Indie/Minor Speargun Companies

[popgun pete]

The Google translation into English is rather garbled to say the least, but it appears to be a pneumatic speargun with a 14 mm diameter inner barrel. It has an easy loading feature where you can pump the spear in the inner barrel. Sounds something like the old GSD pneumatic spearguns with a trigger releasing valve system which also had a 14 mm diameter inner barrel. The gun is pressurized using the inner barrel as the hand pump, an idea that requires some manipulation of the muzzle or "head". Apparently the grip handle can be moved along the gun body, although it is not clear how the trigger actuating system moves with it as usually there is a slide rod for the trigger that is external to the pressure chamber for this to be possible. Eastern Block spearguns made by innovative gunsmiths have some of these features, but not the mainstream pneumatic speargun production coming out of Italy. First that I have heard of it, I wonder where it is actually produced.

English translation with some "repairs".

Manufacturer: Inalex

The Alpha C1 is a pneumatic gun, 110 cm, with several innovations that have come to give solutions to a range of conventional pneumatic problems.
It has a separate system arming and air space (inner barrel and reservoir?) and the construction of high quality materials used things other than trouble-free operation resulting in a number of advantages.

The main features are:

• Arming the weapon, the most difficult process in powerful air guns, can be done in phases. So we provide weapons and to stop when we are continuing after the place we stayed. (Pause during shaft loading, so a non-return valve inside it somewhere)
• Bore and piston have a diameter of 14 mm, which means plenty of power with lower pressures and the possibility of using spears from 7 mm-10 mm.
• The piston is agkystromeno(!?) the trigger system which means that a forced shot. Basically the gun "attaching" before loading the rod.
• Is it possible to adjust the speed of firing on a large scale without the gear system to generate losses if we want maximum power.
• Contribution (loading) can start with the spear in a different position in the barrel, giving us yet another opportunity to adjust the speed (partial shaft loading before shooting).
• After being armed rod (shaft) can free themselves from the piston, which is not under pressure.
• The piston is made of high quality synthetic materials, in addition to high resistance offers lower noise when braking while relieve a way that helps the release of the shaft without the energy to release. (may be opening claw type piston)
• Construction of the head (muzzle) provides better extraction of water, decreasing the "tangential resistance" of water, which means faster expulsion of the shaft.
• No pump is needed to fill the air chamber as the piston rod with special thought and head (muzzle) can play this role, so the pressure of the gun can be adjusted easily without the need for special tools.
• The handle is able to be moved anywhere.
• The weapon is accompanied by a DVD with video instructions.

 

[foxfish]

Good find Spag - looks like a very clever design but I think its that "The piston is agkystromeno" that really makes it!

 

[spaghetti]

I think its that "The piston is agkystromeno" that really makes it!

+1 on the agkystromeno piston, Fox: can't live without!

Now back to seeeeerious things: a wooden rollergun commercially manifactured by italian craft brand Seawolf-Sub. This guy started making his own guns back in 2002, then in 2009 he started the company.
Some eye candy bits:

 

[Don Paul]

[ame="http://vimeo.com/12338338"]Test Rollergun 85 SeaWolf-sub a 5 metri on Vimeo[/ame]

Here's a video of a test. Looks like the roller band dislodges in the last shot and can be seen in front of the shooters face.
Cheers, Don

 

[spaghetti]

Test Rollergun 85 SeaWolf-sub a 5 metri on Vimeo

Here's a video of a test. Looks like the roller band dislodges in the last shot and can be seen in front of the shooters face.
Cheers, Don

Tester reports he broke the roller wishbone on the last shot because, he says, the shaft used in that shot was too light, and the consequent punch of the bands was so strong to destroy the rigging. Therefor, he recommends a heavier shaft. :blackeye

I don't understand much of this thing (does it make any sense?) but this is what he says.

 

[popgun pete]

Good find Spag - looks like a very clever design but I think its that "The piston is agkystromeno" that really makes it!

