Harpoon device for spearfishing. DIY speargun

Spear, spear, harpoon - the names are familiar from childhood. Every schoolboy knows that all these tools were once used for different types of hunting, but few people know that spears and harpoons, although they are used for water hunting, have differences from each other. The spear is just a shaft with a sharp serrated tip, which was not thrown, but held in hands, unlike a harpoon, the shaft of which was tied to a rope, which made it possible not only to track down the animal, but also not to lose the hunting tool in case of an unsuccessful throw.

Harpoon device and its history

Many centuries after the invention, harpoons have changed little in appearance: a long and durable shaft, a tip with notches of various shapes, a hole in the shaft for a special rope (line) in order to pull prey to the boat. Only the materials from which the harpoons are made have changed. The shaft of the harpoon arrow is made of solid stainless steel, and the tips are made interchangeable. The purpose of harpoons, like many centuries ago, remains the same - hunting for fish or whales and seals.

Whale hunting with a harpoon is one of the oldest types of hunting. Scenes depicting whale catching have been found on rock paintings that are over four thousand years old. Norway is considered the birthplace of whaling, and the first evidence in Europe of this type of hunting is found as early as 1000 BC. From the 12th to the 17th centuries, this type of commercial hunting has already spread throughout the world from the Arctic to the shores of North America and Japan. Earlier, when the ships were sailing and had a small size, whalers hunted whales in lighter and more maneuverable boats, and their main tool was a hand-held whaling harpoon. Later, in the 19th century, when the Norwegian Sven Foyn invented the harpoon gun, whale hunters expanded their geography and moved to the southern waters of the Pacific Ocean. The design of the whaling harpoon also underwent some changes: now it was a heavy (50 kg), two-meter spear, with spikes (or paws) of the tip, the petals of which, falling inside the body of the animal, opened up and did not allow the whale to escape from the persecution of hunters.

Today, not only professional whalers use harpoons. Recently, spearfishing has become popular among amateurs, for which even special types of guns that shoot harpoon arrows have been invented. The harpoon itself for spearfishing can be divided into several types, which depend on the design features of the guns or crossbows for harpoon shooting.

Types of harpoons by tips and loading methods

Modern harpoons for fishing are divided into several varieties:

A harpoon for a crossbow, which does not have various clamps in the design of its arrow (grooves, grooves, soldering, grooves). It is also used in shotguns with pneumatic or spring triggers;
With a groove: it is designed for shooting spearguns and pistols and is equipped with a trigger mechanism in the front;
In weapons for spearfishing with a trigger located at the back, products equipped with clamps are used;
With non-removable tips. They have a high rigidity and strength of the rod and eliminate the risk of losing the tip, but are a little inconvenient when removed from fish bodies;
With removable tips are less convenient, but it is possible to change them. The type of tip depends on the type of underwater fishing. The detachable harpoon tip is very sensitive to damage, and the accuracy of the sight depends on the strength of the thread. If the thread “looks loose” from damage, then the harpoon will quickly fail.

The shape of the tips and their sharpening play a big role when it comes to choosing a fishing tool.

Harpoon tip shapes

Speaking of a collapsible tip, you need to know that this important element has several different forms:

Armor-piercing tip with a dowel inserted into it for fish with large and thick scales;
Tip with one petal;
Tip with two petals for strong and large fish;
Three-pronged (or more) tip;
X-shaped tip;
T-shaped tip;
Knurled tips; they are good for small fish.

According to the method of sharpening, the tips can be pointed, double-conical, three- and four-sided, cruciform or crown.

How to choose the right harpoon?

For an experienced hunter, who has been engaged in underwater fishing for more than a year, it will not be difficult to choose the right harpoon for any type of fish and fishing location. What does a beginner need to know when choosing a tool for spearfishing?

A harpoon with an arrow, the diameter of which does not exceed 6.5 mm, is suitable for medium-sized fish. Small fish are more difficult to hit, and a gun of this diameter has a high rate of fire;
For medium-sized fish, arrows with a diameter of 7 mm or more are usually chosen;
For large fish species, the harpoon must be made of titanium and have a diameter of 8 mm or more.

Of great importance in fishing is the method of attaching the line to the rod. Not only the accuracy of hitting the prey depends on this, but also the distance at which you can safely hunt underwater.

How to care for a harpoon?

