Bought a Maco2

[popgun pete]

When you push the spear in you push water out of the barrel via a purge valve in the handle, so that is the only effort required. The water is eliminated from the gun's interior to allow space for the gas to enter the gun. The purge valve is activated with one hand, you push the spear in with the other. That is the way the "Pelletier" works, which is the gun that the Maco2 is based on.

 

[tromic]

 

[popgun pete]

Shooting in the air is a recipe for trouble!

 

[mighty kc]

Arthur P,

I bought the Co2 gun for the same reason, I have shoulder issues. Loading this gun requires one to insert the spear, and open and close a valve. That's it. You should be able to do it with no problem. Write if you have any further questions,

Keith

 

[aquanomad]

Any more info on these guns from users? How heavy are they? How many shots can you get off? How has reliability been? Does the 10mm annihilate smaller fish? Ready to pull the trigger on one but they are spendy and little info is available on them.

 

[mighty kc]

So,
They are a bit heavy and do not float. I use the Beauchat marlin pacific reel, and 100 meters of 2mm line.
The best I can tell, about 12 shots from a 24 oz co2 bottle.
Blows a hole in fish, 10mm shaft.
Kills most fish that I shoot
Don't hunt small fish with this gun, use an 850 Cyrano for that.
Would probably still use band guns if I had full use of my left arm, but this gun is a Godsend for me, as I will never stop spearfishing for large fish as long as I can swim and hold my breath.
The aiming takes a little getting used to, kind of like shooting a pneumatic.
The maintenance is no issue to me, the mechanism is simple and the only changeable parts are o rings. (but I am very mechanical and have spent my life working on electrical and pneumatic systems)
The gun is very powerful.
I live in the US, so parts are only available from France. The only thing that I need are shafts. I ordered spare butt adapters with the gun. these accept 7mm thread. I ordered pneumatic shafts 130cm in length that have 7mm thread on one end and 6mm on the other. I attach the tip to the 6mm end. these are relatively inexpensive from scubastore, and I destroy several shafts over the course of a year.
I am glad that I made the purchase

 

[popgun pete]

Out of curiosity is this gun still being used? The Maco2 business seems to have ceased and generally that signals the end of spare parts, although I expect spears are the only problem as “O" rings are no big deal if they are stock sizes. Many quirky guns of the past ceased being used when the owner lost the one and only spear that came with the gun, particularly if few of those guns were ever sold in that country.