Mohamed Elashry

professor: Joseph Boisvere

English 21003

9/21/2020

 

SPEARGUN

 The speargun is a gun used by hunters to shoot their prey. There are many kinds of Spearguns but the one we are going to talk about today is UNDERWATER SPEARGUN which is used to spearfish and other underwater animals? So if we say speargun we are referring to the underwater type. The speargun was invented in 1947 by Georges Beuchat (was French, underwater diver, and businessman). There are two kinds of speargun: the first one is a band and the second one is a Pneumatic. The speargun is common around the world and cities which have ocean or sea views such as Florida, Bali, Indonesia, Japan, Hawaii, San Diego, California, North Carolina, Alexandria, Egypt, and many places in Europe. The speargun is considered Sport and some others consider it a lifestyle for almost all ages.

Abstract 

The speargun is a pistol that hunters use to kill their prey. There are many kinds of Spearguns, but the Aquatic SPEARGUN that is used for spearfish and other underwater species is the one we are going to speak about today. Will speargun is like any other gun it has a simple mechanism once you understand it is easy to use it. People use it mostly underwater to kill their prey it depends on for sport, food, or business. The speargun is popular around the world and cities such as Florida, Bali, Indonesia, Japan, Hawaii, San Diego, California, North Carolina, Alexandria, Egypt, and several places in Europe have ocean or sea views. In this paper, we will discuss the different types of spearguns, different parts, and how it is used. Spearguns have several distinct components, such as handle, trigger mechanism, barrel, shaft, bridle, rubber, spear flopper, gun bungee, mono, string, and shark clip, like every other gun. There are two styles of spearguns. The first is the rubber-powered band. That is also the simplest and easiest way to maintain it. The first sealed material that refers to Stock or Barrel comes in two types, and the second type is made of wood material that also refers to the style or sling of Hawaii. The second form of the speargun is the air-powered pneumatic; it is pricey and barely bought by citizens. It is made of sealed material, but it is costly because you need to replace the air shot with every shot. The first form, which is a rubber-powered band, is very simple to use. Placing the back of the gun in the middle of your chest is the first move. In both your paws, the second move grabs the rubber justification why to use your palms down because going upward means that you have a lot of strength in it. So all the way out you’ll be able to snatch the rubber. Then you put the rubber in the position that is placed at the end of the “Dyneema” spear. The second form is a pneumatic one. It helps if you place a piece of rubber on the top of the spear and put your hip on the handle or the back of the gun and press it so hard to force it into the gun that you hear the sound of a click. Then the air resistance as you pull the trigger is ready to fire the spear. The trouble with a pneumatic speargun is that you have to take it to the mechanic to fix it if something goes wrong.

Part of the Spearguns

Like any other gun, spearguns have many different parts which are Handle, Trigger mechanism, Barrel, shaft, Bridle, Rubber, spear Flopper, Gun Bungee, Mono, Line, and Shark clip. The handle is the part that you will want to keep both of your hands on it while shooting. The trigger mechanism is the part where you click on to shoot. Barrel and the shaft is the place where the spear is placed. It is always on the top of the gun. The Bridle is the space between the rubbers it is usually metal or plastic it is used to place on the end of the spear to reload it. The rubber is partly used to pull the spear to shoot it. The spear flopper is part at the end of the spear. It is a small part used to keep the prey you shoot on the spear so that anything you shoot can not get out of the spear. The gun bungee is under the top of the gun and is used as a shock absorber. The line is a palace used to keep line so when you shoot big prey it takes the spear and runaway you keep track of it by the line that is attached to the spear. The shark clip is placed under the handle you usually attach it to your flag so if you shoot a big prey and it starts running away and takes the gun from your hand you can keep track of it and never lose your gun. We can see all the parts in the figure at the end of the paper.

Types Of Spearguns

        As we mentioned there are two types of spearguns the first one is the band which is powered by rubber. Which also is the cheapest and simplest way to maintain. Comes in two types the first one sealed material which refers to Stock or Barrel respectively the second type is made of wood material which often refers to Hawaiian style or sling. It also comes with different sizes 55cm, 70cm, 90cm, 100cm, 110cm and some time 135cm. Since the size gets longer the range gets longer too. This also means the spear will be longer and it will kill bigger fish. The second type of speargun is the pneumatic which is powered by air; this is expensive and barely people buy it. It is made of sealed material but it is expensive because after every shoot you need to change the air shoot. The pneumatic comes in a standard size which is 70cm which is considered middle-range good for medium fish and large fish. 