Regular lubrication will not hurt even stainless steel, because even it can be destroyed over time, especially if you use a harpoon for hunting in salt water. The rod must be inspected for deformation, and the tip of the tips must be sharpened periodically. If the tips are removable, then their fastening may loosen and the threads may be worn out. The line is also subject to abrasion and aging, so it is necessary to periodically replace the aged line with a new one.

All maintenance of the harpoon is best done after each hunt. If such defects as worn-out petals or cracks in the harpoon are not eliminated in time, then hunting, especially with an underwater crossbow, will not be a pleasure.

How to make your own harpoon

Beginners starting spearfishing ask experienced hunters: is it possible and how to make a harpoon yourself? The question arises because many experienced harpooners prefer a homemade harpoon to a factory one. The fact is that homemade weapons are often better than standard ones, as they are made to the individual requirements of the hunter. When creating such a harpoon, everything is taken into account, down to the smallest detail. Making a harpoon with your own hands will not be difficult if you have certain materials.

To make a homemade harpoon, you need a strong stick, thick synthetic thread or rope, wire from which tips can be made, as well as tools. To make the simplest homemade tips, you need pieces of wire 4-5 mm thick and 25-30 cm long. One end of the wire is bent at an angle of 90 degrees, and the other is flattened with a hammer. The ends flattened in this way are then filed to the shape of a hook. Holes are made in the stick and the manufactured hook tips are inserted into them. A simple homemade harpoon model is ready.

Harpoons, just like knives, spears and other hunting weapons, are the property of not one particular nation, but of all mankind. Today, in many civilized countries, modern models of harpoons are used both in professional activities (whale fishing) and among underwater fishing enthusiasts. However, some peoples of Africa and New Zealand, Indonesia, as well as the peoples of North America still hunt in the same way as their ancestors many millennia ago - on boats and using a conventional hand-held harpoon.

Harpoons and spearguns

Crossbow Harpoon

I present to you a description of the simplest weapon for spearfishing, it is quite light and with good combat power.

The figure shows a section of a spring crossbow.

Rice. 1. Spring Speargun:
1 - harpoon, 2 - sleeve, 3 - M3 screw, 4 - barrel, 5 - piston, 6 - mainspring, 7 - clip, 8 - sleeve, 9 - M3 screw, 10 - hook, 11 - insert, 12 - spring fuse, 13 - sear spring, 14 - sear, 15 - fuse, 16 - trigger, 17 - line winding rod axis, 18 - handle, 19 - line winding rod.

Crossbow parts drawings

HARPOON - from a steel bar 5 mm ("silver"). An M5 thread is cut at one of its ends and a hole for the line is drilled. After machining, the harpoon is hardened. The sleeve - the guide for the harpoon - is machined from stainless steel or duralumin.

BARREL is a 12x1 mm pipe. Material - brass or stainless steel. For free passage of water when firing or charging, 4-5 mm holes are drilled over the entire surface of the barrel in increments of about 10 mm. The piston is machined from stainless steel or duralumin.
By the way, both the bushings and the piston can be made from 10x2.5 mm tube sections, which completely eliminates turning work in the manufacture of a gun.

THE BATTLE SPRING is wound from the wire of the ОВС brand 1.6 mm. Initially, a wire is wound onto a 6 mm rod turn to turn, which is then stretched to obtain the required pitch - 4.5 mm. So that there are no residual deformations during the processing of the spring, the wire must be released, that is, heated to about 300 ° C and cooled to room temperature. The end coils, after red-hot, must be bent in such a way that their plane is perpendicular to the axis of the spring.

The CLAMP is cut from brass or stainless steel sheet 1 mm thick. It is advisable to cut holes on its side surfaces by inserting a plank of a suitable size after the workpiece is bent. This will avoid errors in the location of the holes on the right and left cheeks of the clip. When assembling, the clip is soldered to the barrel, focusing on the position of the slot.

The HOOK is intended for winding a harpoon line on it. It is sawn from brass or stainless steel and soldered to the end of the barrel.

The INSERT is textolite, it is designed for fastening flat return springs. The liner is riveted to the cage, the springs are also riveted to the liner. It is desirable to use steel rivets, in extreme cases, you can use ordinary nails.

FUSE SPRINGS are designed to fix the fuse in two stable positions. The material is a steel tape 0.5 mm thick grade 65G or U10A. It is most expedient to attach the springs to the cage with screws or rivets.

