Travel tube gun idea for split spears

[popgun pete]

Usually travel spearguns have two piece spears that are of equal length, i.e. the shaft join is the center of the assembled spear, but that does not have to be the case. If the shaft can be made in unequal lengths then the bending at the join should be reduced. The shaft main body is sized to fit inside the barrel tube and the balance of shaft length, i.e. the tail, is taped to the main shaft for transport, all being packed inside the barrel tube. Rear handle and muzzle are removed and carried in your travel bag. If the spear tip unscrews then the spear can be resized to fit more shaft main body length in the barrel tube and hence the tail piece can be shortened.

[popgun pete]

Given the internal diameter of the barrel tube it should be possible to transport a couple of spears inside the tube, possibly three of them in the disassembled state. Spears being ammo you need at least two shafts on a trip, and ideally two guns. When you only have one gun and you lose it or the spear is bent you are going to have to source another weapon, not always an easy thing to do.

[popgun pete]

Here is a version with a detachable spear tip.

[popgun pete]

Watertight bulkheads can use "O" ring seals to be loop attached to the transverse screws and nuts that hold the gun end pieces on. This bulkhead method has been used in the past and the cord loops are used to pull the bulkheads out of the gun. Increasing pressure at depth cannot push the bulkheads in because they are restrained by the loops which are anchored on the screws.

[popgun pete]

Note so that you don't scratch the barrel tube bore it would be best to cover the ends of the shaft with a turn or two of vinyl tape, otherwise the bulkhead "O" ring may not seal the tube when you put the gun back together. A warning sticker on the barrel tube may be in order stating that the tube is heavy, especially if it has 3 spears nestled inside it making it virtually an iron bar, so don't pitch it should be the message to baggage handlers.

[Alec]

I wouldn't want to trust a multi-part shaft on a multi-thousand dollar cross seas trip. I've heard some horror stories with the Riffe travel gun shafts bending like a pretzel on small fish. I'll pass, it's not hard to travel with 65" threaded shafts.

[popgun pete]

If there was no market for travel guns then no one would be making them, but the evidence is to the contrary.

[Alec]

Originally Posted by popgun pete

If there was no market for travel guns then no one would be making them, but the evidence is to the contrary.

I’m sure you’ll sell thousands of these tubes

[popgun pete]

[quotentend makimjg=Alec;2191909]I’m sure you’ll sell thousands of these tubes[/quote]

I don't intend making any guns like this, the idea is simply up for discussion, plus I already have two travel guns and have not bent the spears yet, but then I don't use them very often. JBL made a two-piece spear as well as the one supplied with their “Travel Magnum”, it had a short tail of 316 stainless steel at 3/8” diameter and the front section was spring stainless steel at 5/16” diameter. Not sold as a travel gun spear, it still showed that a two-piece spear is a workable proposition and the step in diameter made for a line slide stop.

[popgun pete]

Originally Posted by popgun pete

[quotentend makimjg=Alec;2191909]I’m sure you’ll sell thousands of these tubes

I don't intend making any guns like this, the idea is simply up for discussion, plus I already have two travel guns and have not bent the spears yet, but then I don't use them very often. JBL made a two-piece spear as well as the one supplied with their “Travel Magnum”, it had a short tail of 316 stainless steel at 3/8” diameter and the front section was spring stainless steel at 5/16” diameter. Not sold as a travel gun spear, it still showed that a two-piece spear is a workable proposition and the step in diameter made for a line slide stop.[/quote]

Here is a photo of those two shafts, the Travel Magnum shaft is about a 50:50 split, the supposed Adapta-shaft is just the 3/8 inch diameter tail. I obtained the latter in a job lot of shafts, shafts being akin to ammo, they get used up. I generally used a full length shaft with the Travel Magnum, leaving some spears with my interstate dive buddy for the annual harvest.

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by Alec

I wouldn't want to trust a multi-part shaft on a multi-thousand dollar cross seas trip. I've heard some horror stories with the Riffe travel gun shafts bending like a pretzel on small fish. I'll pass, it's not hard to travel with 65" threaded shafts.

Depending on were your going for instance I travel to the Philippines every year and if I took a 65" shaft it would cost me $450.00 dollars for a oversize piece of luggage so for that price I could buy three to four break down shafts instead. I now travel with 59' shafts for my pathos roller gun and it cost me $150.00 cause it is at the 62" requirement but is an extra piece of luggage.

[kavachi]

Originally Posted by Diver278

Depending on were your going for instance I travel to the Philippines every year and if I took a 65" shaft it would cost me $450.00 dollars for a oversize piece of luggage so for that price I could buy three to four break down shafts instead. I now travel with 59' shafts for my pathos roller gun and it cost me $150.00 cause it is at the 62" requirement but is an extra piece of luggage.

that there’s some SAVAGE luggage charges! think of the tonnes of tourist scuba gear that goes into the Phillipines every month, but its all compact i guess

[popgun pete]

Alemanni make a Travel Gun with two-piece spears, so I would think that they know what they are doing.

[Diver278]

Originally Posted by kavachi

that there’s some SAVAGE luggage charges! think of the tonnes of tourist scuba gear that goes into the Phillipines every month, but its all compact i guess

Yes it's robbery. Philippine Airlines only allow two 50lb pieces of luggage. I'm taking shafts next year so I'm going to see if I can take one luggage and one PVC tube and try to avoid the $150.00 charge for oversize luggage. Also they have a 62" max size limit anything over that is considered oversize.

[popgun pete]

One way that a spear could be joined would be to have a central ferrule that both the spear ends screw into. This creates a larger diameter bump in the middle of the spear and would not be ideal, but is easy to make. Now sitting the shaft on the gun's guide track would be a problem unless you had another section the same size at the rear of the shaft. On the JBL Travel Magnum the rear half of the shaft is 3/8 inch diameter and the front half is 5/16 inch diameter. So basically we have the same idea, but cut some of the weight out of the rear shaft section. This variable diameter shaft would be no good with a line slide, but should be OK with a shaft tab line attachment. The spring stainless shaft sections all carry male threads. The rear bump does not need a screw thread, it could just be a pinned sleeve, in fact the shaft tab should secure it.

This topic has come up again as a new two piece gun is now on the market, based on the MVD speargun components which are made for other companies. TAG brand and may use Huntmaster as a supplier as the latter imported the machinery to make the MVD style guns in Australia.