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sporasub viper
- Thread starterphilly
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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havent tried it, but the new sporasub model (instinct) didnt do too well on testing in the accuracy department...im sure in australia you can have access to some other brands like rob allen, rabitech and omer...which i believe are a better end of the deal for euro guns/railguns in the 60-110cm range...
marwan I've used the Vipers for years and they're really not bad: very accurate for such a lightweight gun. It's designed by the famous Hugues Dessault, same designer of many world's best selling spearfishing gear such as the HD fins, the Samourai mask and many more popular items.
The construction of the Viper is based on the classic french style "arbalete": 28 millimeters alluminium tube, closed muzzle with screw in bands, handle made of a lightweight nylon reinforced with glass fiber, a decent trigger mech with a stainless steel shaft release. The plus of the Viper is a full length sleeve mounted on the barrell, providing a full length rail and some additional mass to reduce the recoil: the total width of the barrell is 30millimeters, instead of the classic 28.
Overall it's a very accurate gun.
The downsides: the trigger is smooth but not particularily strong. You can use it only with a typical european set up: maximum one pair of 19millimeters screw in bands and a 6,5mm shaft. It's not the powerful gun to hunt big Jacks with, but it's accurate and quick for small/medium reef fish (seatrout in Australia?).
Another downside: the barrell tends to leak due to a defective gasket, but you can easily fix it by yourself with a file, a screwdriver and some glue or silicone. I'll tell you how to fix it if you buy it.
The construction of the Viper is based on the classic french style "arbalete": 28 millimeters alluminium tube, closed muzzle with screw in bands, handle made of a lightweight nylon reinforced with glass fiber, a decent trigger mech with a stainless steel shaft release. The plus of the Viper is a full length sleeve mounted on the barrell, providing a full length rail and some additional mass to reduce the recoil: the total width of the barrell is 30millimeters, instead of the classic 28.
Overall it's a very accurate gun.
The downsides: the trigger is smooth but not particularily strong. You can use it only with a typical european set up: maximum one pair of 19millimeters screw in bands and a 6,5mm shaft. It's not the powerful gun to hunt big Jacks with, but it's accurate and quick for small/medium reef fish (seatrout in Australia?).
Another downside: the barrell tends to leak due to a defective gasket, but you can easily fix it by yourself with a file, a screwdriver and some glue or silicone. I'll tell you how to fix it if you buy it.
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Hi Philly,
I used a Viper for many years (90cm and an Omer Viper 115cm). They were both very accurate - shot some really good fish with them (including a 36kg sailfish with my 90!) There as Spaghetti has mentioned, trigger mechanism is not the strongest. There is also a design weakness on top of the trigger mechanism 'cartridge'. If you look closely at the top of the castle, you will see a notch (I suspect to aid aiming or something) - this tends to crack. Once this happens, I am always afraid that it will fail. Incidentally, the Rabitech Stealth handle is almost identicl to the Viper handle - without the groove.
I would recommend this gun for hunting mediun sized fish (up to 5 to 10kg) with shaft diameters up to 6.7mm - beyond this, the muzzel becomes too small.
I find this gun very well balanced - especially with a 6.5mm shaft.
If you are planning to hunt jewfish, leave this gun at home - I have lost a number in the 20kg mark at the spear did not pass through the fish.
I would suggest a RA or Rabitech instead - rather wait for the correct gun than buy something you are not totally happy with.
Good luck
I used a Viper for many years (90cm and an Omer Viper 115cm). They were both very accurate - shot some really good fish with them (including a 36kg sailfish with my 90!) There as Spaghetti has mentioned, trigger mechanism is not the strongest. There is also a design weakness on top of the trigger mechanism 'cartridge'. If you look closely at the top of the castle, you will see a notch (I suspect to aid aiming or something) - this tends to crack. Once this happens, I am always afraid that it will fail. Incidentally, the Rabitech Stealth handle is almost identicl to the Viper handle - without the groove.
I would recommend this gun for hunting mediun sized fish (up to 5 to 10kg) with shaft diameters up to 6.7mm - beyond this, the muzzel becomes too small.
I find this gun very well balanced - especially with a 6.5mm shaft.
If you are planning to hunt jewfish, leave this gun at home - I have lost a number in the 20kg mark at the spear did not pass through the fish.
I would suggest a RA or Rabitech instead - rather wait for the correct gun than buy something you are not totally happy with.
Good luck
You pay for what you get; Vipers are fine, inexpensive guns but as has already been said, you can't 'muck about' with them too much. The QC was poor on these guns and you definitely need to tighten the screw holding the muzzle-end into barrell to prevent leaking as Spaghetti has said. I used Vipers in the UK for many years with success and still use the 55cm as my 'hole' gun.
I have used a viper for many years, ( bought from Spaniard) They leak form new because the gasket does not work, but this can can be easily fixed with a bit of mastick. It is my main hole gun after I cut the length down to 68cm and replaced the spear with a trident. I trust it completely and it has never let me down. I have taken many big bass with it.
Kev
Kev
In the 80s the Sporasub Viper was one of the most popular arbaletes in the Med. Designed by Hugues Dessault. First eurogun with full-length rail ...
However, for my taste it has always been a bit too (nose) heavy even with the green (Viper) or yellow (Viper elite) buoyancy control piece and - as mentioned above - out of the box it was leaking like the Titanic.
Furthermore, the plastic used for the handle, head, grooved sheath and accessories (reel, reel attachment) could have been appropriate for manufacturing toys not so much for making spearfishing equipment.
Cheers
P.S. One final piece of advice: do NOT use very short, strong or double bands on a Viper.
However, for my taste it has always been a bit too (nose) heavy even with the green (Viper) or yellow (Viper elite) buoyancy control piece and - as mentioned above - out of the box it was leaking like the Titanic.
Furthermore, the plastic used for the handle, head, grooved sheath and accessories (reel, reel attachment) could have been appropriate for manufacturing toys not so much for making spearfishing equipment.
Cheers
P.S. One final piece of advice: do NOT use very short, strong or double bands on a Viper.
Ulysses we agree on everything, except this:
You're right the material was a poor, light nylon (maybe slightly reinforced with glass fiber?), but after all I've never heard of anyone who has had cracks in it or any other issue related to the poor plastic. As far as I know it has always done the job and showed to be more durable than one could think at first glance. Just discussing...
You're right the material was a poor, light nylon (maybe slightly reinforced with glass fiber?), but after all I've never heard of anyone who has had cracks in it or any other issue related to the poor plastic. As far as I know it has always done the job and showed to be more durable than one could think at first glance. Just discussing...
Spaghetti,
I have seen my share of material failure on Vipers:
Broken later line-release, broken reel base, screws wearing out the soft nylon material (the ones that hold the handle and muzzle in place), broken loading assist on the Viper Elite, broken upper part of the trigger mechanism housing to name a few. IMHO :rcard
Cheers
I have seen my share of material failure on Vipers:
Broken later line-release, broken reel base, screws wearing out the soft nylon material (the ones that hold the handle and muzzle in place), broken loading assist on the Viper Elite, broken upper part of the trigger mechanism housing to name a few. IMHO :rcard
Cheers
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Admittedly, these failures did not all happen on the first day and some of them I only saw on my buddies' Vipers, eg, I never bought the Viper Elite with the silly plastic loading assist
Cheers