• Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

    • Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
    • Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
    • Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
    • Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
    • All this and much more...

    You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

Rob Allen loading butt?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
New Handle?

Hi Rob

I hear that you guys are developing a new handle for your guns. What is the handle going to look like? I find that the beuchat handle is a lot easier on the chest than the Picasso grip because the ends of the picasso are more angular, whilst the beuachat is more rounded. is your new handle more loader friendly?

cheers

mark
 
Hi Mark,

It is difficult to say exactly what it will look like. We have tried to use ideas and shaped that are more modern, but we still want to keep it basic and simple in terms of maintenance etc.

The shape at the back is more suited for the way it is held than for loading comfort. You only load now and again but you need it to be as comfortable as possible in the hand.

In saying that though, here won't be any sharp edges to hurt your chest as there aren't any straight lines. Everything is in curves, much like our modern cars, been a nightmare to draw.

Rob.
 
Chest pad

Hi,
i think that having a loading pad on the gun makes it more bulky. I got a pad on the chest of my suit that do the job just fine. The problem most of the time is not with the gun but with the loader, a euro gun can be hard to load if you do not have the good technique and the muscle that goes with it. So no Rob, i don't think you should put a loading pad on your gun.

If you need a loading pad, use a JBL :D , you can have a railgun when your old enough;)
 
Magnet

Speaking of designing new gun, i saw a gun with a magnet to help hold the spear in place, especially at the end part. Have anyone try that?
 
loading butts and magnets

Hi Crazyfrenchmen,

I tend to agree, the pad should be on your chest and not on the handle to get in your way.

I find loading pads on the handle hurt my chest more, the middle of my chest isn't flat!?

Short term there won't be one on our new handle but to please those who like loading pads fitted to the handles, we will have to design one to be retro fitted.

I've never heard of a magnet in a handle, was it sealed? If not it must rust a lot. What was the point and where was it situated?

Rob Allen.
 
chest pad

Hi,
you should sell chest pad instead ha ha ha. Actually, in hot water, some lucky people do not wear any suit, so they do not have chest pad. I know that you can use a mouse pad to custom made a chest pad.

I can't find the reference to the magnet gun but i'll keep looking. The idea i think is to have something to hold the tip of the spear in place. When my RA is loaded and i put it upside down (under water), the tip will move a little. An enclosed magnet in the muzzle could help maintain the spear in place. Since it would be enclosed, it would not rust. Just my 2 cents.
 
RAs

Rob,

Great to have you on the Forum!!!!!

Everybody,

Yes, Florida Freedivers sells loading butts for RAs. I think they're made by Picasso. They sell 2 different sizes. I prefer the smaller one. Their loading butts are different than most other manufactures because they attach right to the back of the handle (with a single screw) and don't have a neck on them. I find loading butts on other type of guns stick out to far and like Rob said it transfers all the load to that single point and it's quite uncomfortable but the one's Mike Damms has are right in line with the handle and are set at a perfect angle to distribute the load evenly between the end of the handle and the loading butt.

I almost forgot, I own 6 RAs and all but my little 70 have the loading butts on them. The butts I have are much smaller and less obtrusive than the one Griff pictured above. They also don't have any padding on them. The one in Griff's picture almost looks homemade or at least altered. I don't believe it's the same as the one's Florida Freedivers are selling.

Scott T.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: fuzz
Thanks for your comments sturgeon, think you could wrestle up a close-up picture for me?

:D
 
Fuzz,

I wish I could but I don't have any. I checked the FL Freedivers website (www.floridafreedivers.net) but they don't have any pictures either. Their website is very outdated and they don't show half the stuff they have in stock now. One downfall of the butts is that they're pretty expensive (~$12). One upside is that they are easy to install.

BTW, nice arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Scott T.
 
Last edited:
Well...

Just to mention, i am diving in hot waters so i never use wetsuit and i use my upper stomach for loading instead of chest.So the loading butts are one of the most important parts of the spearguns for me.
 
I have been able to use my 120cm RA without a loading butt and I think I will stick to this setup. I know Scott likes the loading pads but I guess it is a matter of personal preference. However, i would NEVER try to load it without a chest pad, it is way too strong plus I find that if the handle slips down towards the belly it is near impossible to load.
BTW, the 120 RA rules. Last time I went out it did not miss a single shot on muttons/hogs (well, maybe just one but it was on a king taking off anyway).

Angelos
 
Actually, I just found a picture of the small loading butt I put on my guns that Florida Freedivers sells. It's not the best shot but it's all I have. If you look at the center of the butt you can see the single attachment screw. DB member Erik (from Sweden) took the pic while diving with me one day.

I second Angelos' comment, a 120cm Rob Allen rules!!!!!

Scott T.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shadowkiller
Here you go guys. These are the loading butts for the gun.

Rob%20Allen%20LoadingButt.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Shadowkiller
DeeperBlue.com - The Worlds Largest Community Dedicated To Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing

ABOUT US

ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright © 1996 - 2024 deeperblue.net limited.

DeeperBlue.com is the World's Largest Community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving, Ocean Advocacy and Diving Travel.

We've been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.

ADVERT