The ROD for winding the line is a piece of steel wire 2 mm thick. One of its ends is bent into a ring, with which the rod is attached to the trigger.

Pistol - for spearfishing

Spearfishing in reservoirs with a complex bottom topography and limited water transparency has its own characteristics: there is no time to aim a gun, there is nowhere to maneuver. The guns currently on the market are inconvenient for such conditions. Where underwater pistols are preferable. Of the known types of such weapons, the most suitable are capsule ones. Their main advantage is that when fired, the harpoon is acted upon by an impulse of several hundred kilograms, unlike guns of other systems, where the force on the harpoon does not exceed tens of kilograms. Accordingly, the speed of the harpoons also varies. The advantages of capsule pistols include the ease of loading them.

I want to offer fans of "spearfishing" the design of such a primer pistol. With him, I successfully hunted for about three years on lakes, reservoirs in Russia and the near abroad.

Rice. 1. The design of the underwater capsule pistol:
1 - harpoon (steel 50 or 12X18H10T), 2 - barrel (pipe T8x1.5, steel 12X18H10T), 3 - front sight (D16AT), 4 - harpoon-line (nylon), 5 - sight (D16AT), 6 - breech ( steel 12X18H10T), 7 and 11 - cylindrical pins, 8 - screw-axis (steel 12X18H10T), 9 - retainer (steel 12X18H10T), 10 - insert (steel 12X18H10T), 12 - capsule "zhevelo", 13 - bracket-extractor ( steel 40X), 14 - carriage (steel 12X18H10T), 15 - tip of the drummer (steel 12X18H10T), 16 - drummer (pipe T8x1, steel 12X18H10T), 17 and 23 - axle (steel 12X18H10T), 18 - chipper chip, 2 pcs. (steel 12X18H10T), 19 - liner (steel 12X18H10T), 20 - trigger (D16AT), 21 - axle (steel 12X18H10T), 22 - sear (steel 12X18H10T), 24 - mainspring (wire II-1), 25 - striker guide (T10x1 pipe. steel 12X18H10T), 26, 29, 33, 34, 41, 44, 45, 53, 55 - M4 screw, 27 - middle handle plate (textolite, S - 5 mm), 28 - rivet (steel Ø 4 mm), 30 — latch chip, 2 pcs. (steel 12X18H10T), 31 - latch spring (wire II-1), 32 - axle (steel 12X18H10T), 35, 40, 43, 46, 52, 54, 56 - rivets (aluminum wire), 36 - fuse chip, 2 PC. (steel 12X18SH0T), 37 - fuse (steel 12X18H10T), 38, 48, 50, 51 - axle (steel 12X18H10T), 39 - fuse spring (wire II - 0.5), 42 - outer handle plate (textolite S - 5 mm), 47 - harpoon line release rod (steel 12X18H10T), 49 - return spring (wire II - 0.3).

Figure 1 shows a full section of the pistol. By design, it is of a breaking type. The barrel is pressed into the breech and additionally fixed with pins. A sight and a front sight are attached to the barrel with screws. At the bottom of the latter there is a hook with a hole for the line.

In a charged state, the breech is located between the cheeks of the carriage and is held in this position by a latch through the insert. The latter is connected to the carriage with rivets. The latch is held in the extreme position by a spring fixed on the axle.

Inside the handle, consisting of three textolite plates 5 mm thick, there is a trigger mechanism.

The impact mechanism consists of a striker with a tip, an insert and chips, as well as a striker guide fixed to the handle with a screw. For the passage of water at the time of the shot, holes of 2-3 mm are drilled on the sides of the guide.

The trigger mechanism is used to fix the striker in the cocked state and to reset the line at the time of the shot. The trigger and sear are located on axles pressed into the bottom plate of the handle and interconnected. A pull rod and a return spring are suspended from the trigger, the second end of which is fixed by an axle. The fuse has two fixed positions. The most successful knot of the gun, in my opinion, is the extractor bracket. It is soldered with solder POS-40 to the carriage. Thanks to the bracket, the primer is automatically removed from the barrel.

Preparing the pistol for firing. When the chip is pulled back to the stop, under the action of its own weight, the barrel with the breech will rotate 90 ° around the axis. Next, the drummer is cocked. The trigger is placed on the fuse. Inserting the primer halfway into the barrel, the breech is rotated around the axis. In this case, the primer will completely enter the barrel, and its base will be between the carriage and the antennae of the bracket. The line is wound between the fly hook and the pull.

