Mares Cyrano 1.1 700 - Questions - Mods & maintenance

[Pjk]

Greetings DB forum,

Thanks for all the great information, I’ve learnt a lot here.

I have purchased a Mares Cyrano 1.1 700 11mm w/ steel trigger & line release, apparently It’s the latest version of the 700 in the EVO series

Unsure which year the steel parts were implemented in the design so if anyone has info on the upgraded model it will give a rough estimate as to how long my Cyrano has sat in a warehouse waiting for me and what moves to make prior to first use to refresh the internals.

Here’s what I’m about to do unless someone stops me,

Should I release the old air, should I empty the old oil too or do nothing and just add air if it’s lacking?

If it’s sat 5-7 years muzzle facing up or something horrific like that, should I do the following to be sure it’s first shots are lubricated?

#1 I will apply 10w Penrite fork oil to the Mares Pump rod above the seal provided with the kit

#2 Drop some oil like 25ml INSIDE the pump to enter the gun to refill the tank after releasing whatever pressure came stock from the warehouse?

Should we release the old air (and oil?) or should I just add new air in?

Is adding a different oil to the original oil problematic? I’ve heard some peoples valves have become stuck when they try to “add in” pressure instead of releasing its entirety first, what do the experts and veterans and regular users of this model think?

Please explain its needs

#3 should I put a few drops of the same oil down the muzzle onto the piston? Will this cause sand & grit to stick more, should I or should I not drop that 10w oil into the barrel onto the piston

I had planned to test this in my pool, does chlorine/pool chemicals effect anything internally moreso than salt water?

I plan to use this Mares Cyrano 1.1 70 stock in reefs around Portsea & south Melbourne sand flats, I’m trying to tune it for short vis grass planes & 3-5ft reef

Distance & speed are priority and after I “prep” the gun for first use I’ll be testing three shafts before I head over the road to the bay.

First I’ll try the stock “harmonic” steel shaft, then throw it away

Then I’ll try the stainless steel shaft w/ regular tip THEN with a trident tip

In a week or two I’ll test the Devoto 7mm 87cm? shaft or similar with a more hydrodynamic slider than the large plastic stock line slide.

I have 1.5mm super soft mono with a line bungee

Is there anything I have missed in my pre use maintenance or basic setup?

After using the gun in the pool I would dip the gun in a tub of water, what kind of soap is best for the internals and materials? Can I use dish washing liquid or should I use something fancy

I could only find partial information on this particular model and I have been reading for weeks so please forgive me if this information is compiled elsewhere

 

[Pjk]

 

[Mr. X]

Sounds like a perfect question for @popgun pete

 

[Pjk]

Testing today was great fun & I’m in love with this pneumatic, is that normal?

The gun remains stock from the factory, I did not add air pressure/oil and it really packs a punch so I’ll leave it all stock for now.

Both the zinc shaft and the SS shaft had damage or “nicks” in them upon delivery which wasn’t great, should I throw those away? Can’t imagine that’s good for my seals but maybe I’m being precious because I love my new thing.

First shot easily reached the end of three wraps with the 7mm zinc plated shaft double flapper, should I go four wraps or am I dreaming

The second was a free shot stainless steel 7mm shaft double flapper (no line) which landed around 8-9m from where I stood

The stainless steel p80 shaft weighed like thirty grams more than the zinc plated but I bet that travels three wraps too.

I can still increase pressure by using 1/3 supposedly, should I?
What pressure do the seals begin to suffer? I’d like to hover just under that line.

I learnt today that the external barrel scratches easily from a swinging line bungee steel clip so if anyone has any link to a neoprene sleeve accessory that covers the Mares barrel please leave a link here.

I’ve cut the steel pig clip off & problem solved but still require a cover/sleeve to not damage my beautiful outer barrel in reef and shallow conditions.

 

[popgun pete]

The oil in the gun doesn't wear out with it sitting in a warehouse, you just stand it on its nose for the oil to find its way down into the inner barrel around the piston and then it should be good to go. The Cyrano's are wet barrel guns, so any marks on the spear shafts mean nothing. The metal trigger parts arrived when the "Evo" was dropped from the name, there is a whole thread on that here. The tanks don't scratch up that easily, but you could always wrap it in tape. The problem with using tape is when removing it you may pull the stickers off, whether that is any great loss is up to you.

https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/mares-cyrano-parts-diagram-annotated.115199/

Mares Cyrano Evo HF

Hello everyone, Hoping somebody may be able to put me on the right track. I’ve had a Mares Cyrano Evo HF 90cm for a few years. Never had a problem. Yesterday it fell over onto the ground, and the line release, and the power control lever broke off! I have searched the net and there is very...

forums.deeperblue.com

 

[Pjk]

I will rest easy knowing the abrasion on my practice shafts aren’t damaging any seals within the barrel or washers, thank you for that info Popgun Pete

That exploded parts diagram was exactly what I was looking for cheers, I didn’t get one with my user manual but it did provide the order of the Mares models.

