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Bum wrist - looking for gun or tool with alternative loading method.

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

aperakh

New Member
Jul 26, 2022
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Hi, y'all.

I have a bad right hand/wrist & can't stress it at all, so I can't load my rubber-band speargun. I don't expect it to get better. I REALLY don't want to give up the sport.
The standard load-assists don't help - it still involves pulling with the wrist.

I'm experimenting with some home-rigged solutions (like weight-lifting hooks or an archery bow-puller, which transfer the grip strain from the palm to the arm), but so far no real luck.

Unsure if a standard pneumatic will really help

Looking for a gun or tool with an alternative loading method (like the foot-loading or tank-operated guns no one seems to make anymore).
The Aquatech Black Sea gun with a loading lever or the similar one being developed by UBL would work great. But given the problems Putler has caused in Ukraine, I suspect they have bigger worries right now. I emailed both, but so far no reply.

Any suggestions? Please...
 
Get a pneumatic and load with your left - I do not see a problem there.
I'm starting to feel the same on my left, so really don't want to push it or I'll be left with no good hand.
Realized I should have addressed that.

Although it may be OK if I can do it with pushing motion instead of pulling. But not sure how. Back in high school, when we started spearing and had no idea wat we're ding, we used to load it anyway we can and one guy actually speared himself in the throat when he was pushing it down n a spring gun and his hand slipped. Pretty unsafe.

Is there a safe technique to push load a pneumatic?
 
I also shot myself in the hand with a spring gun - the loader slipped. What you need is a hydro-pneumatic gun. You just INSERT the shaft and then pump water with a built-in pump to push back the piston in the air chamber. These guns were popular in the former USSR. They are kind of high maintenance and you will be at mercy of the overseas service
 
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I also shot myself in the hand with a spring gun - the loader slipped. What you need is a hydro-pneumatic gun. You just INSERT the shaft and then pump water with a built-in pump to push back the piston in the air chamber. These guns were popular in the former USSR. They are kind of high maintenance and you will be at mercy of the overseas service
Yes. That is exactly what I figured. But as I already mentioned, the only two I found (one supposedly being made by custom order, and the other still in development) are both in Ukraine. And despite the fact the I am fluent in Russian so far neither replied. Not surprising, given what that a-hole in the Kremlin in doing in their country right now.
There's another hydropneumatics one also in Russia (GIRS-"Titan"), but it doesn't seem to be lever loaded. Loads like any pneumatic by pushing the spear..
(Not to mention that I have some reservations about buying stuff from there right now and there are serious mail problems. My wife waited 2 months for a package of her personal things with no info).

I haven't found one there or anywhere else. But if anyone knows of one - please...
 
Or if anyone know of another way to get ahold of Aquatech? (the guys who make the custom order hydropneumatic with lever loading)
 
Yes. That is exactly what I figured. But as I already mentioned, the only two I found (one supposedly being made by custom order, and the other still in development) are both in Ukraine. And despite the fact the I am fluent in Russian so far neither replied. Not surprising, given what that a-hole in the Kremlin in doing in their country right now.
There's another hydropneumatics one also in Russia (GIRS-"Titan"), but it doesn't seem to be lever loaded. Loads like any pneumatic by pushing the spear..
(Not to mention that I have some reservations about buying stuff from there right now and there are serious mail problems. My wife waited 2 months for a package of her personal things with no info).

I haven't found one there or anywhere else. But if anyone knows of one - please...
"And despite the fact the I am fluent in Russian". You answered your own question - address them in Ukrainian and see what happens! :p
 
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You can still buy spearguns from Ukraine as I have one on order now, but it is one of the arbaletes made in Kiev that were copies of the Champion speargun, not a current production but new old stock as these have not been made for a long time. Pelengas are seemingly closed down for now and their web page has stalled since March, so whether anything is being manufactured now is doubtful as even if some distance from fighting missiles are flying overhead. Putin claimed Ukraine was a threat to Russia, but he is the one who started a one-sided war which is a territorial grab based on lies and anyone in Russia who says differently is in big trouble.

The Pelengas Store that operates out of eBay is still selling Pelengas spearguns as can be seen here.

Buying from Ukraine will help their economy, so if anyone wants a Pelengas gun I suggest you buy it now while there is still stock.
 
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"And despite the fact the I am fluent in Russian". You answered your own question - address them in Ukrainian and see what happens! :p
Probably nothing different, given that their own website is in Russian and not Ukrainian (and bad English). Both companies.
60% of Ukraine speaks Russian and in spite of what the Russian propaganda is claiming, there is no general prejudice against Russian speakers there. I know. Most of my family is from there.
 
Probably nothing different, given that their own website is in Russian and not Ukrainian (and bad English). Both companies.
60% of Ukraine speaks Russian and in spite of what the Russian propaganda is claiming, there is no general prejudice against Russian speakers there. I know. Most of my family is from there.
Dude, most of my family is there too and I have a hydro-pneumatic gun at my mom's place - my father was a speargun designer ;). He designed many guns - spring, air, hydro-pneumatic... I use Mares Cyrano for many-many years - they are OK but loading them is indeed problematic - the shaft bends like crazy and if it is longer than 90 cm - you must rest the handle against your foot (not your thigh) to load it which is not comfortable. Or even use a special loader. But I can tell you that even pumping up a hydro-pneumatic would not be easy for you if you have a wrist issue. Each stroke is more difficult than the previous one.
 
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Sergiy Kravchenko who ran Aquatech has not answered e-mails for years and I used to correspond regularly with him as I helped him with his English website. Pelengas have a website on VK as they quit using their own stand-alone website which is often mentioned on the Pelengas page here.
You could use as I suggested to you in your question on my profile page a few days ago a CO2 gun. These are not banned in the USA where you live and it would be possible to build your own as the Pelletier is a very simple gun. The precision bore barrel could be a problem as you want more than just a pipe. However such a gun would not be cheap and you would have to fund a machinist to do the work. The early Pelletier guns show how simple they are.
Pelletier.jpg

pelletier old 3.jpg

pelletier old 2.jpg

pelletier old 1.jpg

The return spring for the trigger is the coil spring poking out from the slot in the grip directly behind the bent trigger arm.
 
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Buying from Ukraine will help their economy, so if anyone wants a Pelengas gun I suggest you buy it now while there is still stock.
Which is just one more reason I'd love to order one (I've already donated about the cost of a good gun to their humanitarian help).
But a couple of the email bounced and the rest are just no reply so far.
Popgun Pete says Aquatech hasn't produced in few years now.
Their website is up, but the official email bounced and another one, apparently mistakenly coded into one of the pages, is no reply. And UBL is one bounce and two no reply. I don't think they ever made it to production.
 
Sergiy Kravchenko who ran Aquatech has not answered e-mails for years and I used to correspond regularly with him as I helped him with his English website. Pelengas have a website on VK as they quit using their own stand-alone website which is often mentioned on the Pelengas page here.
You could use as I suggested to you in your question on my profile page a few days ago a CO2 gun. These are not banned in the USA where you live and it would be possible to build your own as the Pelletier is a very simple gun. The precision bore barrel could be a problem as you want more than just a pipe. However such a gun would not be cheap and you would have to fund a machinist to do the work. The early Pelletier guns show how simple they are.

Yes, I am starting to contemplate having to manufacture one. I am what they call a maker. Don't have lathe, but could probably find a machine shop or a friend with one. It'd be quite a serious and expensive project, though.

May even be a market for it. Do you think so? The 1st One is always by far the most work. Once you do one, to make more is easy.

I'm more inclined to rather make something like Aquatech's and UBL's lever loading pneumatic/hydropneumatics. Don't have precise plans, though.
 
