Oiling Speargun Parts?

[irtrogdor]

Hi there,
I have a fairly old speargun and i was wondering if I should oil any of the parts on it (trigger mech, line release) periodically. I have some 3-in-one handy and I was thinking of just dumping a little bit down the hole where the spear locks into. Would this be helpful at all?

 

[spaghetti]

I don't know that specific product (3 in one?) but yes it helps to oil the trigger mech. Just two or three drops. Wash it before oiling, so to wash off the eventual sand, dust and dirt (if the dirt sticks in the oil then it will be harder to wash off. And remember that most times a trigger gets jammed or stuck it's because of sand in it).
The sequence is: wash it, let it dry on its own and then drop the oil in.

 

[agbiv]

Yes and you can use mineral oil like we do in our Meat and Seafood Market on the saws and machines. Non-toxic and biodegradable.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

For what its worth, I never oil any part of my spearguns.

 

[spaghetti]

For what its worth, I never oil any part of my spearguns.

neither the trigger mechanism?

 

[Bill McIntyre]

neither the trigger mechanism?

No, not even the trigger mechanism. After all, they are stainless steel.

Maybe its because these are the beefy American style mechanisms for notched shafts and able to handle hundreds of pounds of band force. It might be helpful with the Euro style mechanisms.

 

[azapa]

I think that white lithium based grease would be good in your case Bill, i can guarantee it will make the trigger pull smoother and will only need reapplying every 20 or 40 dive days or so. Of course you will have to dissemble to apply, actually, maybe not, some thinner lithium greases come in a spray with those little extensions.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Its funny, but I can't think of any dive buddy who lubes his trigger mechanism, but maybe they do and I don't know about it.

I think I'll post on Spearboard and see what sort of answers I get.

 

[azapa]

hmm? have you ever shot traditional firearms? Me thinks that being a good American the answer is yes. Me too. Lots. Imagine firing a pistol or rifle with dry trigger mech or sear? It would feel awful. I like a good trigger and can feel a bad one a mile away. Omer triggers are very nice but most speargin triggers very second rate. Ramble. Sorry.

 

[spaghetti]

hmm? have you ever shot traditional firearms? Me thinks that being a good American the answer is yes. .

Oh sure! You can bet your wife on that! rofl
Bill is the president of the National Rifle Association, Orange County local federation. Do I stand correct Bill, ehm, President? rofl rofl rofl rofl

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Oh sure! You can bet your wife on that! rofl
Bill is the president of the National Rifle Association, Orange County local federation. Do I stand correct Bill, ehm, President? rofl rofl rofl rofl

Well, maybe not.

I did shoot a firearm a time or two during my 20 years in the USMC, but I was never under water when I did it.

BTW, I have just two replies on Spearboard so far, but both said they never lubed, and one of them makes spearguns for sale.

 

[azapa]

really??, I'm impressed, you'll like this then Bill, my darker side:

 

[Bill McIntyre]

really??, I'm impressed,

Impressed that I was a Marine?

When I get into the political arguments on Spearboard, I'm often faced with doubt that someone who is obviously such a Communist could have been a Marine, so I have to show this photo.

 

[azapa]

Good pic Bill, and good for your wearing your heart on you shoulder politically speaking.

Does the US still have a communist party? Real question, no idea. Many countries do you know. Chile to name one.

My grandfather, not a communist, but quite a liberal, stationed in Egypt in WWII:

 

[spaghetti]

I'm quite sure Bill is joking defining himself a communist. It's irony. For the mentality of a certain type of American conservatives he may be considered a communist, but you see how it works: if you're in favour of public healthcare and for quality education for the poor, some people will call you a communist over there. But hey, come on!

Back on topic: my european guns have (almost all) an all stainless steel trigger mech, tested to endure a traction of 200, 250 kilograms, which is not bad.
Nonetheless, in the technical sheet given by manufacturers when I bought them, I always find recommendations to lube with silicon oil sometimes in a while (I do it once a year).
I have no doubt the SS mechs would work fine even without lube, but since this is the manufacturer's recommendation, ok I do it no question asked. And the trigger feels smoother soon after having been lubed.

My only concern is sand and dirt been caught in the mech, as mentioned above: a greased mech is more likely to "catch" the sand, as it sticks in the film of grease...

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I'm quite sure Bill is joking defining himslef a communist. It's irony. For the mentality of a certain type of American conservatives he may be considered a communist, but you see how it works: if you're in favour of public healthcare and for quality education for the poor, some people will call you a communist over there. But hey, come on!

Yes, that sums it up. There are some extreme right wing people on Spearboard, mostly from the Southeast US, and they can't understand why it isn't perfectly OK for health insurance in the US to be tied to employment, when unemployment is rising and leaving so many without health care.

But yes, back to the topic.

My only concern is sand and dirt been caught in the mech, as mentioned above: a greased mech is more likely to "catch" the sand, as it sticks in the film of grease...

That's what one reply on Spearboard said, and it makes sense to me. I flush the mechanism with fresh water, but if it had grease in there, then stuff would stick to the grease.

 

[azapa]

i have no sand in 90% of my water entries and exits (over rocks) and suspect Bill and his boat have the same. I can see then that the recommendation might be to grease if you are lucky enough not to have sandy conditions, and leave alone otherwise?

 

[mishu1984]

i use WD-40 after every dive. 90% of my dives are shore dives with VERY fine sand that gets everywhere. even after boat dives, part of my process is to wash/rinse and oil my guns, and after some dives i even take the trigger mechanism appart and use an old toothbrush to get sand out of the mechanism. the water salinity in the arabian/persian gulf is very high, so in order to play it safe, plus the fact that im anal about care for my gear means that i oil after every use. i put my gear through the ringer, but nothing pisses me off more than seeing a scratch on my guns.

 

[Cammo]

Hey Guys, what about a graphite based grease - same as used in car doors etc..the sand doesn't stick, but you still get the benefits of lubrication. Maybe it will give you a quicker clean up time Mishu?
Does anyone worry about the oil giving off a bad scent to the fish...when on a dive if using WD40 or similar? I don't think it would help (but also not a major concern).

 

[sunfish]

Some angling boats use WD40 in the groundbait and on hookbaits, mainly for cod I think. I suspect this works because it helps release the "flavour" elements of the bait but I don't think it would scare fish off. I'd be more worried that it might damage wetsuits.