I now think that the piston being referred to as "agkystromeno" is not the barrel sliding piston, but the trigger release valve which will be a piston that blocks the rear end of the inner barrel tube. It will be connected or attached (agkystromeno?) to the trigger by a series of levers or cranks. When pressure inside the inner barrel increases with respect to that in the main air reservoir then this rear mounted valve opens and passes air into the main body of the gun. That is why you can pressurize the gun at the start of the season by using the inner barrel as it functions as the air pump body and the spear and sliding piston act as the air pump rod. Provided this pump can breathe on the top of the upstroke by allowing the barrel sliding piston to pass beyond the muzzle relief ports and thus allow ambient air to flow in behind the piston's rearmost air seal then it will work as a gun pressurizing pump. The rear trigger operated release valve functions as the automatic non-return valve to lock in the transferred air at the completion of each downstroke. To shoot the gun, once it is pressurized to the desired level, the muzzle is manipulated to stop the barrel sliding piston before its seals reach the relief ports. That means the piston seals stay confined inside the inner barrel tube, then the gun operates like any other pneumatic speargun. The tulip shaped muzzle probably has something to do with this port switching or piston travel restriction which transforms the gun from pumping mode (air system open) to shooting mode (air system closed).

The Zelinka and similar guns are pressurized in this manner as the rear end of the gun can be completely closed off, although a pressure release valve will be required somewhere to bleed air from the gun if you want to reduce the operating pressure.

 

[Don Paul]

Tester reports he broke the roller wishbone on the last shot because, he says, the shaft used in that shot was too light, and the consequent punch of the bands was so strong to destroy the rigging. Therefor, he recommends a heavier shaft. :blackeye

I don't understand much of this thing (does it make any sense?) but this is what he says.

I would just go to a stronger wishbone material. why increase shaft mass to slow down a wishbone collision at the end of its travel ?

I love the beautiful woodwork, but would be concerned with shooting line fowling on the un-faired rollers. I would also be concerned with unsupported roller axis pin shear and a flying projectile hitting me in the face.

Just a thought...I love the craftsmanship.

Cheers, Don Paul

 

[DivingDane]

Talking of pneumatics, has any of you yet come to know that Pipin Ferreras has started a company of his own? It's called Persistent and it offers a full line of spearfishing gear: westuits, fins, et cetera, up to both band and pneumatic guns.
The pneumatics (up to 140 cm with foldable knee loader) look very similar to the Seac Asso (indeed, Pipin was working for italian brand Seac till a while ago) while the Persistent bandguns have some original features plus some that don't look very original at first glance, such as the Beuchat-lookalike muzzles.
They look beautiful anyway. Here's Persistent bandguns and airguns:

i was wonder when sombody would bring this brand up, unfortunatly the entire range of guns is from an OEM manufactuer in China, we have both of these products available in Australia through different importer (mirage for the pneumatic) and Mirage, Pelaj for the spearguns.

so nothing original nthere unfortunatly

 

[popgun pete]

Those guns are made by the Hang Fung Industrial Co. Ltd. in Shantou, China. They also manufacture long bladed dive fins. Basically Chinese-made Seac-Sub ASSO pneumatic spearguns, however quality of finish and assembly is unknown.

 

[Don Paul]

Those guns are made by the Hang Fung Industrial Co. Ltd. in Shantou, China. They also manufacture long bladed dive fins. Basically Chinese-made Seac-Sub ASSO pneumatic spearguns, however quality of finish and assembly is unknown.

I know some one that took one a part.

Pete here are 2 images.

Cheers, Don

 

[loka]

...Eastern Block spearguns...
Foto from Russia nvrsk.ru -> Ãàëåðåÿ -> Ïðîñìîòð êàðòèíêè

 

[popgun pete]

I know some one that took one a part.

Pete here are 2 images.

Cheers, Don

Hi Don, I just found where you sourced those photos.

Sample pneumatic speargun - Freediving Spearfishing Forum

The thread makes interesting reading, especially the conclusion!

 

[popgun pete]

...Eastern Block spearguns...
Foto from Russia nvrsk.ru -> Ãàëåðåÿ -> Ïðîñìîòð êàðòèíêè

Yes, that looks like the same gun as the Alpha C1, maybe a few detail changes at the muzzle, but must be the same company, Inalux or Inalex, hard to see with the flash highlight on the photo. We can now see the trigger rod running back from the handgrip, or maybe it is a tube, it has a bend where it merges into the butt.

 

[foxfish]

Hi Don, I just found where you sourced those photos.

Sample pneumatic speargun - Freediving Spearfishing Forum

The thread makes interesting reading, especially the conclusion!

I agree - very interesting, I will have to try that loading method.

 

[Don Paul]

Hi Don, I just found where you sourced those photos.

Sample pneumatic speargun - Freediving Spearfishing Forum

The thread makes interesting reading, especially the conclusion!

