airguns: Sporasub One Air 2012!!!

[popgun pete]

It can be fixed by releasing all the air and removing tension on the inner barrel tube by unscrewing the muzzle and only then twisting the nose cone end to straighten it up, however with a new gun you should have the dealer do it as anything you do yourself voids the warranty. There may be a totally unrelated problem somewhere else, but once you have opened it up then you provide an excuse for them to wash their hands of it. If you take care not to mark anything and just slacken the muzzle off, rather than remove it, then try seeing if you can get parts to twist you may have success without leaving any evidence of someone disturbing things. Excessive force should not be required, so if things refuse to budge with other than a slight twisting effort then you should let the dealer do it. Keep your photos as a record.

You should look at DG's thread to see how the gun goes together: https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/sporasub-one-air-assembly-and-other-related-stuff.98991/
Note the notches on the rear of the inner barrel tube that index the barrel into the rear end of the gun.

 

[popgun pete]

When taking delivery of a new gun it is worth checking to see if there is a quality assurance ticket floating around somewhere inside the packaging. This is often a small piece of paper (it may be colored) with a few words and a short alphanumeric code on it and identifies the person who checked out your gun package before it left the factory. That check may have just been a quick visual inspection and verification that all the accessories have been included, but it also allows the factory to look for any systematic problem if these numbers are quoted when buyers report back on any defects, particularly the sloppy alignment of gun sections if the gun is tightened up before checking them all out. In some countries the instruction booklet is referred to as the gun’s passport and the quality inspection information is actually inscribed in that document along with the inspector’s identification stamp, the inspection date and the gun’s serial number which then allows the factory to track when the gun was produced and enables them to check whether a certain production batch is displaying similar problems.

Many years ago most pneumatic spearguns bore serial numbers and if your gun has one then you need to note it and quote it when reporting problems. Unfortunately serial numbering of guns has tended to be abandoned in terms of the stamping or engraving of the unique identifying numbers, with numbered metallic stickers being a simpler alternative that can often fall off or become illegible after a certain period of use. Thus when you buy such a gun it is worth photographing the sticker area of the gun so that you can have it properly documented. Unfortunately some guns have no serial numbers, so all you will have is that quality assurance ticket, which is all the more reason not to throw it out.

 

[surfjones]

It can be fixed by releasing all the air and removing tension on the inner barrel tube by unscrewing the muzzle and only then twisting the nose cone end to straighten it up, however with a new gun you should have the dealer do it as anything you do yourself voids the warranty. There may be a totally unrelated problem somewhere else, but once you have opened it up then you provide an excuse for them to wash their hands of it. If you take care not to mark anything and just slacken the muzzle off, rather than remove it, then try seeing if you can get parts to twist you may have success without leaving any evidence of someone disturbing things. Excessive force should not be required, so if things refuse to budge with other than a slight twisting effort then you should let the dealer do it. Keep your photos as a record.

You should look at DG's thread to see how the gun goes together: https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/sporasub-one-air-assembly-and-other-related-stuff.98991/
Note the notches on the rear of the inner barrel tube that index the barrel into the rear end of the gun.

Much appreciated Pete.

 

[surfjones]

When taking delivery of a new gun it is worth checking to see if there is a quality assurance ticket floating around somewhere inside the packaging. This is often a small piece of paper (it may be colored) with a few words and a short alphanumeric code on it and identifies the person who checked out your gun package before it left the factory. That check may have just been a quick visual inspection and verification that all the accessories have been included, but it also allows the factory to look for any systematic problem if these numbers are quoted when buyers report back on any defects, particularly the sloppy alignment of gun sections if the gun is tightened up before checking them all out. In some countries the instruction booklet is referred to as the gun’s passport and the quality inspection information is actually inscribed in that document along with the inspector’s identification stamp, the inspection date and the gun’s serial number which then allows the factory to track when the gun was produced and enables them to check whether a certain production batch is displaying similar problems.

Many years ago most pneumatic spearguns bore serial numbers and if your gun has one then you need to note it and quote it when reporting problems. Unfortunately serial numbering of guns has tended to be abandoned in terms of the stamping or engraving of the unique identifying numbers, with numbered metallic stickers being a simpler alternative that can often fall off or become illegible after a certain period of use. Thus when you buy such a gun it is worth photographing the sticker area of the gun so that you can have it properly documented. Unfortunately some guns have no serial numbers, so all you will have is that quality assurance ticket, which is all the more reason not to throw it out.

