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Gabbiano Bands

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Padaxes

Shadow of his former self
Jun 2, 2008
566
197
58
I have a gabbiano 90 and was wondering where the best place to get replacement bands for it is in the UK ?
 
The gabbiano has 2 differt heads for the bands. I changed to the smaller fitting so i can use omer and other brands of rubbers. seatec use a larger thread for their 20mm rubbers and most gabbiano guns are sold with the larger thread for to fit the 20mm rubbers.
 
Reactions: Mr. X
I recently noticed that Picasso wishbones don't fit my 18mm Omer bands - different threads. So interesting to hear Matt's information, above. We've been discussing it over here: http://forums.deeperblue.com/beginn...ones-16mm-v-18mm-v-20mm-omer-v-picasso-v.html
Still don't feel like we've got the whole story / definitive answers on which bands/wishbones work together. So if you have more info. on compatibility, please contribute. BTW Omer also sell a larger 20mm diameternwishbone [ref. www.omer.com].
 
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I've got the 20mm bands on my Gabbiano 90 - my God they are hard to load!!! I would not recommend buying them for your gun.

Not being big headed but I'm very strong - I seriously found them almost impossible to load last time I was out - I'd guess they would be beyond a normal guy's strength.

Fortunatley a mate lent me some 16mm ones which were really easy - I'm going to be swapping my 20mm bands for 16mm ones!!!
 

lol. Im a skinny 17 year old, with arms like pipe cleaners!, i can load those 20mm, its mostly technique.
 
Reactions: Magpie
As Spearheads says, it's mostly technique. I used to have 20s on a 95 gun and it was easy enough, dropped down to 18s now though as I found the release too viscious and ruined the aim.
 
I too find that 20mm gives to much kick. Although i would use them on a short gun like a 65 for hole fishing lots power short range. I use 16mm rubbers on all my guns now even on my 110, but i use 2 bands for long gun.
 
I was waiting for the 'it's all technique' posts to appear

I've got 18" arms, lifts weights 6 days a week but damn, those 20mm bands had me struggling like a little girl!

Can someone give me an overview of the technique they use, I put the gun butt against my hip and pull for dear life - my main problem was that the gun was twisting under the pressure of me pulling, making fitting the wishbone onto the spear very hard.

Any ideas?
 
Bro,
best is to load on the 'loading pad' of your suit... its what its there for!!!!
And dont just pull for all your worth!! its best to load the bands with a quick 'snatch' that will almost catch the bands by surprise!! you can then usually apply a little more pressure and you will be by the notch/fin to sucure it.

If you have short arms and can't reach the bands when its on your chest then hold the handle with your right hand and the left band with your left hand by the wishbone. You can then push the gun forward and onto the loading pad while still holding onto the left band. All you do then is reach for the right band with you right hand and load in the normal way, no probs loading a 160cm gun in this way
........................

God I have just read this back and its confused me!!!!!!!! clear as colwyn bay I say!
There is a good diagram showing this somewhere..... will post if I can find it!
Dave
 
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNjpemmzDoE]YouTube - How to load a speargun[/ame]

Simples


PS. 18" arms aren't very long so you may struggle
 
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Reactions: Broseidon, spearheads and tecdave
Thanks for the input guys:-

Firstly, I can use the chest loading pad with my 75cm gun but not a chance with my 90cm, my arms are way too short!

Secondly, DafyddRees demonstrated the technique that Magpie posted when we were out last weekend - worked fine on his gun with 16mm bands but not a chance with my 20mm ones... they are just way, way too stiff.

Maybe it's just that they're new??? The pulling from the hip method works, it just that the gun twists a bit under the pressure meaning that I have trouble fitting the metal wishbone in neatly - it would be a lot easier if I had dyneema wish bones.
 
You really should be able to do it with 20mm and a short gun (90cm) I have used this method with A 130 RA with short 20mm bands and a 90cm concept pro with 20mm euro bands and its really just practice.
The bands will give up a bit when they are old but that’s when they need changing!!

Good luck with it and make sure it doesn’t slip down there on yer hip!! ouch!!
 
Might sound obvious but I would check the length of the bands. For a 90cm gun with screw in bands the distance between the fittings (not the total length) should be 22cm.

I often grab the bands with the gun butt low down and partly stretch them, then I work the butt up to the chest pad before loading the gun. Hard to describe but works for me.

I have tried 20mm bands but always found they generated too much recoil on a lightweight euro. As Magpie said it ruins the accuracy. I use 18mm bands on my Omer XXV gold 90, as they are standard fitting but 16mm bands work okay as well. The 18mm bands are a tough load onto the back notch.

Dave.

Dave.
 
Reactions: Broseidon
Hmmm... I'm going to have to go into the garden at lunch time and try it again!
 
Broseidon said:
The pulling from the hip method works, it just that the gun twists a bit under the pressure meaning that I have trouble fitting the metal wishbone in neatly - it would be a lot easier if I had dyneema wish bones.
Click to expand...

If it is the bands giving you this much resistance, I doubt dyneema wishbones on your 20mm equipped 90 would make life that much easier. Sure as hell is safer for your fingers. Using dyneema under that load you would 1) have to make sure there was nothing remotely sharp about your notches, or 2) get a tabbed spear.

Waiting for the bands to stretch or soften is like waiting for them to need replacing. Try downsizing to a true 18mm band (some 18mm rubber is more like a 20mm).

or...

Turn to the darkside - dyneema and bulk rubber awaits!
 
Reactions: Broseidon
Hey Laz, I was reading some of your posts on dyneema and bulk rubber... interesting stuff!

The only reason I said that the dyneema would make loading easier was that if the gun twists slightly as I try to load it, I think it would be easier to get to the spear notch.

And yeah, the metal wish bone I've got at the moment does look like it wants to chew my gloveless fingers off!

I'm going to go and play with the gun some more... I'll probably get some different bands if it's still troubling me.
 
Just been out trying it in the garden - managed to load it twice without too much trouble...

As I mentioned before, my main issue was the gun twisting, which didn't happen this time... hmmm... maybe I'm making a big fuss over nothing
 
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