Pimp my gun

Picked up a used 1.4 gun for some FADs fun, I had some help doing the bands, so I made myself up a spare set.

I also whipped up a handy loop at the end of the gun for the shark clip, so I can pass my hand through it whenever I'm unclipping it from the floatline. Its made from ski rope which is a hollow braid and its doubled back on itself as a minmum thickness.

1) Doubled dyneema with an overhand knot.
2) The doubles with the bead added
3) The cressi insertion tool. Out of the box, this needed work. It was too sharp and it cut the dyneema, and it was a little narrow for it as well. I had to widen it, and then sand the surfaces smooth.
4) The double being pushed into the rubber with the insertion tool
5) The rubber with the doubles inserted.
6) All tied up with the constrictor knot. The silicon lube really helps here. Grip the cord between some longnose pliers, then wrap it around the tip a couple times. Next pull tight and roll the rubber towards one end and the other, it helps get it really right.
7) Trimmed and the ends burnt off.
8) Chamfered down on the linisher.
9) A little shrink wrap applied.
10) Labeled and vac-packed till I need them!
11) The loop in the braided rope with the shark clip on it.

Big thanks to dstick for the tips, bits and bobs and also Wombat from Hookah Dive for a couple more parts.

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southcity104's picture

Posts: 1659

Date Joined: 27/01/09

Very tidy work Jamie!

Sun, 2012-01-29 18:47

Saves replacing full bridals.

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"Its a life style job"

marble's picture

Posts: 778

Date Joined: 03/09/09

So how do you attach your

Sun, 2012-01-29 19:08

So how do you attach your bridle ? I`m assuming loop to loop ?

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PMY 25 Centre Console DF300 Suzuki

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Not sure if you can work it

Sun, 2012-01-29 19:58

Not sure if you can work it out from the last image I added? Its a half-hitch, with the tension pulling it tighter, and the overhand at the end stopping it pulling through.

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marble's picture

Posts: 778

Date Joined: 03/09/09

 Yep got it, I`ve got one

Sun, 2012-01-29 20:18

 Yep got it, I`ve got one notch on the spear I`m using now that eats bridles. Tried smoothing it out but still dont get much life out of them. That will make life very easy.

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PMY 25 Centre Console DF300 Suzuki

Posts: 93

Date Joined: 07/10/10

And the most important

Thu, 2012-02-02 20:24

And the most important question, what gun did you end up with ??

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Johri carbon 1.4, got a lucky

Thu, 2012-02-02 20:32

Johri carbon 1.4, got a lucky buy not in the least because my bro wanted his edge 1.5 back.

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Posts: 93

Date Joined: 07/10/10

Very nice.When I was looking

Thu, 2012-02-02 20:43

Very nice.

When I was looking I couldnt justify the price, and I was amature at best - and a 1.3 RA Zulu came up on ebay for under $500 so the decision was made.

Like the idea of replaceable bridles, but in saying that have never really chopped them up. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough. Looks like all you need is a bracket for a contour/GoPro and you can give everyone a bit of a rush.

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Ahh see that was the other

Thu, 2012-02-02 21:11

Ahh see that was the other half of the luck, it was only play money and never fired. I can't hold my breath long enough to get to the bottom of a bathtub!

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marble's picture

Posts: 778

Date Joined: 03/09/09

 With a 1.4 you dont need to

Thu, 2012-02-02 21:25

 With a 1.4 you dont need to hold your breath, sit on the top and shoot them as they swim under you

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PMY 25 Centre Console DF300 Suzuki

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

...hence spearing the FADs ;)

Fri, 2012-02-03 06:13

...hence spearing the FADs ;)

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alfred's picture

Posts: 3097

Date Joined: 12/01/07

Nice!

Thu, 2012-02-02 21:21

Nice!

Posts: 93

Date Joined: 07/10/10

That'd almost be theft

Thu, 2012-02-02 21:25

That'd almost be theft wouldn't it !?!?!

