Flopper-tips question.

None of the floppers on any of my euro guns are spring loaded. The standard 6.5mm diameter spears have the flopper held in place by a loose rivit through the shaft. Go back 20+ years and my guns had 7 and 8mm diameter spears with screw on spearheads. On the standard screw on twin barb (flopper) heads they were spring loaded, well actually it was a piece of rubber providing the spring action rather than an actual metal spring.

I find it common to lose shot fish by the flopper closing and the spear just falling out. Some people swear by mounting the flopper underneath the spear but I have one and find no difference as the spear seems to rotate when fired anyway. One big improvement IMHO is a double flopper which always has a flopper open due to just gravity.

Dave.

When I shot floppers I built shafts with two floppers placed at top and bottom of the shaft. If I used a 4'' flopper I put the axis pin 4'' from the tip, the bottom flopper was spaced 4.25'' from the the front pin. Floppers were fared into the shaft to lay more flush.

Old Man Dave's description of the early spear points is spot on, but some
old school flatty shooters here in Cali still use screw on heads with rubber springs and SS retainer rings.

I have used thin nylon coated SS cable bent in to a V and placed through a hole 14mm behind the pin. This was on large heavy winged tuna tips.
Tension can be varied with wire cross section to spring open the wing.

Cheers, Don Paul