Anti-dry fire keyway trigger system for crossbows

A system for preventing full and partial dry fires of a crossbow, comprising a crossbow trigger mechanism including:

• a trigger housing;
• a trigger latch component moveable between a crossbow string retaining position and a crossbow string releasing position;
• a trigger assembly mounted in said trigger housing and operatively engaged with said trigger latch component;
• an anti-dry fire lever moveable between a first position aligned with said trigger latch component to a second position behind and below a cocked crossbow string;
• a keyway opening in said trigger latch component formed by said anti-dry fire lever and a plurality of nock-contacting surfaces within said trigger latch component;
• and
• a dry fire prevention nock received in said keyway opening wherein said dry fire prevention nock includes a forward portion for affixing to an arrow and a rearward portion terminating at a pair of spaced, opposed wings forming a U-shaped opening to receive said crossbow string therein and where said wings extend behind said crossbow string when said crossbow string is received in said U-shaped opening therein permitting said dry fire prevention nock to be seated against said crossbow string, causing said anti-dry fire lever to pivot downwardly to said anti-dry fire lever said second position, when said dry fire prevention nock is fully inserted into said keyway opening causing said anti-dry fire lever to move from said first position into said second position thereby releasing said trigger latch to said crossbow string releasing position whereby said crossbow is ready to be fired.