Sorry not to add that link as it's a forum and gear source for me out side the household name ones, but one I respect for it's bluntness and low drama. Yes Pete I am a strong believer in nondestructive and destructive testing. :friday
Cheers, Don

 

[spaghetti]

Those guns are made by the Hang Fung Industrial Co. Ltd. in Shantou, China. They also manufacture long bladed dive fins. Basically Chinese-made Seac-Sub ASSO pneumatic spearguns, however quality of finish and assembly is unknown.

Well, if you click on the link below from chinese manufacturer, and then watch closely how the muzzle is mounted on that gun, you may ask yourself legimitate questions on wether those people actually know what they're doing or not....rofl
Spearguns/combo set Sales, Buy Spearguns/combo set Products from alibaba.com

 

[popgun pete]

Well, if you click on the link below from chinese manufacturer, and then watch closely how the muzzle is mounted on that gun, you may ask yourself legimitate questions on wether those people actually know what they're doing or not....rofl
Spearguns/combo set Sales, Buy Spearguns/combo set Products from alibaba.com

The nose cone is twisted around, it is a simple thing to put it right, but you are correct, it should not be like that. Most of the pictures on the Chinese manufacturer's web-site show them to be assembled properly. The safety pushes out of the handle and is only held in by friction according to that "Sample Gun" thread, which is different to the real thing as you have to take the trigger out to remove the safety. That makes the "copy" scenario most likely. I wonder what Seac Sub are going to do about it.

I just checked the web-site, the photos now show muzzles the wrong way up! Only the smallest gun is correct.
http://www.alibaba.com/member/hk103868760/productgrouplist-101444658/spearguns.html

 

[spaghetti]

The nose cone is twisted around, it is a simple thing to put it right, but you are correct, it should not be like that. Most of the pictures on the Chinese manufacturer's web-site show them to be assembled properly. The safety pushes out of the handle and is only held in by friction according to that "Sample Gun" thread, which is different to the real thing as you have to take the trigger out to remove the safety. That makes the "copy" scenario most likely. I wonder what Seac Sub are going to do about it.

I just checked the web-site, the photos now show muzzles the wrong way up! Only the smallest gun is correct.
Spearguns, Spearguns/combo set direct from Hong Kong

My take (just guessing) is that Seac Sub sold the Asso's moulds, or allowed them under license, or let the designs go as open source (patent's expiry? Could be). Or maybe they're just copied. In China this happens everyday.

 

[popgun pete]

The company web-site for Hang Fung Industrial is www.hfi.com.hk. They are a packaging materials company moulding a range of thermoplastic products and are now into making dive equipment. Head office is in Hong Kong and the factory is in mainland China. As they are supplying guns to "Persistent" and others I doubt that an error like this has gone undetected in production, maybe the problem is with the batch sent to the photographer. Earlier photos I saw a month or so ago had the muzzles the right way up. Obviously the guy who took these grouped speargun photos has no idea what the guns should look like. With no air pressure in the guns and the muzzles only just nipped up on the inner barrel threads it is easy to twist the nose cones around, maybe the guy thought they looked better this way. He may have straightened them up and twisted one the wrong way, then did the same to all the others except the small one. Interestingly the smallest gun has a power regulator fitted!

Seac Sub has their new shape handle and muzzle mouldings on the "Caccia" models, so they may have sold the "Asso" tooling, however the Chinese have added some vertical projections to the guns which are possibly intended to be "improved" sights. If that is what they are then that shows a lack of understanding as to how the guns are actually used. The "Asso" model is very much like the original Mares "Sten", there will not be a patent, but it may have been a registered design which legally protects the outward appearance of a product from duplication.

Maglite, the US flashlight manufacturer, took legal action against Chinese copies of their products and had stocks of these clones withdrawn from sale in the USA and some other countries where the rules of copyright and design registration are observed. The problem for Seac Sub is if these Chinese manufactured guns are flawed and made from inferior materials, something which will not be apparent immediately, then Seac Sub will experience some loss of reputation as disgruntled buyers may think this applies to all "Asso" models.

 

[spaghetti]

Pete, I agree with practically all of your comments on the China thing.
But now, this: let's run away from chinese sweathouses and let's get back to the quality boutique gun manufacturers' gallery.

A Spanish woodgun artisan: Mikasub. Their products seem to share some of the concepts with the spanish designed/italian made Abellan guns. But some of Mikasub's feature's are characteristic: see for example the slim anatomic handles.
A few shots: