Cressi-Sub "Saetta" Pneumatic Speargun

[popgun pete]

Mares have taken their position as "top dog" in the pneumatic gun world for granted, but are soon going to be left behind. Cressi-Sub rested on their laurels for a long time, but finally decided to do something. When you look at all the Pelengas models arriving it makes the mainstream players look lazy. Salvimar are a bit more energetic, especially as they made parts for many of the others. The challenge from Omer was not taken too seriously as Omer have produced their share of duds, when one gun has problems it quickly disappears and they announce a new model and the other gun is soon forgotten.

However guns first produced decades ago still shoot fish and the changes over the intervening years have not been that great with side line releases to bypass reels and the vacuum muzzle. Better quality spears have been a big improvement, but you can always update old guns with new spears.

 

[popgun pete]

Divestock have the new "Saetta Pro" on sale: https://www.divestock.com/cressi-saetta-pro-pneumatic-speargun-with-power-reducer
They are based in Estonia and seem to be willing to ship anywhere (regardless of distributor restrictions).

 

[popgun pete]

I note that the "Saetta Pro" is selling on Scubastore. The 88cm for AUD 270.99, plus shipping, which seems to be a reduction of about 60 dollars.

Diveinn | Online store for dive and snorkeling equipment

Online store of diving and snorkel equipment. Find at Diveinn neoprene suits, masks, fins, tubes | Best price.

www.scubastore.com

 

[Diving Gecko]

Nice write up here:

Cressi Saetta Pro - Offset Vuoto technology

Launched this year as a real novelty from Cressi, the 100% Made in Italy pneumatic speargun is the "Vuoto" version of the Saetta, with also quite a few

www.apneapassion.com

Question is whether using stock STC seals which might only have been designed for "naked" spears will lead to them being worn out fast given that the Saetta has a shaft tang - though a rounded one.

Also, I'd be interested in seeing the guts of the muzzle and the shock absorber.
Perhaps, @quakeos or @Gazz can help with some pics at some point?

 

[popgun pete]

The “Pro” system looks like the number two option of the STC-X muzzle that uses a rounded edge small shoulder tail to push through the rubber seal. That option has been around for a long time, the Mongoose titanium sealed slider is the only thing that is new and looks like Cressi don't use it, well not yet anyway. The trouble with that tail is anything running into it can set up a sharp edge over time, although a cupped surface running into it that matches the shoulder curve will last longer. The problem with small shoulder steps is they can jam on the stop ring, which is why some guns use a polyurethane bush for the shoulder. So that you can screw the tail on and off it has a transverse hole in the rear end that you can insert a slim rod through to use as a lever. The Cressi tail looks a bit more coke bottle shape compared with the STC version, but it may have changed as well from the 2017 image.

 

[popgun pete]

Cressi have released a parts diagram for the Saetta, the manual supplied with the guns does not have one. This is for the Saetta, not the Saetta Pro, the latter having a different muzzle. https://www.cressi.com/easyUp/file/instructions/SP_Saetta.pdf also contains the parts list.

 

[popgun pete]

I moved some of the component images around to "assemble" the rear handle; my guess is these images are simplified versions of the CAD drawings for the gun as they all fit together.

 

[popgun pete]

I assume Cressi only released this info when owners began to want parts as it does not appear on their downloads page where most of their product info is available. It was picked up on a search which showed that it was from a section of their site which has restricted access. The parts list for the Pro version is not available yet as I searched for it first.

 

[reeffathoms]

The “Pro” system looks like the number two option of the STC-X muzzle that uses a rounded edge small shoulder tail to push through the rubber seal. That option has been around for a long time, the Mongoose titanium sealed slider is the only thing that is new and looks like Cressi don't use it, well not yet anyway. The trouble with that tail is anything running into it can set up a sharp edge over time, although a cupped surface running into it that matches the shoulder curve will last longer. The problem with small shoulder steps is they can jam on the stop ring, which is why some guns use a polyurethane bush for the shoulder. So that you can screw the tail on and off it has a transverse hole in the rear end that you can insert a slim rod through to use as a lever. The Cressi tail looks a bit more coke bottle shape compared with the STC version, but it may have changed as well from the 2017 image.
View attachment 56301View attachment 56302

I've been trying to find replacement gaskets for the Cressi Saetta Pro. Cressi only lists the complete muzzle assembly in their catalog, part number FZ400000, but even that is out of stock everywhere.

Based on this post above, and the review at https://apneapassion.com/equipment/dossier-and-xrays/cressi-saetta-pro-disaligned-vuoto-technology/ , it appears like the gasket might be the same as the STC Italia X-Power 7.5mm seal, titled "XPT/750" at this link https://www.stcitalia.net/english/spear-parts-kit.html .

Does anyone know whether this is confirmed?

 

[reeffathoms]

I've been trying to find replacement gaskets for the Cressi Saetta Pro. Cressi only lists the complete muzzle assembly in their catalog, part number FZ400000, but even that is out of stock everywhere.

Based on this post above, and the review at https://apneapassion.com/equipment/dossier-and-xrays/cressi-saetta-pro-disaligned-vuoto-technology/ , it appears like the gasket might be the same as the STC Italia X-Power 7.5mm seal, titled "XPT/750" at this link https://www.stcitalia.net/english/spear-parts-kit.html .

Does anyone know whether this is confirmed?

Follow up - I reached out to STC Italia via email and received a very prompt reply from them confirming that it is the same gasket. I have a few on order. (STC - if you are reading this, thank you!!!)

For what it's worth, the Saetta Pro 88 is the first pneumatic speargun I've used, but when it is working it is very accurate and fast. When that gasket fails, it becomes anemic. As noted, I'm new to pnuematic spearguns so when the gasket failed I didn't understand what was happening, just that a) I was missing shots I thought should have hit, and b) the spear seemed to have a lot less speed, even though the effort to load was the same and mechanically everything seemed right (other than shot speed). I'm sure the experts on this board would have recognized the problem immediately.

The gasket lasted me, guessing, somewhere between 75 and 100 shots.

 

[popgun pete]

The problem with the STC system is the vacuum seal cannot be easily pushed open if the inner barrel loses its vacuum and sucks in water. The gun is then subjected to water braking as the trapped water has difficulty squeezing past the vacuum seal as the water is driven out by the advancing piston. The conical sealing nozzle system that Salvimar, Pelengas and Taimen all use can blow open as the nozzle skirt stretches, the shot will still be braked, but not by as much. It is a more forgiving system and the vacuum “cuff” type seal has a lower running grip on the shaft surface.

Omer also used the STC system in the discontinued “One Air”, but with a bare spear tail, so it was like shooting a rod through a washer. The use of a rounded shoulder spear tail is to get around the lower give in the STC vacuum seal, which is why Cressi uses it on their spears so that the usual rear tied shooting line via a shaft slider can still be used. Omer/Sporasub "One Air" diagram shown below.