Mares Cyrano Evo HF

[Diving Gecko]

I took some snaps to try to answer some of Pete's questions:
The power regulator is the same as my Sten, Hunter and Mirages as in that the bushing at the end sits firmly in its place:

It is however 9mm instead of 7mm for the others.
That dimple on the front is not the rod protruding through the bushing but just a shaped cone - I guess Mares will say it helps improve airflow around the bushing.
And then there's that spring. I checked my boxes of gear, and it's my Seac Hunter that also has a spring there. I think the Stens do, too judging from the Mares Service Manual. I think most of the Mares guns do perhaps, according to that same manual? So, I have to think it's just to soften the blow of opening that regulator.
Edo has listed one here as a general Mares spare part and that one has a spring, too (NOT for Floatingbeatle (he needs a different one than this!):
Link to what Edo calls a regulator for "fucili oleopneumatici Mares", so pretty much all of their older guns.

But onto the bulkhead and its little, simple check valve:

The bushing is a soft push fit, easy to put in and pull out by hand. Maybe the Sten 2001 has the same one?

 

[popgun pete]

I have watched the animation again and realized that I was looking for an improvement that was not there when I first saw it.


I was wrong. The "variator" as you say is just the familiar piston plug, albeit slightly larger in OD, with the second "O" ring behind the bush being fixed as is the bush itself. Mares made such a big deal of it I thought that it was something new. I also note that the adjustable trigger, similar to that used in the "Competition Line" guns, has now disappeared as I predicted it would. I have just purchased a "Cyrano 1.3" to find out if the airflow really has been improved by examining the bulkhead interior.

 

[Diving Gecko]

It's an easy mistake to make - I am always surprised the manufacturers are basically just face lifting these guns...
I have thought about that air flow thing through small apertures. Even googled a bit to see if there were any simulation software for it but while there probably is, it's likely super expensive and a niche thing. It would be interesting to run a 7mm vs. a 9mm bore through software like that, though.

In my more naive moments I even thought I would test both in real world penetration test, but I have a long, long list of other projects more important

 

[Diving Gecko]

BTW, that female-threaded bushing that holds the line release in place - it's just a press fit as I speculated. I just pulled mine out by screwing in an M4 bolt and pulling on it with a pair of pliers. Doesn't need too much force, either.

 

[floatingbeatle]

Spent the rainy weekend tidying my workbench so I could get to dismantling my gun. Wasn’t too harmless but I think the fun will be in putting it back together, especially the line release. At first I thought it was a hex nut holding it in, but in good light realised it was threaded. Did the same thing as you and pulled it out. I’ve just seen your message as above, haha. Wish I’d seen that first. Looking at the power adjuster, it appears to be quite different to the adjuster that was in the link you sent me. I have been in contact with Edo and he has sent me links to an adjuster exactly the same as mine, being an HF model. In his link the power rod has an o-ring above the white stopper, but mine does not. I wonder if it always should have had one but was never there. There was certainly no evidence of an o-ring, or remnants of same. The thread of the lever had snapped off inside the rod so that is a right-off. By the way, Gecko, thanks for the link to Edo. Must get my order in! Mares Australia hardly want to know me. It’s a shame their attitude is so distant.

 

[Diving Gecko]

The o-ring would be stuck in the handle. Not uncommon. Just 1cm or so in.
As for the link, it looks the same to me, no?:
https://www.edosub.it/ecommerce/ind...+Cyr.+Evo/HF/HFT&manufacturer=Mares&category=

The second link was for Pete. The first link is in one of the very first posts.

 

[floatingbeatle]

The o-ring would be stuck in the handle. Not uncommon. Just 1cm or so in.
As for the link, it looks the same to me, no?:
https://www.edosub.it/ecommerce/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=5665&category_id=57&keyword=evo&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&product_name=Astina+Cyr.+Evo/HF/HFT&manufacturer=Mares&category=

The second link was for Pete. The first link is in one of the very first posts.

I'll have a better look in the morning and tidy it all up a bit more. How long did your order from Italy take to get to you?

 

[popgun pete]

The "variator" now seems to be just a slightly larger diameter, more bulbous rounded piston plug where the “O” ring mounts for improved air flow, but whether it really increases performance who knows? It would be interesting to see it alongside the piston plug used on the other Mares pneumatic guns.