These guns do have a serial number that appears to be stamped into the gun

It can be fixed by releasing all the air and removing tension on the inner barrel tube by unscrewing the muzzle and only then twisting the nose cone end to straighten it up, however with a new gun you should have the dealer do it as anything you do yourself voids the warranty. There may be a totally unrelated problem somewhere else, but once you have opened it up then you provide an excuse for them to wash their hands of it. If you take care not to mark anything and just slacken the muzzle off, rather than remove it, then try seeing if you can get parts to twist you may have success without leaving any evidence of someone disturbing things. Excessive force should not be required, so if things refuse to budge with other than a slight twisting effort then you should let the dealer do it. Keep your photos as a record.

You should look at DG's thread to see how the gun goes together: https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/sporasub-one-air-assembly-and-other-related-stuff.98991/
Note the notches on the rear of the inner barrel tube that index the barrel into the rear end of the gun.

i had to abandon thoughts of fixing the gun myself as the aluminum body itself is twisted

 

[popgun pete]

Definitely a warranty claim, how that twist/bend was not picked up at final quality inspection is rather disconcerting. That three chamber tube extrusion for the tank should be reasonably strong in torsion, twisting it like that may have occurred when the tank tubes were being cut to length or even when the extruded tube was being made. It should never have gone into the components bin and the gun assembler should have rejected it.

Let us know how you get on with it being replaced.

 

[popgun pete]

One thing I forget to ask was did it look like the gun had ever been squashed by something falling on it? I received a tube gun in the mail once that looked OK until I sighted along it and saw that it was slightly bent and twisted at the muzzle, the spear no longer following the guide track if the spear was pulled back out of the muzzle and the muzzle could no longer curve the spear onto the track by pressing sideways on it. Apparently the original packing box was crushed and it went back to the sender before it ever got to me and he then re-boxed it, saying nothing. The gun was a write-off, it was in great condition although not new when I bought it.

The elliptical tank should make it impossible to be twisted, unlike a cylindrical tank gun, due to the indexing of the bulkhead parts, so I was a bit puzzled by your initial photos, but accidents can happen in shipping and maybe the tank was bent by something heavy falling on it. I cannot really see the gun leaving the factory like that unless the quality inspection people have zero interest in their jobs.

 

[surfjones]

One thing I forget to ask was did it look like the gun had ever been squashed by something falling on it? I received a tube gun in the mail once that looked OK until I sighted along it and saw that it was slightly bent and twisted at the muzzle, the spear no longer following the guide track if the spear was pulled back out of the muzzle and the muzzle could no longer curve the spear onto the track by pressing sideways on it. Apparently the original packing box was crushed and it went back to the sender before it ever got to me and he then re-boxed it, saying nothing. The gun was a write-off, it was in great condition although not new when I bought it.

The elliptical tank should make it impossible to be twisted, unlike a cylindrical tank gun, due to the indexing of the bulkhead parts, so I was a bit puzzled by your initial photos, but accidents can happen in shipping and maybe the tank was bent by something heavy falling on it. I cannot really see the gun leaving the factory like that unless the quality inspection people have zero interest in their jobs.

It did not appear squashed to me. Nor did it appear bent. It really just looked twisted. I hear what you are saying with regard to how unlikely it would be for the factory to assemble the gun on a twisted chasis, but I can't see how it could be twisted during shipment.

 

[popgun pete]

Any response from the seller, or the factory? Have they indicated what they intend to do about it?

 

[surfjones]

Any response from the seller, or the factory? Have they indicated what they intend to do about it?

I didn't even broach the subject with the seller, subprof.com, as their reputation for poor customer service seems well-earned and I didn't want to deal with international shipping. I called Sporasub USA and they said I could take it to my local dive shop which is an authorized Omer dealer. I haven't received any update on the return since I dropped it of with the shop. Fingers crossed as the One Air isn't even offered here in the US.

 

[DuncM]

H

I didn't even broach the subject with the seller, subprof.com, as their reputation for poor customer service seems well-earned and I didn't want to deal with international shipping. I called Sporasub USA and they said I could take it to my local dive shop which is an authorized Omer dealer. I haven't received any update on the return since I dropped it of with the shop. Fingers crossed as the One Air isn't even offered here in the US.