I had ordered a spare seal kit the same day I purchased the gun,

I’ll be ordering these spare parts in the near future just to have them at hand:

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Valve - Cyrano

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Valve is a replacement and service part for your Mares Cyrano brand pneumatic speargun.

www.spearfishingproducts.com.au

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Piston - 11mm

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Piston is a service and replacement part for your Mares Cyrano pneumatic speargun. Concrete hardened stainless steel piston for pneumatic (air) speargun, with diameter 11mm, suits Cyrano

www.spearfishingproducts.com.au

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Head - Cyrano

Devoto Pneumatic Speargun Head is a service and replacement part for your Mares Cyrano brand pneumatic speargun. Head for Mares Cyrano pneumatic speargun – with shock absorber bushing

www.spearfishingproducts.com.au

I’m aware it would be most cost efficient to just buy a second Cyrano however I would like to stockpile the few parts & enjoy the maintenance challenge whenever an issue arises/something eventually fails.

Aside the O ring kit,

Would a spare shock absorber kit, rear valve & muzzle cover most of my future internal issues arising from wear and tear even with proper care?

Barrels are extremely expensive to source from Lithuania which is a shame because I’d grab one or more of if they were sold locally.

Final thoughts on the Cyrano 700 Kit

- the shaft loading tool provided is tiny and shallow, doesn’t feel confidently secure against the immense pressure I have to exert at the beginning of pushing the piston down into the barrel to load the Cyrano,

If anyone knows of a loader with better ergonomics like more secure (depth) shaft tip hole and maybe a bulkier handle without the added weight I’d love to hear about its existence

 

[popgun pete]

You can use a gun for years without replacing anything provided you clean it after a dive by soaking it for ten minutes or so in fresh water and keeping it off the sand when on a beach. I put my gun on my dive fins after I have removed them as I wear dive boots. The guns are made to be used in a marine environment, but not abused. Don't load your gun on the beach, do it in the water. If the cocked gun falls to the bottom when you pick it up, shake it with its muzzle pointed downward to let any sand in the barrel fall to the muzzle end and the next shot will blow it out with the jet of water. Don't buy parts until you need them, but the "O" ring kit is worth having.

The Mares shaft loader is OK, it has a metal insert where the spear tip pushes into it so you will not break it.

Only maintenance is changing the oil every two years and when you do it put some grease on the screw threads where the muzzle screws onto the inner barrel. Mares don't give you the parts diagram, the diagrams were obtained by finding a cooperative dealer.

 

[Pjk]

I’ll be sure to load only after passing shoreline swash on rough days, shaking the gun barrel downward to remove any grit.

I did my best to minimise clouds of micro-sand being kicked up around the handle mechanisms when loading in shallow water.

The water I’m exploring locally is about 6ft depth between several sand bars 50-70m from shore

I could see plenty of small fish/baitfish schooling around the flats but no larger fish, perhaps there would be more to see on a rough day w/ a higher tide.

I have read there are several natural and artificial reef sites situated close to east shores in Port Phillip bay, I’ll be sure to check those out once I learn to use my gear.

 

[Pjk]

I did find some 2mm neoprene online, hopefully I’ll find a tailor whom is game enough to double stitch a barrel sleeve for me with some salt water resistant thread?

Hoping this will protect the barrel, add some buoyancy to that slightly heavier nose cone

 

[popgun pete]

Sand swirling in the water will not damage your gun. When the gun is loaded the barrel contains the spear and saltwater and you don't want much sand in there with it as although the piston will generally wipe it out during the shot along with the water, any sand can jam in the tiny gap between piston and barrel and scratch it. Very unlikely for this to happen, but you can improve the odds by avoiding sand in there as much as possible. In the metal piston days they carried a front conical rubber seal that acted as a wiper to push any foreign material out, but they disappeared with the introduction of plastic pistons. Now they rely on the gap around the piston nose being so small that sand will be shoveled out by the piston. Guns have been used for decades without problems by careless owners, but a few precautions help avoid problems rather than relying on luck. Last thing I do with the gear bagged up on leaving the beach is dunk the gun in the shallows to get any loose sand off and the gun generally dries off before I get back to the car, that is in summer month, In late Autumn or Winter the gun may need to be dried with a towel before putting it in your vehicle. The dive gear usually goes in a plastic tub for transport as you cannot avoid sand on your dive boots. Wash everything off once you get home in freshwater. I use one tub for dunking to get the worst off and a second tub as the rinse, then leave everything to dry. Don't pack away wet dive gear.