   Why Is It Important To The Ecosystem?

           The speargun is one of the best ways to hunt fish or underwater animals for many reasons. The first one is way better than the net because when you use a net you are hunting all types of fish and different sizes but while you are using a speargun you choose the type you want and the size then you hunt it. At the same time when you use nets, you are destroying the Coral reef which takes 10,000 years to grow 0.3 to 2 centimeters. The speargun is also better than the Fishing rod because as I mentioned in the Fishing rod you do not choose the type of fish while on the other hand the speargun you choose the type of fish you will hunt.

How does it work?

          The first type which is a band that is powered by the rubber it is quite easy to use. The first step is to place the back of the gun in the middle of your chest. The second step with both of your hands grabs the rubber reason why to use your palms down because palms motion upward means you have a lot of power in it. So you will be able to grab the rubber all the way back. Then you put the rubber in the place which is located at the end of the spear which is called “Dyneema”. Now your gun is loaded and ready to shoot. If your gun is tall like 1.2 meters if you place it on your chest it will be hard to reach it with your hands. So you put your flat palm on the back of the handle of the speargun and with the other hand try to pull the rubber to the middle of the gun then place it on your chest and pull it toward the end. Then your gun is ready to be shot when you pull the trigger. The second type is pneumatic. It works if you put a piece of rubber on the top of the spear and place the handle or the back of the gun on your hip and push on the top of the spear so hard to insert it in the gun until you hear a click sound. Then the air pressure is ready to shoot the spear when you pull the trigger. The problem with a pneumatic speargun is that if anything happens wrong in it you have to take it to the technician to repair it.

Uses Of Speargun

         Spearguns have various uses. The first one is a sport which is spearfishing which is challenging to your mind and it requires passion and truly believes in the life lessons which help us to catch our own food. It also requires stamina feeling comfortable in the water, being a good swimmer, and knowing the types of fish and where to shoot them. It is common around the coastal area in Europe, America, and the Middle East. The second use is in tropical seas, some natives spearfish for a living such as in Bali, Indonesia native people spear over there to sell their hunts in the market and get money to live. This is common around Eastasia. They even often use a homemade fishing Kit. Some people use it as a Defensive weapon because it does not shoot so far, only 3-5 meters. Some people also used it for hijacking airplane which is known as  ”Federal Express Flight 705”

Types Of Spears 

       The type of spear depends on the type of gun you have. It is the same idea that not all bullets work for the same gun. So your spear should be longer than your gun by 20cm-40cm. The shaft which is the thick of the spear can be between 6mm to 7mm. 6mm is used for medium prey while 7mm is used for large prey. The head of the spear comes in different types. The first head type is the Fork Harpoon tip which looks like a fork and is used to hunt dangerous fish like lionfish which have spines all over their back. The second type Mustad is used commonly between the divers. It is used to hunt regular types of fish such as Tuna and Bluefish. They all are made from stainless steel so it does not get rusty from the ocean or the seas. Some people go cheap and get spears made from steel which will get rusty after two dives only and this rust will enter the prey body when you hunt it.

Tips When Using Speargun

      Some tips for the beginner. The first tip is to be patient because the first 1-3 dives you will not be able to hunt any fish because you still get to know how far your gun shoots and how fast it goes plus you still will be working on your aim so be patient and do not get mad. The second tip is always when you are not using your gun and swimming in a different area do not load your gun and leave it unloaded until you reach the spot you are going to use your gun. The third tip is if you are diving down with your loaded gun and you did not find fish then put your gun on save mode until you dive down for the second time. The third tip which is very important is to never point your gun in somebody’s back or face even if the gun is not loaded because it is dangerous. The last tip which will help you to keep your fingers safe when you pull the rubber to load your gun is to always try to make your finger away from the rubber because sometimes the rubber will slip from your hand and it might pull your finger so always be ready to pull your fingers away. stay safe and enjoy using speargun and saving our environment 

   “Federal Express Flight 705.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Express_Flight_705.