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Sergiy Kravchenko who ran Aquatech has not answered e-mails for years and I used to correspond regularly with him as I helped him with his English website. Pelengas have a website on VK as they quit using their own stand-alone website which is often mentioned on the Pelengas page here.
You could use as I suggested to you in your question on my profile page a few days ago a CO2 gun. These are not banned in the USA where you live and it would be possible to build your own as the Pelletier is a very simple gun. The precision bore barrel could be a problem as you want more than just a pipe. However such a gun would not be cheap and you would have to fund a machinist to do the work. The early Pelletier guns show how simple they are.

I've also ben trying to figure a way to make a foot loader accessory for a regular gun. Haven't quite figure done.
But had insight this morning onto a possible design for a new kind of hand assist ands realized it can be 3D printed.
The other option is a complete new foot-loading gun, but something better/more sturdily made than the old Technisub “Super Blitz”.
There's also [an apparently Chinese] company who make some serious foot-loading rifle-type slingshots, including ones which shoot small spear/darts for fishing. But they are only for small fish and for shooting from shore. Way too wimpy for real spearing. More like a bad-ass toy. They even make stainless trigger mechs for wood spearguns, but t not whole spearguns. Odd. Bigger market then toy slingshots.
 
Dude, most of my family is there too and I have a hydro-pneumatic gun at my mom's place - my father was a speargun designer ;). He designed many guns - spring, air, hydro-pneumatic... I use Mares Cyrano for many-many years - they are OK but loading them is indeed problematic - the shaft bends like crazy and if it is longer than 90 cm - you must rest the handle against your foot (not your thigh) to load it which is not comfortable. Or even use a special loader. But I can tell you that even pumping up a hydro-pneumatic would not be easy for you if you have a wrist issue. Each stroke is more difficult than the previous one.
How cool. What's your dad's name? Interested in selling that hydropneumatic?
Apparently packages do still come, even from Russia. My wife just found out that they now simply all go by surface.
 
How cool. What's your dad's name? Interested in selling that hydropneumatic?
Apparently packages do still come, even from Russia. My wife just found out that they now simply all go by surface.
I can not sell you something I do not trust will perform. It is not a reliable gun and has not been used in decades. Look into roller guns (rubber)
 
Yes, I am starting to contemplate having to manufacture one. I am what they call a maker. Don't have lathe, but could probably find a machine shop or a friend with one. It'd be quite a serious and expensive project, though.

May even be a market for it. Do you think so? The 1st One is always by far the most work. Once you do one, to make more is easy.

I'm more inclined to rather make something like Aquatech's and UBL's lever loading pneumatic/hydropneumatics. Don't have precise plans, though.
I don't think there is much of a market for CO2 guns, the guy who made the Maco2 spearguns was inspired by the Pelletier and despite its looks that is actually what the Maco2 speargun is. Not enough orders to keep the company going and the guns are banned in many places. Even in France the Pelletier guns could only be used in their overseas "colonies".

By the way the last few strokes of the hydropump gun's lever are not easy, they are only easy at lower gun pressures and basically high pressure shooting is where they have any advantages. A big disadvantage is they are sinkers either cocked or discharged, so you don't want to drop one untethered in deep water.
Maco2 5OGLbouteillemano.jpg

Combo110-50.jpg

BS500x9-A(3).jpeg

BS500x9-A(5).jpeg


The guns can always have longer lever handles, but that makes the guns rather a chore to use while bracing against something in the water. I pumped my Aquatech with the gun across my knee, which was the only way to get a firm grip on it. Above is not my Aquatech gun, but one of the experimental models.
 
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Pelengas have a website on VK as they quit using their own stand-alone website which is often mentioned on the Pelengas page here.
Did some digging and the reason the VK page still has a defunct website info on it its that VK was banned in Ukraine way back in 2017. So they probably can't even get on there to correct it.
However, found the Palengas European distributorship on Faceplate:

They seem to only have regular pneumatics, though. Mostly Zilinkas (guns deigned by Zilinksiy, not to be confused with President Zelenskiy. Too bad too. How cool would that have been?)
 
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