 

[popgun pete]

Neoprene sleeves will get water trapped between the inside of the sleeve and the gun body and dunking your gun will not get it out. Saltwater against the outer barrel or tank of your gun will not damage it in the short term, but longer term any marks in the anodizing will create corrosion spots. I don't recommend sleeves unless you are prepared to peel them off before the gun goes into a period of not being used. Surface tension will pull saltwater into the gap between sleeve and tank no matter how tight a fit you think it is. Tape wound guns keep saltwater out as there is no gap, but getting the tape off again is not worth the hassle if you ever have to do it.

 

[Pjk]

Thanks for the preservation tips @popgun pete

I went to bag the Cyrano in the late evening assuming it would be dry & found a little water behind the safety switch therefor I’ll be leaving it next to an open window out of direct sunlight in future to make sure the barrel and internals are completely dry prior to storage.

I had concerns with the neoprene bloating under/between the fabric and thought about punching holes incrementally throughout the sleeve but I think I’ll avoid that all together to keep the finish clean on my barrel.

Cheers for saving me a lot of time and money.

I’ll also have to rethink mounting a mini dive torch onto the barrel to avoid corrosive damage from a plastic clip/bracket there as well.

 

[popgun pete]

An absorbent carry bag works well as it sops up water and sand grains will not drag over the gun as say a vinyl bag might do.

https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/diy-towelling-carry-bag-for-pneumatic-spearguns.114659/

 

[Pjk]

An absorbent carry bag works well as it sops up water and sand grains will not drag over the gun as say a vinyl bag might do.
https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/diy-towelling-carry-bag-for-pneumatic-spearguns.114659/

Great idea using a towel bag to absorb the water while protecting the speargun.

That second bag could be segregated to hold multiple shafts too one could add a carry strap.

 

[Pjk]

There don’t appear to be many Pressure Gauge products available for these Pneumatic spearguns,

Adrenaline seems to have one at a higher price point:

Mares Pneumatic Gun Pressure Gauge

Complete your kit with the Mares Pneumatic Gun Pressure Gauge which is dedicated to all Mares Pneumatic Spearguns - simply attach the accessory on the inlet valve, the gauge will then show the pressure of the gun.

adreno.com.au

I was hoping to find a gauge and fitting at my local hardware store matching the Cyrano thread and valve, would it be easy to string these together or should I go ahead and purchase a gauge from the link?

What does everyone else use?

I would prefer to get one for myself rather than bother the local dive shop every time I get curious about the pressure within the speargun.

 

[Pjk]

The oil in the gun doesn't wear out with it sitting in a warehouse, you just stand it on its nose for the oil to find its way down into the inner barrel around the piston and then it should be good to go. The Cyrano's are wet barrel guns, so any marks on the spear shafts mean nothing. The metal trigger parts arrived when the "Evo" was dropped from the name, there is a whole thread on that here. The tanks don't scratch up that easily, but you could always wrap it in tape. The problem with using tape is when removing it you may pull the stickers off, whether that is any great loss is up to you.

https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/mares-cyrano-parts-diagram-annotated.115199/

Mares Cyrano Evo HF

Hello everyone, Hoping somebody may be able to put me on the right track. I’ve had a Mares Cyrano Evo HF 90cm for a few years. Never had a problem. Yesterday it fell over onto the ground, and the line release, and the power control lever broke off! I have searched the net and there is very...

forums.deeperblue.com

I released some oil (around 1ml) from the Mares Cyrano after testing the Mares gauge and found the colour of the oil to be a thick cloudy grey

I read this is likely aluminium particles and or water intrusion,

Would it be fine to release the remaining pressure/grey oil & replace it with the 25ml of new 10w fork oil

Should I then lubricante the new oil to both ends and then empty it a second time and do a second fill to ensure clean internal

OR

Would this situation indicate a need to get inside & clear this muck from the barrel and internal parts with my hands

I ask which method is most appropriate because I don’t understand the viscosity of this muck on the internals or the effect it could have on operation/longevity

 

[popgun pete]

There don’t appear to be many Pressure Gauge products available for these Pneumatic spearguns,

Adrenaline seems to have one at a higher price point:

Mares Pneumatic Gun Pressure Gauge

Complete your kit with the Mares Pneumatic Gun Pressure Gauge which is dedicated to all Mares Pneumatic Spearguns - simply attach the accessory on the inlet valve, the gauge will then show the pressure of the gun.

adreno.com.au

I was hoping to find a gauge and fitting at my local hardware store matching the Cyrano thread and valve, would it be easy to string these together or should I go ahead and purchase a gauge from the link?

What does everyone else use?

I would prefer to get one for myself rather than bother the local dive shop every time I get curious about the pressure within the speargun.

It is easier to buy the actual product as you need the appropriate pressure range for pneumatic guns which can go up to 40 bar. The maximum is 30 bar on modern guns.

