Nemrod Mid-Handle Classic Layout Pneumatic Spearguns

[popgun pete]

Here are photos of a Nemrod Series IV "Goleta". This early to mid-sixties pneumatic speargun has an overall length of 88 cm and shoots a 9 mm diameter spear of length 51 cm, measured from its tip to the tapered tailpiece butt. The speartip screws off the shaft, but the single flopper is directly riveted to the spear. The forward barrel tubing is 16 mm in diameter and the rear air reservoir tank is 20 mm in diameter. The gun looks long, but the working course of the piston is about 35 cm, that is only an estimate as I have not been able to unscrew the muzzle from the forward barrel to extract the piston and check it. Nor have I been able to unscrew the "empty" rear air tank, the only thing holding me back is I don't want to damage the blue anodizing if I can help it. I have plenty of special tools to do the job with, I just need to put some time aside to properly attack the problem. Whoever owned this gun originally looked after it as it has grease in all the right places and is more or less intact and is largely unmarked. The owner respected this gun and was responsible in carrying out its maintenance. The rear plastic inlet valve cap, which is yellow, originally had a metal loop on it as a hanger point, but it has been busted off, maybe by subsequent handling before the gun was picked up for sale on eBay. The hand pump is the original unit that came with the gun, as is the shooting line, so now you know what the old Nemrod hand pumps looked like, i.e. a bicycle pump. From here Nemrod could have developed a "Sten" type rear handle gun, everything necessary is already there, but they continued with mid-handle, pull-rod operated, remote trigger pneumatic spearguns such as the later "Galeon", "Clipper" and "Mariner" after a brief diversion with the coaxial full length tank "Silver Series" guns.

 

[popgun pete]

The specifications for the Series IV guns are shown in this table from the Nemrod booklet supplied with each model. Note the muzzle loading effort for the guns at 80 pounds plus if you expect the shooting range to be anything like that quoted in the "B" column for each gun. Also note that the shooting ranges are quoted at depth, in this case 15 feet down, but they don't differentiate between shaft linear flight to the target and a shallow parabolic arc. Years ago I have shot fish with these older style pneumatic spearguns (some of which were then new!) where a lobbed shot has penetrated the fish purely due to the weight of the long 9 mm (or 10 mm) diameter shaft, however the fish still needs to be there when the shaft finally arrives or it has simply continued on a predictable course at a leisurely pace unaware of its impending demise.

The action of the supercharger on the "Crucero" model's chamber pressure is also indicated in the left hand table, however the effort required to swing the supercharging lever rearwards is not shown.

 

[popgun pete]

A Nemrod catalogue page spread showing the later pneumatic spearguns from the company. The mid-handle "Galeon" had a similar grip handle to the previous "Silver Series" guns and a similar diameter rear tank, but the grip handle had a differently shaped upper section to fit onto the plastic receiver that was moulded around the inner barrel tubing. This grip handle was used in some sci-fi ("Star Wars") films as the basis for their "rayguns" as it was easily detached and modified. The "Clipper" guns had a one-piece moulding for the grip handle and receiver, so were spared the ignominy of being turned into film props.

 

[popgun pete]

Nemrod could have produced something like this in 1967 (after the Mares "Sten" appeared) from their existing stock of parts, but it would have been a sinker with its nearly all-alloy components. However this gun would have been only a short step away from producing a rear handle gun with plastic end caps (the pressure bulkheads) and plastic handgrip with a larger tank diameter that did float after the shot. By staying with heavy and sinking guns they opted for fore-aft balance in their designs, hence that requires a mid-handle position to achieve it. Throughout Nemrod's long pneumatic speargun history they at first provided "balance bar" rear extension rods and then progressively more elongated rear air tanks to achieve that fore-aft balance, especially with a spear loaded in the gun, but that ultimately was the wrong way to go. Of course everything is much easier to see with hindsight!

 

[Mike50]

Hello, I have and hunt with Nemrods. I have a Nemrod pressure checker, it still works, also two of Nemrods air fillers, just attach to low pressure port, screw into air inlet valvue, no more hand pumping. My first Nemrod was a Mariner 2, bought it new in 1974, still works great.