For a shot, you must remove the trigger from the fuse and press it. In this case, the line is dropped and the drummer descends. After the shot, cock the drummer, put the trigger on the fuse, pull the chip all the way towards the handle with the thumb of the left hand, and rotate the breech around the axis with the palm of the same hand. Due to the whiskers of the extractor bracket, the primer pops out of the barrel.

Rice. 2. Cartridge device for underwater pistol:
1 - primer "zhevelo", 2 - PVC tube T3x0.5, 3 - glue BF-88, 4 - PVC tube T4x0.5, 5 - black powder "bear", 6 - paper wad.

The use of the "zhevelo" primer provides a firing range of up to three meters. To isolate from water, the capsule is preliminarily covered with plasticine or paraffin. The use of a cartridge (Fig. 2) allows you to increase the firing range up to 10 m, depending on the dosage of gunpowder. When using this cartridge, it is advisable to use a barrel with thicker walls and a longer length. A long harpoon will also allow you to shoot more accurately. The tip of the harpoon must be symmetrical about its axis, since even a slight deviation from symmetry leads to a curvature of the harpoon's flight path.

Assembly drawings:

Drawing 1 Drawing 2

BONUS on materials fishgun.spb.ru:

All materials presented here relate only to self-made weapons for spearfishing. The annotations to the articles indicate where it was taken from (author or publication) and the material contained - diagrams, drawings, etc., etc., as well as my small comments about the design or content. Hope you find useful information here.

Hydropneumatic guns

	hydropneumatic gun Igor Ivshin
	Hydropneumatic gun "Meta" (Vladimir Matvienko) Kyiv Description of the design, drawings, diagrams.
	Hydropneumatic gun (Andrey Faleev). Drawing, description, "cautionary story" of the creation of a gun :)
	Hydropneumatic gun (Athlete submariner No. 48.77 year). Pretty original design of the EXPANDABLE gun. The design itself, of course, is hardly subject to repetition (after all, the 21st century is in the yard), but you can learn a lot of interesting things. In particular, self-sealing cuffs on the piston. Although, as far as I know, they should be deployed towards each other ... but these are details .. :)
	Hydropneumatic gun (Athlete submariner No. 86.91 year). A good gun design, very thoughtful, balanced and most importantly simple. A good role model. (especially if you throw out all the garbage of the spool system and bring the descent to mind ...). It is worth noting that, as a rule, all homemade products repeat this one. I recommend.
	Hydropneumatic gun with a movable barrel (Athlete submariner No. 87.91 year). Perhaps the most famous scheme (and at the same time not repeated by anyone :)). It is noteworthy that it quite sensibly describes the calculations and principles of operation of hydropneumatics, and many details and assemblies are not thought out at all. Although maybe I judge too strictly ... the last century is all the same ...
	Interesting trigger design with minimal travel and trigger pull. Very pleasant when shooting offhand. The rest is a very simple design. Only standard materials. This gun is a logical development (and, apparently, the completion) of the previous 4 or 5 designs (they will not be described because they contained flaws, errors or simply misbehaved :)) In general, I recommend it! From my point of view, this is the best design so far!!!
	Hydropneumatic gun (Hanter) A gun is shown, a rake is described, which is not recommended to step on. The most interesting detail.
	Hydropneumatic gun "Aquatex" (Manufacturer's website). Only a photograph of the gun and a description of the trigger are shown. Plus my comments :)
	Hydropneumatic gun or "Our answer to Aquatex" (Hanter). Further development of my hydropneuma. The trigger mechanism uses a water seal. Effort of descent — does not happen less. The shot is sharp, powerful .. in general, without brakes .. :)
	Hydra, or there is no limit to perfection (Hanter) Further development of "Hydra". Almost every detail has changed. The changes are aimed at simplifying and lightening the design.
	Hydropneumatic gun (Alexey Zverev / Boris Vasiliev) A hydropneumatic gun of a rather original design is presented. It has a powerful fight and easy charging. The piston unit is originally designed - just one high-quality surface.
	Hydropneumatic direct-flow gun (Yuri Budash) Another variation on the theme of hydropneumatics. Just one high-quality processed tube, simple, reliable, affordable. Recommended to study :)
	Hydropneumatic gun (A.Stepanov, I.Nikolsky. Sent by Vladmir Palchik and Dmitry Skvortsov) Hydropneumatic gun with pump. Powerful fight, easy charging... what else is needed for happiness. Details would be even simpler ...
	Hydro Hydropneumatic gun. Powerful action, small dimensions... This gun served as a prototype for my first.

