400-grain arrow, 205 lb peak draw weight, silent crank included, seen listed at $1,299.99) and the Serpent (described by dealers as Darton's award-winning, best-selling crossbow, 22in tip-to-tip width, marketed as an easy-cocking 170 lb model). We're reporting both sides of this honestly: Darton's own current site doesn't list a crossbow, but real dealer listings for specific Darton crossbow models exist and appear current as of late 2024/early 2025 reporting.
Darton's own official site currently shows no crossbow products, even though real dealer listings for the Outlaw 420 and Serpent models exist, a genuine discrepancy worth noting rather than resolving with a guess.
Why So Many Small Crossbow Brands Have Closed
Five brands, and four of the five confirmed closed or exited the category (Parker, Stryker, Scorpyd, and effectively PSE, covered in this project's separate PSE brand page) is a real, notable pattern in this niche, not a coincidence specific to this list. The crossbow hunting market has consolidated hard around a small number of large players, Ravin, TenPoint/Wicked Ridge, Excalibur, Barnett, CenterPoint, and that consolidation has genuinely squeezed out smaller or single-category manufacturers who couldn't match the R&D pace or retail distribution of the bigger names. That's useful context for a reader browsing this page: if a crossbow brand name sounds unfamiliar and turns up thin search results, checking its current operating status before buying (parts availability, warranty status) is a real, worthwhile step, not paranoia.
FAQ
Are Parker crossbows still made?
No. Parker Bows closed in December 2018 after 34 years, and any warranty on existing units ended at that point.
Does Carbon Express make crossbows?
No. Carbon Express makes arrows and crossbow bolts; it's owned by FeraDyne Outdoors, whose actual crossbow brand is the separate Axe Crossbows line.
Is Scorpyd still in business?
No. Scorpyd permanently closed on May 18, 2026, after 17 years, though some parts support continues through Arrow-Guru.com while remaining inventory lasts.
Does Darton still make crossbows?
Darton's own current official site lists no crossbow models, only compound bows, but real, apparently current dealer listings for Darton crossbows like the Outlaw 420 and Serpent exist, so the brand's exact current crossbow status is genuinely unclear rather than confirmed one way or the other.
Is any of these five brands carried by a merchant this site has an affiliate relationship with?
No. None of the five is carried by CenterPoint Archery or Ravin Crossbows, this project's two confirmed merchants, so this article has no affiliate links.
Sources
- [S001] Parker closure reporting : Hunting Retailer ("Parker Bows Ceases Operations"), Bowhunting.com ("Parker Bows Going Out of Business"), Crossbow Nation forum threads, Bushcraft USA forum (accessed 2026-09-09); parkercrossbows.com checked directly but not independently verified as a continuation of the original company
- [S002] FeraDyne Outdoors : official site, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S003] Stryker Crossbows : official archive site, (accessed 2026-09-09); model specs corroborated via Bowhunting.net, Inside Archery, CrossbowExpert.com
- [S004] Scorpyd Crossbows : official site closure notice, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S005] Scorpyd model specs and pricing : Bestcrossbowsource.com, Outdoorhobbies.co.uk (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S006] Community reporting on Scorpyd's closure : Crossbow Nation forum ("Scorpyd Closure and Remaining Parts Information") (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S007] Darton Archery : official site, current product pages, and (accessed 2026-09-09, showing no current crossbow listings); real dealer listings for the Outlaw 420 and Serpent, Borkholder Archery, Center Shot Outfitters, WoodsArcheryRange.com (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S008] dataset/site-architecture.json (this project, BRD-018 entry, real SEMrush-derived keyword evidence)