 

[popgun pete]

The LP port on a scuba regulator produces about 110 to 140 psi (intermediate hose or line pressure), so you need to pump to reach double that for the usual 20 Bar or 300 psi.

 

[Mike50]

I just use an old Conshelf 14, up the IP to what I want, usually Bar around 17.5 or 250 PSI around. If I want the filler is made to run off High pressure port, just have to set filler pressure relief valve to what fill pressure you want. I can fill 25 Kg/CM2, max pressure for my Clipper 1. Nemrod air filler has its own gauge and works very well. I use my Clipper 1 for most of my spear fishing, the reefs with Bull Kelp where I hunt make most fish targets 3 to 8 feet away. I live near the coast in Washington State, USA. I'm new to this forum and don't know how to post pictures yet, when I learn I will put up some pictures of these gauges. I have enjoyed reading your post, and look forward to more.

 

[popgun pete]

This is how Nemrod evolved their early pneumatic guns by moving the trigger that controlled the sear lever into the grip handle rather than it being a remote trigger using an external bar and lever connector which was positioned outside the pressurized air spaces. By Series IV the Nemrod guns used a sear lever very similar to what you see in a Mares "Sten" with a short vertical transmission pin pushed by the external plastic trigger located completely inside the trigger finger guard space, although the Nemrod version was produced much earlier. That allowed Nemrod to get rid of the "outrigger trigger" which was in a sense a throwback to the "Salles" guns, only the Ferrando brothers had disconnected it from the "true trigger" in their very first guns by using their spring gun handle up front to operate the "true trigger" located behind it with a remote trigger. A drawback of doing that was that it made their original pneumatic gun longer in the centre section than it needed to be.View attachment 38393

You can see more photos of one of these guns here: http://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/nemrod-speargun.96592/. Whether it is Series II or Series III I do not know, but it is from before Series IV.

I eventually found the patent for that later version, here it is.

 

[rren3]

I have never used a pneumatic speargun, but I have had a Nemrod Casario given to me. I have the pump, 2 shafts and several tips. It doesn't hold air right now but I would like to clean and repair it. Is there any information on use and schematics? I have no idea how to disassemble to clean it. Outside is great, piston is sticky with old oil or grease.
Thanks
Randy

 

[popgun pete]

I assume that is a Silver series "Corsario", the mid-handle, blue full-length tank gun with a black plastic pistol grip. Everything undoes from the muzzle end, so take that off first and proceed from there. The plastic pistol grip also comes off, look for the bolts/screws. That in turn attaches to a metal sub-section under the tank which you remove once you uncover the fasteners that were hidden under the grip. Make sure the gun has no compressed air in it first! Parts are hard to find and that includes the rubber seals, so not easily turned into a user gun for today's diver.

 

[rren3]

I assume that is a Silver series "Corsario", the mid-handle, blue full-length tank gun with a black plastic pistol grip. Everything undoes from the muzzle end, so take that off first and proceed from there. The plastic pistol grip also comes off, look for the bolts/screws. That in turn attaches to a metal sub-section under the tank which you remove once you uncover the fasteners that were hidden under the grip. Make sure the gun has no compressed air in it first! Parts are hard to find and that includes the rubber seals, so not easily turned into a user gun for today's diver.

Thanks, for the reply. Yes the seals are shot, the one at the sear end is gone, the shaft end is there, but hard. I wonder if the faucet washers listed in one of these posts will work here?

 

[popgun pete]

I expect that the faucet washers will work, but I don’t know how much extra drag they produce or their long-term reliability in holding air pressure inside the gun. The original Nemrod moulded rubber seals have three circumferential contact ribs on a short skirt section that spread outwards with air pressure to force those ribs against the inner barrel wall and a central boss that fits inside an alloy cup to seal the rubber component onto the piston’s metal spine. Anything is better than nothing if you want to use the gun, but due to ageing most of the other rubber parts in the gun will have lost their mechanical strength, even though they may look OK. The inlet valve also uses a flattened, thick section rubber ring that is not easily replaced with an “O” ring, ultimately that sidelined my “Comando” version of that gun as well as the rubber hand pump seal “reverting” and fragmenting with pieces breaking away inside the hand pump bore. With adaptors and a redesign to suit them other speargun components could be substituted, but that is a step beyond simple replacement with the correct items which are either unavailable or have themselves deteriorated in storage after forty plus years.