Pneumatic guns

	"Argument" from Riga (Yuri)
	Pneumatic gun with front hook. (hunter)
	Pneumatic gun Sword. (hunter)
	Manufacturing history Zelinki. (Golden eagle)
	Sea gun (Kormin Evgeny) Photos Description…
	Pneumatic gun "Bizon". Photos Description…
	Pneumatic guns (Alexander Sikalo). Schemes of the gun, knots and their variants are given. Photos of finished products. The principles of action, the main rake, options for execution are described. Very detailed and high quality design, detailing. Virtually no detail is left unattended! It seems to me that this article will become a hit and a kind of TEXTBOOK on domestic homemade products. I RECOMMEND!!! Here! Just no comments!
	Pneumatic gun with front hook (Hanter). The most common pneumatic gun. Unusually, only his power :) On this gun, such solutions as a trigger with a lower axis were tested! Factory inlet valve!! Wedge descent, which does not change the descent force depending on the injection!!! ... by the way, I still scare people with them ... and sometimes I shoot fish ... in general, I have a spare one :) by the way, there is even a hydraulic damper! working: About
	Pneumatic guns with a hook for the piston (Hanter) An interesting design of the trigger mechanism, with a minimum trigger force that does not depend on injection, as well as a hydraulic damper in the harpoon sub-figure sleeve. Everything else is normal. At the time of writing, the gun is under assembly.
	Pneumatic guns of the Zelinsky system (Crystal Grotto + Aquatex). A diagram of a gun is given (although you can’t understand shit from it :) and a diagram of its operation. Quite an interesting design, very unconventional and at the same time very original. But complicated.
	Pneumatic guns of the Zelinsky system. (Alexey Zolotov, sent by Alexander Sikalo). The general scheme of the gun is given. Very detailed. Drawings are available, very detailed, high quality. You can practically carry a turner.
	Pneumatic guns of the Zelinsky system. (Hanter). What's inside or a sober assessment. (the article is duplicated in the "factory weapons" section)
	Quite a simple and interesting design of a pneumatic gun.
	Another simple air gun design with front hook.
	Pneumatic gun with a hook for the piston (…) Well, it’s simply nowhere easier than this gun to mine ... No, there is - RPO-2 ... Eh ... if only it were like that ...
	Pneumatic gun with front hook (…) Shotgun with a very interesting wedge descent. Very similar to mine, my current “pulls” and this one “pushes” ...
	Titanium pneumatics from St. Petersburg (Hanter) Photo report. Guns are presented, it is shown that where, from where, how. Visible giblets, detailing. Simple and interesting solutions.
	Pneumatic gun (Hanter) Or our approach to sea hunting... the normal way...
	Pneumatic gun (Hanter) with a front hook. Just a good gun. interesting version of the front hook.
	Pneumatic gun (Hanter) or rather pneumatic sling. Easier, well, there is simply nowhere.
	Pneumatic pistonless gun (Vladimir, Sochi) A very simple air pistol. does not require precise equipment and is very easy to repeat.
	Pneumatic pistonless gun Vlanik (Hanter) Overview of design and execution (…”What’s inside or a sober assessment”…)
	Pneumatic gun, or where the “Pyrometer” legs grow from (Hanter). The gun is much older than the "pyrometer", made by a man for himself, but the similarity of the design is simply amazing.
	Pneumatic pistol for spearfishing. (Published in the journal "Athlete-submariner". B.M. Klimenko) Pneumatic expendable gun powered by CO2 or compressed air. Gear diagram. Adjustable combat strength.
	Pneumatic shotgun with easy loading system (Oleg / Krim4ak). Description of a pneumatic gun with a hydraulic cocking system that allows even a child to load the gun.
	Shotguns Remizov Vadim Lvovich Donetsk (Crystal Grotto www.fishhunter.kiev.ua). Shotguns of the same level with the guns of Zelinsky and A. Sikalo. Excellent workmanship and well thought out design. Looking at such “home-made products”, you understand the squalor of imports and roll your lip sadly ... :)
	Pneumatic gun (Hanter). With a hook for the piston and a rear handle.
	Pneumatic gun (Ermolenko Sergey). For sea hunting in the Crimea. Pts an interesting design of a shotgun for ambush hunting.
	Homemade speargun. (Maxim Golovin). A very compact gun. The trigger mechanism is built according to the principle described by the author in the article "collet trigger".
	RocketLauncher for spearfishing. (HaNTeR). A very original gun. Makes you smile and think.
	Pneumatic speargun. (HaNTeR). An old and very well made gun. Despite the years, it functions quite well. It was obviously done with heart.
	Pneumatic gun. With valve trigger and movable barrel. (Jack). A very interesting design of a gun built based on the Zelinsky scheme. The quality of workmanship and finish will give odds to many factory shotguns.