I'm definately not a good spearo, but went from static breath hold of 1:40 to better than 3:10 in around 2 hours mate. If I can do it anyone can - it's all about technique.

May many fish succumb to your newly pimped spear chucker.

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

LOL, much like loading the

Fri, 2012-02-03 06:13

LOL, much like loading the gun with fresh rubber on it!

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Posts: 93

Date Joined: 07/10/10

Without sounding like a twit,

Fri, 2012-02-03 16:33

Without sounding like a twit, My first gun was a 1200 Cressi Mohawk - It took me 2 DAYS down the beach at Exmouth before I could get the bridle in the back notch of the spear, I thought I'd never get there, Now I can do it without a second thought. Got a 1.3 and used a few 1.5's and it's a piece of piss. So without sounding like a lecturer or preacher, it's the same with your breath hold. Establish your physical boundries, It's your mental boundries that hold you back. Once you find what you can do when you push yourself it will be EASILY repeated.

I'm sure I'll never hit 30 or 40 meters like medeteranian guys do, but I never thought I'd get to 20 meters either. ! The only thing stopping you is yourself.

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

I can't load my gun! Loading

Fri, 2012-02-03 18:45

I can't load my gun!

Loading a gun takes more technique than muscle.

First of all, always load a gun high on your chest. This is where you are at your strongest and we have heard stories of nasty injuries from loading on your thigh/stomach area.

If you are not able to reach the rubbers with the gun handle already up on your chest here's how you do it:

Grab the handle in your right hand and in your left, put your hand through the bridle, palm down. Push with your handle hand and pull with your rubber hand till you have stretched it enough to get it on your chest. Once up on your chest, you can let go of the handle and grab the other side of the rubber, again fingers down through the bridle, palm down, then pull them down to the notches to load. Keep in mind that it will be quite easily done in the water when all your gear is floating.

Never load your gun out of the water. It will destroy your rubbers and there is no resistance out of the water like there is in the water so your shaft could possibly break free from the mono or bounce back towards you if you fire it by mistake.

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Posts: 93

Date Joined: 07/10/10

Hah !Something I found was

Fri, 2012-02-03 19:15

Hah !

Something I found was that by gripping the rubber in different ways you use different muscle groups. Pretty sure it was natural for me to want to grab the rubber in my hand with my wrists facing up which worked the muscles in my forearm. Wrists down was much easier as it worked the bicep. Luckily I'm a lanky fella and that was enough to get me going.

Could always make a few of those flash bridles a little bit longer and make it easier on yourself. :P

On a side note, love the sound new,short rubbers make when they're let off.

"THWACK"

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Hmm I've had the underhand

Fri, 2012-02-03 21:17

Hmm I've had the underhand v's overhand explained to me a couple of times, but the proof for me was I simply can't get a 1.5 loaded with new rubbers, by reaching underneath, but on top is fine.

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glastronomic's picture

Posts: 892

Date Joined: 16/02/11

 compressed air guns are the

Fri, 2012-02-03 22:20

 compressed air guns are the way to go and anyone can screw in a new cannister!

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Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

First off, anyone is welcome

Sat, 2012-02-04 07:26

First off, anyone is welcome to an opinion, however wrong it may be.

There are compressed air guns like the mares cyrano, I own one, it has its uses. You load them with a stronger musclegroup than jelly guns, but they have inherent inefficiencies, like the water column that is pushed out with the spear, and they are noisy. Attempts have been made to overcome the issue with a dry barrel kit, if you want to look that up. It's important to note that the air is captive.

Guns using compressed co2 cartridges have existed, they are obviously not comp legal ... or any kind of legal either maybe. They are also regarded as exceptionally crap because they make a noise like the end of the world as they vent gas upon firing. I have never even seen a picture of such a gun, never seen one forsale in Aus either.

Different again is hydropneumatic.

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