 

[popgun pete]

My "Cyrano 1.3" arrived a few days ago at my P.O. Box, however I have just collected it from the post office and I am looking at it now after unpacking it from a very heavy duty cardboard shipping box (all the way from Estonia). I must say it is an ugly looking thing compared with my Mares "Sten", but that is down to the elongated trigger finger guard needed for the installation of the side-mounted line release which is now made from metal, as is the trigger. I now see the "Cyrano 1.3" as a “proto-Mirage Evo” if DG’s inspired and painstaking work on creating a new "Mirage Evo" is a success and right now I think that the chances of that happening are rapidly approaching 100%. https://forums.deeperblue.com/threa...s-in-3d-printing-speargun-parts.113094/page-5

 

[Diving Gecko]

That metal trigger is heavy, btw! Also, the return spring on the line release seems really strong. I am actually worried it can return back and catch the shooting line quite easily and mess with the accuracy of the shot.
One would need to film it in slow motion to diagnose if there's an actually problem but for now, I've actually taken that spring out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[popgun pete]

You could always change the strength of the spring by cooking it, i.e. annealing the removed spring in a flame on a gas stove to heat it up to cherry red. I thought the gun seemed heavy, those metal parts may not have been a good idea, although they may disguise synchronizing problems found elsewhere.

 

[popgun pete]

I note that the "Cyrano 1.3" was supplied with an integral tip spear shaft and black mono shooting line plus some crimps. Now that setup is not going to last in my usual haunts so I will be replacing the spear with a screw tip version and 2 mm diameter woven cord which I usually employ as the shooting line. In open water with long fish zooming through your location you need the mono for the shaft speed, but I will be hunting in the reef structure where my victims are trying to use the terrain to their advantage while I am trying to use it for mine.

 

[popgun pete]

My new Mares stainless steel spears arrived today with screw tips and "old skool" line slides, so the integral tip shaft will;be going into the spear store until I need it for "open water" work.

 

[floatingbeatle]

Well...I certainly am intimate with my gun now, after pulling it apart and putting it back together several times. Could not figure out why that when engaging the shaft, it would not disengage. I had only put 50 pumps in so it wouldn’t be dangerous. Anyway, purged the air out, and took out trigger mechanism. Realised rookie mistake when identified trigger piston bent, which would not allow disengagement of shaft, nor return to normal trigger position.
I tried to straighten it as much as I could, but the piston was never the same. Had a little think about it and cut off a length of 2.4mm rivet bit, and filed both ends smooth. Works like a charm!

 

[Diving Gecko]

Well...I certainly am intimate with my gun now, after pulling it apart and putting it back together several times. Could not figure out why that when engaging the shaft, it would not disengage. I had only put 50 pumps in so it wouldn’t be dangerous. Anyway, purged the air out, and took out trigger mechanism. Realised rookie mistake when identified trigger piston bent, which would not allow disengagement of shaft, nor return to normal trigger position.
I tried to straighten it as much as I could, but the piston was never the same. Had a little think about it and cut off a length of 2.4mm rivet bit, and filed both ends smooth. Works like a charm!

You mean, the little trigger pin? Yeah, I have made the same mistake a handful of times, haha. Trick is, as you know now, to pull it out right after having emptied the gun of air before you try to pull the gun apart.

 

[floatingbeatle]

Exactly Gecko....we live and learn, hey? I was stoked that the Rivet pin fit so perfectly. I thought I would be in for another wait for parts from Edo, but this has worked out well. I think I will strip the gun down again after a few dives, just to see if there is any water entry. I have pumped to 25 bar and so far there is no loss of pressure...fingers crossed.

 

[Diving Gecko]

Yeah, anything stainless in about 1.5mm diameter should work (or 2mm or 3mm depending on your gun). I actually just buy a length of rod and cut off when I need some.
People have used welding rods and bicycle spokes before but the rivet pin, I hadn't heard about
18mm long? At least, I think I have 18mm in many of my guns - even across brands.

 

[Diving Gecko]

BTW, I don't think you need to strip the gun down to check for water - the internal pressure is way higher than the outside pressure from the water, so you should be seeing bubbles come out around the trigger if you have a leak.
I normally just stick the handle end of the pressurized gun in the kitchen sink and even a small leak is normally easy to identify.

 

[floatingbeatle]

Yes. Good point. I intend to do a pool test in the morning, so that should highlight any imperfections....then I may need Edo

 

[floatingbeatle]

The rivet pin I cut to same size and filed smooth the ends.