Other guns

Novice spearfishers need to know how to make a homemade speargun. This can be done even without special skills, professional tools and precision equipment. There are several key varieties of an underwater gun, which differ primarily in the way they throw a damaging projectile - a harpoon. As an element that gives the striking projectile acceleration and communicates the energy necessary to overcome the resistance of water, a spring, a special rubber band, vacuum and pneumatics can act. In addition, hydropneumatic, powder, gas guns and even double-barreled shotguns are produced industrially and made by numerous home-made craftsmen. But since for the manufacture of most varieties it is necessary to have experience in such work, a variety of materials and drawings to maintain exact dimensions, you should know how to make the simplest home-made spear gun - an improved version of the so-called Hawaiian.

Novice spearfishing enthusiasts will be interested in a way to make a homemade gun without special skills, professional tools and precision equipment.

Appeared, as the name implies, on the islands of Oceania, the Hawaiians had an extremely simple device. Initially, they consisted of a pole with a harpoon tip and a rubber band with a diameter of 10-15 mm, rolled into a circle. Having hooked the rubber band on the thumb, the hunter with the back end of the pole pulled the rope back to the elbow, after which he grabbed the pole closer to the middle with the brush. After that, it remained only to aim and unclench the brush, so that the compressing rubber band would forcefully push the harpoon towards the target. However, the described method of catching fish is not very convenient for hunting, since keeping the harpoon in the “cocked” state requires constant arm tension. This shortcoming can be easily corrected without complicating the design in principle, but only by equipping the Hawaiian with a home-made trigger mechanism. Now about how exactly to make a gun for hunting under water - extremely easy to manufacture, effective and at the same time convenient to use.

In addition to sporting interest, making such a homemade product also makes economic sense, since a specialized hunting store will gladly offer you the simplest harpoon gun for the price of a crossbow. In addition, a tool made to your taste will allow you to enjoy both processes - manufacturing and hunting itself. Before you make your own speargun, you will need to stock up on the following:

an aluminum tube with an outer diameter of 10-15 mm and a length of 150 cm;
PVC tube 25-30 cm long, the inner diameter of which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the aluminum tube;
rectangular steel skewer;
M4 bolt 20-25 mm long with a nut, metal and rubber washers;
M4 bolt 40-50 mm long;
a steel rectangle measuring 40 × 15 × 2 mm;
three self-tapping screws 70-100 mm long;
fishing rubber;
an annular rubber band;
kapron thread;
cutting boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm;
epoxy glue.

Also, in order to make a gun for hunting aquatic creatures with your own hands, you will need the following tools: a screwdriver, pliers, a hammer, a chisel, a vise, wrenches, a rasp, a drill, hacksaws for wood and metal.

Separate a fragment 20 cm long from the skewer, clamp it in a vise so that 10-12 mm sticks out of the sponges, and bend the protruding section at a right angle. Having removed the resulting L-shaped part from the vise, bend it in the direction opposite to the short part of the letter “G” so that an arc is obtained - a sector of an imaginary circle with a diameter of 50 cm. Drill a hole of 4 mm in the middle of the part. In the center of the short tube, drill 2 opposite holes - with diameters of 5 and 4 mm and 2 - with a diameter of 5 mm 1 cm from the edge. Also, in a short tube at a distance equal to the length between the hole and the bend of the L-shaped part, make a transverse slot measuring 8 × 2.5 mm. A centimeter from the edge of the aluminum tube, drill 2 opposite holes of 8 mm, and then make a transverse slot measuring 8 × 2.5 mm in the center of the tube. From fishing rubber, make a tourniquet 1 cm thick, 40-45 cm long and rewind it tightly with nylon thread every 5 cm. From the board, cut out a round cork corresponding to the inner diameter of the long pipe and drill a longitudinal hole of 4 mm in it.

