To open muzzle or to close muzzle? That is the question...

[giddyuptiger]

I'm torn, some folks lean one way, others the other. Obviously it's personal preference but my mind changes like the swell.

What's your two cents?

 

[speardaver]

For years i swore by closed as i assumed it to be easier/quicker to load etc, but ion my last trip away i used a new gun with open muzzle and i think i may have been converted!

 

[giddyuptiger]

Speardaver,

I'm definitely leaning towards open. I'm more of a careful shot kind of spearo, i like to wait and hunt and go for a pin point shot rather than point and shoot. I'll only pull the trigger a handful of times in a 2 hour dive. In saying that i've never used one and a lot of peeps hate the extra load time. Decisions, decisions...

 

[foxfish]

Extra load time - that would be how long - 10 -15 seconds maybe?

 

[spaghetti]

Closed or open, after time you get used to it, reloading becomes an automatic gesture, like yawning or scratching an itchy spot.

The plus of open muzzles is give a better sightline on the spear, and allow shorter shafts (that becomes useful in bad visibility). Close muzzles gives no worry that the shaft might slide off of its seat. Overall, for me it makes no other difference.

 

[acevedo joseph]

I prefer closed

another BIG plus with a closed Muzzle , it lets you have the band is inline with the shaft = Less recoil / muzzle flip ,,, Joe

 

[foxfish]

That is interesting Joe but, I don't quite understand why a closed muzzle would make any difference to recoil?

 

[octopus]

I think the question is overrated.
There are other things about speargun that are more important.
Open/closed muzzle - got them both, both are just fine.

Saying that, it is easier to avoid notched spear with open muzzle.

 

[acevedo joseph]

Hi fox ,with a open muzzle you have the bands being pulled down at a angle - creating muzzle flip/recoil*

*few years ago we tested a bunch of guns in a pool side by side
And when comparing the euros each diver agreed the closed muzzle had less kick ...

We did a side by side on the 120 sporasub viper closed vs open as well as the sporasub 90 instinct

IMO When it comes to acurracy on small euros it's the small things that make the diferance

I.E. having the band in line with the shaft, and using a metal wishbone to insure that the Bands are pulling evenly

That is interesting Joe but, I don't quite understand why a closed muzzle would make any difference to recoil?

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[foxfish]

I still dont understand!
In my mind the only difference between a open muzzle & a closed muzzle is a little piece of plastic - I dont see how this affects the bands?
I guesse we are both thinking about something different!
For instance an Omer XXV Gold can be converter from open to closed without touching the bands.

 

[Bill]

The first open muzzle shot convinced me that you can shoot straighter. Not as noticeable if you only shoot one gun, I guess.
After years of using an elastic band to hold the shaft in place ( slip tip too), the use of the shooting line was a great invention. Accuracy, ease of loading, and flexibility. What more can you ask for. Inline pull is easy to resolve.

 

[Don Paul]

The first open muzzle shot convinced me that you can shoot straighter. Not as noticeable if you only shoot one gun, I guess.
After years of using an elastic band to hold the shaft in place ( slip tip too), the use of the shooting line was a great invention. Accuracy, ease of loading, and flexibility. What more can you ask for. Inline pull is easy to resolve.

I told Jay Riffe that back in 1982 and showed him my open muzzel and angled line pin holding down the shaft.He had been complaining of the ($12.00 cost on the SS hoop he purchased from West Marine). Jay told me my way wouldn't look right on his fine teak stock. The rest is history.

The Panther and other guns used the slide ring to hold the shaft in place, but I hated slide rings then and now. I still do all my guns my way.

Cheers, Don

 

[giddyuptiger]

don paul are you in newport beach, nsw or ca?

 

[Don Paul]

Cali mate.

 

[stingaree]

I think the question is overrated.
There are other things about speargun that are more important.
Open/closed muzzle - got them both, both are just fine.
Saying that, it is easier to avoid notched spear with open muzzle.

Yep, agreed 100+1%

 

[giddyuptiger]

shot my first kingfish this morning on my trusty 10yr old sea hornet gun. Can't wait to get a RA and go after some real fish!

 

[foxfish]

Well done, can you post a picture & tell us more about your hunt?

 

[giddyuptiger]

can you post a picture & tell us more about your hunt?

.

In Sydney the weather has been ordinary at best for the past couple of weeks and I was dying to get in the water as I had just purchased my first real wetsuit (cressi tecnica 3.5mm) and a float (I'd never used one before and had the great pleasure of making my own float line with the help of a new friend).

But first let me digress; I've been spearing for the past 10 years, always on my own, maybe 3-5 times a summer so i guess 30-40 dives total. This summer when I returned to sydney I decided I wanted to step up to the next level and meet fellow spearo's so I could learn more (hence why I joined this forum). So I did and today was my second dive (ever) with other people.

My soul goal was to at the very least see a kingfish (never seen one before) and with any luck fire off a shot. Well low and behold in a two hour dive this morning it was the pretty much the only fish i saw and God willing I shot it.

Play by play: There was about a 12 meter (40') drop to a ledge that then dropped a further 3-5 meters (10'15'). I swam down to the first drop, grabbed onto some seaweed and creeped forward to look over and around the wall/ledge.

I spotted a pair of boarfish which I thought was interesting as some of the guys were saying they were good eating (while i was sitting there thinking they were too majestic to kill). Then out of nowhere this Kingfish begins to wonder by, now at this stage i'd say i've been down for 45 seconds but I'm so excited at seeing one for the first time that it's like i'd just gotten there.

I contained my nerves and prayed that she'd continue to swim my way. She was out of range (which isn't a lot with my sea hornet) for a long time but i held steady, praying, begging the lord that I'd get a crack in her. Then low and behold she did just that and I plucked off a shot (albeit rather too hastily). I got her clean through the head but a little low and I wasn't sure how long my mako head spear would hold ash she was kicking like a bull. I raced to the surface reeling her in as quickly as I could, took a gasp of breath before bringing her up to the surface.

At this point I was desperately trying to grab her tail and dislodge my knife (not the sharpest thing in the world) at the same time as it appeared as though the spear might come loose at any second.

Now I'm really praying to the Gods as the thought of losing her at this point was unbearable. Bare in mind I've not handled a fish of this size and power or used a speed rail before (It's one thing to read about it, another to put into practice).

So I'm fumbling around for about 10 seconds (but it feels like an hour) when out of nowhere my dive buddy comes over the top of me and in one fell swoop grabs the Kingie, wrestles it under his arm, dislodges his knife and kills her in a heartbeat. I gotta tell you it was like superman coming to the rescue.

If he didn't show at the time I'd of given myself a 60/40 chance of bagging her. The guy said "I hope you didn't mind but i know how much you wanted that and it would of hurt me just as much as it would you if you lost her). I can't tell you how grateful I was.

So there it is, my first kingfish. My only wish was I was in Sydney for longer as now that I've had a taste I want more.

 

[foxfish]

Great write up mate, a really good personal report & very well done for landing a fantastic fish.