OMER Airbalete Line Release Fix

For those of you who've got an Airbalete you may have an issue with the line release letting go under minimal load from the shooting line?
Heres an easy fix. Tap out the pin locating the release arm/spring/ washer and remove. Then just tweak gently downwards (only 1-2 degrees) the inner 5mm of the release arm which locates behind the upper portion of the trigger.
Reassemble (I'll warn you now its fiddly but doable and ensure you locate the inner tip of the spring into the small hole at the back of the release housing slot!).
Now you'll find you have a line release which holds firm until fired and, does not allow the inner part of the release arm to rise up over the trigger top whilst under load which is what seems to occur for some owners.

Job done, and another simple fix to rectify another silly quality drop off by (in my experience) every manufacturer of euro guns I've owned. Guess it gives us something to do????

As an aside, if the Spoarsub One uses the same handle(?) guessing it probably does. I'd say that the 'line release trigger engage issue' on the warning sticker could be very easily fixed as the system is incredibly simple. Probably a weak return spring or slightly mis-shaped arm stopping the trigger from engaging fully(??).

Hope this helps someone.

popgun pete said:

Well it is great to hear that you have taken one apart, I had been hoping someone would do it. How many springs are inside that detachable rear handle? Also if you swing the line release lever forwards with the handle detached from the gun does it keep the mechanism pin in the handle slid forwards as if it was firing the gun?

Click to expand...

Hi Pete, it was one of those niggly little issues on a new gun which would be easier to sort than return the product. I was going to write a fuller strip down but thought anyone can contact me if they wanted specific advice.
As for the line release I think you'd be very surprised at its simplicity!! It incorprates (in the following order) a 3mm washer which sits on a 'L' shaped spring and then the release lever which is 'boomerang' shaped with a small recess cast into the upper surface to allow the spring to sit sub-flush. It's all located with a single pin. As for your specific questions (and heres the weird thing ref the Sporasub) I didn't need to strip down the handle. There is a hatch on the top of the handle which I'm guessing gives access to the trigger release mech but, as for the line release, it sits in an independant slot above the trigger and can be removed with no more stripping than taking the pin out. It's removal has zero impact on anything else. It works simply by the inner 'tip' being stuck behind the upper edge of the trigger which, is the ony trigger part exposed in the release slot. As the trigger is pulled so the top edge tips downwards and the inner tip of the release rides up over it being pulled by the tension on the shooting line. There is a radius on the top edge of the trigger to assist in the lever moving over it. Unfortunately this radius when bought into contact with the natural radius on the edge of the release lever (due to it being cast) allows the components to 'slide' once their natural tangents come into contact. Hence, it releases under minimal load. The single sping only serves to return the inner tip behind the trigger upper edge as the trigger upper edge returns to the horizontal (from about -30 degrees when pulled). The whole release assembly has NO impact on the firing pin which, is why I suggest that if the 'ONE' warning sticker says "ensure line release is returned fully" and assuming it's the same as the Airbalete(?) then all you are doing by returning the lever is ensuring the inner tip of the boomerang is fully retracted by doing it manually. This inturn would allow the trigger to fully return. So, I can see how if the release lever was not fully returned it would impead the trigger fully returning BUT, based on the Airbalete the only reason I can see for it is the spring not being strong enough to fully return it (a cheap update for Sporasub??) OR maybe the tiny hole which the inner edge of the spring sits in was produced in the wrong position??? Thus the spring tension would be low, lever doesn't return and trigger can't go to full engage position (cost to replace would be higher as well)
In conclusion 'rocket science' it is not.

Only advice I can give is that if the release lever has a recessed portion of about 1mm deep produced in the upper face (it extends around the pin hole and covers about 50% of the surface) AND a very small (0.5mm) hole in the back face of the slot to locate the inner tip of the spring then...........you should be able to retrospectively fit a spring. If Diving Gecko says there is no spring fitted then that would certainly explain all the bad press. As for why OMER/Sporasub omitted it I have no idea!!!!