An improved crossbow is provided having a guard that is integrated into the barrel or stock on each side of the stock which runs parallel to the track or area that the arrow sits in for a length of at least where the string is at rest to where the string is held or secured in the ready or firing position while also having a loaded arrow safety actuator system integrated internally within a crossbow so as to be unexposed to the elements associated with normal outside weather hunting conditions. The loaded arrow safety actuator system incorporates a trigger safety and an arrow retention device for retaining an arrow within a crossbow and alerting a user that the arrow is loaded within the track of a crossbow by allowing the trigger safety to move from a ‘safe’ position to a ‘fire’ position.