 

[rren3]

I have a few band guns, but like and use vintage equipment often. Would like to breath life into it, but if I can't it is still a nice wall piece. Would be cool to use on a total vintage dive. With this setup of mine

 

[rren3]

it didn't put in the picture, so try again

 

[RicardoSilva]

Hi. Mr. Pete. do you know if clipper 1 and mini clipper have collectible value? I have some of them "NEW" never used in original condition... w/ pumps and all accesories Thanks...

 

[popgun pete]

Hi. Mr. Pete. do you know if clipper 1 and mini clipper have collectible value? I have some of them "NEW" never used in original condition... w/ pumps and all accesories Thanks...

Yes, I am sure collectors would like new "old stock" examples as then there are no questions as to their originality and everything is complete. Many examples were sold in the past, but few would remain unused these days. Auction sites like eBay are where collectors look, so if you want to sell them try listing them there as new and unused. Rubber parts may have deteriorated, but will show no visible faults and that is what collectors want. The value is in their "mint" condition.

 

[RicardoSilva]

Ok. Thanks for your answer and advise!!!

 

[popgun pete]

Photos of Nemrod pneumatic spearguns can be seen here: http://nemrod77.jimdo.com/
Every model seems to be shown here including the predecessor of the pneumatic gun which is the spring gun.

 

[Fibonacci]

Hi Pete

Long time lurker on this forum, just trying to absorb some of this Nemrod pneumatic gun info... great stuff!
I too remember looking longingly at them gleaming up on the dive shop display in Narooma NSW back when I first started diving in 1975!

Only last weekend I chanced upon an early Clipper 1 in very good original condition, complete with pump and spear... only missing the protective end cap to the pressure valve. Held pressure for a few minutes and the piston slid up and down the bore smoothly.

I'm keen to restore it so started carefully stripping it down...

Removed the front port, buffer and piston (rusty and loaded with oily goop but both seals largely intact) and the o-ring sealed threaded main rear block OK. Then tapped out the trigger pivot pin and connector block and tried to slide the main cylindrical air chamber rearward but it is being stopped by something... the safety catch and spring are still in the handle.

From what I can see the front o-ring sealed block is just a push fit into the main cylindrical air chamber (and held in place by the rear threaded block) but I just cannot budge it despite twisting the air chamber by hand or pushing from the inside rear wall with a wooden rod.
Could it be frozen with corrosion?!
How to strip the rest of the gun down?

Any tips gratefully received...

 

[popgun pete]

As a general principle if something on an old pneumatic is giving no problems then it is best to leave it as is because disturbing that item can cause damage to a part which is not easily replaced. However now that you have gone this far I guess that there is no turning back. The rear tank should just pull off the large “O” ring sealed boss at the rear of the mid-handle plastic body section as the trigger pull rod should not affect it. A possibility is that there is corrosion on the inner lip of the tank just forwards of the “O” ring or a build-up of deposits there that are stopping the tank sliding easily past the “O” ring. What I do on any old pneumatic speargun is spray WD40 or place oil drops on the tiny join between the end of the metal tank and the adjacent shoulder of the plastic body. The lubricating fluid is sucked down into the gap and penetrates to lubricate the space between the end of the tank and the “O” ring sealing position as there is always a narrow annular gap where the tank and plastic boss overlap and is directly exposed to seawater. If guns are not routinely soaked in a freshwater tub after a dive then the saltwater can stay in there and over time promotes corrosion or a build-up of deposits as it dries out. The application of WD40 or oil will soften these deposits and you should then be able to to pull the tank off after allowing an hour or so for the stuff to work. Warming the tank up can help the situation by pouring boiling water over it while holding the gun so that the water does not get on any other part of the gun, of course you do this while working outside and exercising extreme caution. That makes the tank expand slightly compared to the rest of the gun and will help it to be removed. Use a towel to wrap over the tank if is too hot to handle, however aluminium cools off very quickly and it should be possible to handle it once the water film has evaporated off the metal surface.