Hi Surfjones, in my experience Sporasub are pretty good with their warranty. I had a small problem with a rusted piston and they took it back no questions asked and replaced the parts. As has been said, their quality control is maybe not as good as it could be. I later found the parachute gasket and shaft guide bushing in the muzzle were both marked for 7mm but it had been supplied with a 6.75mm shaft, so I think thats how water got into the barrel.
I've got the 70cm version too, really great gun and it's capability keeps surprising me, currently rigged with 3 wraps and it's quite effective up to aprox 3.2m

 

[surfjones]

H


Hi Surfjones, in my experience Sporasub are pretty good with their warranty. I had a small problem with a rusted piston and they took it back no questions asked and replaced the parts. As has been said, their quality control is maybe not as good as it could be. I later found the parachute gasket and shaft guide bushing in the muzzle were both marked for 7mm but it had been supplied with a 6.75mm shaft, so I think thats how water got into the barrel.
I've got the 70cm version too, really great gun and it's capability keeps surprising me, currently rigged with 3 wraps and it's quite effective up to aprox 3.2m

Hi DuncM,
Thanks for the heads up. I'm sold on the One Air concept. So much so that I purchased an 80cm off eBay which I'm sure I will receive way before the warranty process is completed. I would really like to stick with one type of gun, and I really like the relative simplicity of this design.
I purchased a 90cm Pathos Laser rigged as a RoiSub FusionK2 demultiplied ... it has got all these pulleys and rubbers and dyneema all over the place. I've never even taken it into the water. I'm sure it is extremely powerful for its size, but I think I'll opt for simplicity.

 

[surfjones]

Hi Surfjones, in my experience Sporasub are pretty good with their warranty. I had a small problem with a rusted piston and they took it back no questions asked and replaced the parts. As has been said, their quality control is maybe not as good as it could be. I later found the parachute gasket and shaft guide bushing in the muzzle were both marked for 7mm but it had been supplied with a 6.75mm shaft, so I think thats how water got into the barrel.
I've got the 70cm version too, really great gun and it's capability keeps surprising me, currently rigged with 3 wraps and it's quite effective up to aprox 3.2m[/QUOTE]
Nice looking fish BTW!

 

[surfjones]

My local (USA) dive shop cannot process the return as Sporasub America does not support the One Air and will not process grey-market returns. I have contacted the Authorized Dealer in Spain through their website to process the return. Fingers crossed.

 

[PaTaTe]

Hi everyone,
I would like to servicing my Sporasub One Air 90. Does anyone have a tutorial (to change the seals, oil...)
Thank you !

 

[surfjones]

Hi everyone,
I would like to servicing my Sporasub One Air 90. Does anyone have a tutorial (to change the seals, oil...)
Thank you !

This is pretty sweet https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/sporasub-one-air-assembly-and-other-related-stuff.98991/

 

[Diving Gecko]

Hey guys,
Please do consider writing to Sporasub/Omer directly. I honestly think something is going wrong lately on their Asian assembly line and they need to be made aware of that. Just from what we have seen on this forum, two-three guns have arrived leaking and now this, obviously, twisted barrel that should never have passed QC.
I, too, have had good service from them once I got directly in touch with their HQ.

 

[surfjones]

So I took my new 50cm One Air out this weekend. It is a very handy size for hunting holes in the kelp. But it is a sinker, even without a reel and with the floaty nose piece.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[surfjones]

Oh, just FYI for those of you thinking of dealing with Sporasub, I ordered three extra spears for the 50cm and three for my 80cm. All spears were labeled with the correct part number, but all were about two shorter than the spears that came with the guns. So the attached shooting line prevents full insertion into the gun. Total crap.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[surfjones]

On a geekier note, I just attempted to epoxy some fiber optic rod into the notch near the end of the barrel. We’ll see if it holds.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Diving Gecko]

Oh, just FYI for those of you thinking of dealing with Sporasub, I ordered three extra spears for the 50cm and three for my 80cm. All spears were labeled with the correct part number, but all were about two shorter than the spears that came with the guns. So the attached shooting line prevents full insertion into the gun. Total crap.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll PM you some email addresses at Sporasub/Omer. Dunno if they still work. And yeah, that's a quite silly mistake to make...