 

[popgun pete]

I released some oil (around 1ml) from the Mares Cyrano after testing the Mares gauge and found the colour of the oil to be a thick cloudy grey

I read this is likely aluminium particles and or water intrusion,

Would it be fine to release the remaining pressure/grey oil & replace it with the 25ml of new 10w fork oil

Should I then lubricante the new oil to both ends and then empty it a second time and do a second fill to ensure clean internal

OR

Would this situation indicate a need to get inside & clear this muck from the barrel and internal parts with my hands

I ask which method is most appropriate because I don’t understand the viscosity of this muck on the internals or the effect it could have on operation/longevity

If the gun is used regularly then the recommended change over of oil is to do it every two years by removing the muzzle and pulling the nose cone off so that the inverted gun will have the oil run out of it. Whatever oil does not run out can stay in there as you add the replacement oil, no need to tear the gun apart.

The oil can discolour with age, but that usually just darkens it and the rubber seals also tend to discolour the oil over a long period of time. A long period as in years with the gun unused. With many shots the alloy barrel can wear and discolour the oil, but that takes decades and shows that the gun was never serviced.

If the gun had water inside it then you need to completely disassemble it and clean everything as any salt inside the gun will cause corrosion.
When reassembling the gun grease the muzzle threads as over time these threads if not greased can seize as water wicks in along the screw thread. When that happens you have to disassemble the gun from the rear end as the muzzle can be so hard to move you may break the lugs that stop it twisting around in the gun.

 

[Pjk]

Thank you for that information @popgun pete such wisdom is greatly appreciated

Eager to swap the grey/black oil when my hands heal, the person whom designed that mares pump is a butcher as only the last inch of the stroke is responsible for the air injection with the nozzle very distant from the intake hole.

The Gauge is handy, far smaller than expected but does the job despite losing like 3/4 of 1 bar threading & piercing/releasing the valve, gotta be quick

This blue handle EVO series was delivered at 20 bar & shoots 3.5metres at this pressure before losing its trajectory/penetration power toward the end of the 4.2metre line with 1.5mm mono & a SS shaft

There’s a chance I’ll squeeze a few further inches onto shooting distance by reducing to 1.1mm mono but could soon purchase a salvimar vacuum seal muzzle kit if I really want to reach that 4.2metre distance (3 full wraps) WHILE maintaining that 20 bar loading pressure.

Considering pumping it to 29 bar instead of modifying the muzzle and converting her however recoil is already heavy with ease in flexibility of the 7mm shaft already apparent at 20bar

The international market hides some very high quality similar sized guns & if I could go back and do more research I would spend the extra money on a Pelengas with a stock vacuum muzzle but I’m still very happy with a Mares Cyrano 1.1, it is certainly a great little gun and I am quite attached to it.

I do wonder if a 17-4 SS line slide or a titanium slide would hinder my attempt to get more distance without a Vaccum modification or maybe even keeping the plastic line slide if less weight overrides hydrodynamic form so I’ll have to spend more money to find out

Similarly curious as to whether a 17-4 hardened spear would reduce the shooting distance due to additional weight BUT could somewhat make up for it with the theoretical slight increase in penetration power.

I will achieve three wrap shots one way or another without purchasing a longer gun as 70cm is the sweet spot & if I can keep it a wet barrel I certainly will since I don’t much love the idea of replacing seals often or at all between the two year services.

 

[popgun pete]

There is nothing wrong with the hand pump. Air only transfers from the pump to the gun when the pressure in the pump equals or slightly exceeds the pressure in the gun. The higher the gun pressure the further the pump piston has to move in the pump bore to create that pressure. For example when the pump piston has traveled half way down the pump bore the pressure in the pump will be twice atmospheric or about 30 psi. For the pressure in the pump to reach high pressures around 450 psi the pump piston has to almost reach the bottom end of the pump. That is why air only transfers near the bottom of the pump stroke. The Mares hand pump can develop 600 psi or 40 bar if you really lean on the pump handle because I have done it pumping up my Mirage. I have also pumped my Sten to 40 bar and that gun could shoot 6 metres, however it was a two handed effort to load it. That was a metal piston and shock absorber gun, don't try it with a plastic one. The Sten at 40 bar was a much more powerful shot than the Mirage.

If you pump your gun up to 30 bar it should shoot as far as you need, most shots are around 12 feet to the target, further out and you may miss if the fish isn't presenting a large target.

The 13 mm inner barrel guns are better performers than the 11 mm inner barrel guns, the latter were only introduced to shoot slimmer spears and have less water surrounding the spear. They are for 7 mm and lower shaft diameters. The 13 mm inner barrel guns shoot 8 mm diameter shafts, but will also shoot 9 mm shafts which were used before the Sten arrived. At one time 10 mm diameter shafts were used for guns like the Bazooka, but those guns are for shooting giant fish that have strayed from their lair and are now off limits.