The Shark Dart was used as a lance, so it was either mounted on a pole or used in a dagger form. It is really a large ditch defence weapon, you don't hunt sharks with them. The idea was the needle sharp point on a gas injection needle penetrated the shark up until a stop disc on the needle hit the fish. That stopped any further penetration of the needle, but the still moving lance pushed the carbon dioxide cartridge mounted in a cup onto a sharpened inner end of the needle sending gas through it. The gas instantly expanded inflating the shark by hitting it near the body cavity that contained its guts. Deeper down you would need more gas, so the darts came with various size CO2 cartridges or cylinders. Never met anyone who had used one, but for sure in the USA they had been employed against sharks. Although there is a big shark image rehabilitation crusade that has been going on for years now, sharks do eat people. If you are made of meat and a shark feels hungry, assesses you as easy prey then you are going to have problems.
Here is a gas dart dagger using the same ideas.
Here is a gas dart dagger using the same ideas.
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