Gallery: homemade speargun (25 photos)

How to make a speargun (video)

Shotgun assembly

Now, from the set prepared in this way, it is necessary to assemble a gun. To do this, fasten the L-shaped part with a short M4 bolt to the PVC pipe, inserting a rubber washer between them so that the short part of the L-shaped part falls into the cut in the pipe wall. The bolt head should not protrude above the inner surface of the tube wall, otherwise it will interfere with shooting. Additionally, secure the L-shaped part in the area of the cut with an annular rubber band.

Outwardly, this springy structure vaguely resembles a bicycle handbrake lever and simultaneously functions as a trigger and a sear - a part that serves to cock the weapon.

First, you need to cut out a wooden cork, after lubricating it with epoxy glue, insert it into the end hole of the aluminum tube. Then, weld 3 self-tapping screws on one side and an M4 bolt on the other to the metal plate in such a way that something like Neptune's trident is obtained, where the M4 bolt is the shaft of a trident. Lubricate the M4 bolt with epoxy. The resulting trident should be screwed into the hole in the wooden cork. Homemade harpoon is ready.

The aluminum tube must be inserted into the PVC tube, and a rubber band must be passed through the holes drilled in the aluminum tube with a diameter of 8 mm. The free ends of the bundle are inserted into holes with a diameter of 5 mm, drilled in a PVC tube, and carefully fixed there with a nylon thread. So, without having special qualifications, in a maximum of 1 hour you can make with your own hands an excellent attribute of outdoor activities - an underwater gun.

Do-it-yourself speargun (video)

Trial

To tension the rubber and prepare the gun for a shot, it is necessary to move the PVC tube, which acts as a cocking handle, forward to the harpoon tip, until a characteristic click indicates that the metal part that has fallen into the slots of both tubes has fixed the gun in the cocked state. Now pressing on the protruding arc of the metal part will disengage it from the harpoon and a shot will occur. Tests carried out in water show that from a distance of about 1 m, the harpoon confidently breaks through the wall of a plastic bottle filled with water, and it is quite difficult to remove it back because of the threads on the screws.

Conclusion

This is the simplest scheme of underwater weapons and the shortest instruction on how to make a speargun with your own hands. In addition to the method described, there are many more concepts and manufacturing methods. You can make, for example, a pneumatic gun in which the harpoon is driven by compressed air, a spring gun, etc.

You should be aware that homemade means for fishing under water, like any weapon, require careful adherence to safety rules when handling. There are more than enough cases of careless wounding of oneself with this weapon, and the time spent on recovery will be irretrievably lost for fishing, hunting and other healthy hobbies.

spearfishing

The sporting interest inherent in many fishermen makes us constantly look for new ways of fishing to increase the amount of prey and the diversity of the fishing process. The most ancient ancestor of the harpoon is the spear, but if the legality of hunting fish with the spear is in question today, then this type of tool is gaining popularity among fishing enthusiasts. A harpoon is a tool designed to be thrown at prey under water or in shallow water, having a serrated tip. It can be both an independent weapon and a projectile of a throwing weapon. It differs from the prison in that the shaft of the harpoon is connected to the tip with the help of a strong rope, fishing line. At the same time, the shaft remains in the hands of the fisherman, and the tip digs into the prey with the help of lateral teeth. The fish, as a rule, are not killed immediately, so the rope connecting the shaft to the tip allows the fish hunter to follow the movement of prey. Without any materials and tools at hand, it is problematic to make a harpoon gun on your own. You can find out how to make a harpoon with your own hands at home below.

The most common type is the harpoon with a release mechanism without a latch, i.e. without moving parts, grooves and grooves. The second type has special holes and a groove. This type of spear is used in guns with a front release mechanism. The third type has a special groove, which is designed to be attached to the back of the trigger.

Grapun for fishing - types

The tip of the harpoons is of two types: removable or solid. The first type is universal, it is easy to change depending on the type of prey and its weight, dimensions, as well as in case of deformation during fishing. The second type is a single piece with the base of the harpoon, it is considered more reliable than a removable one.

Depending on how the harpoon binding is made, the following types can be distinguished:

Front binding
Front binding to slip sleeve
Tie at the back with slip sleeve

The front tie is easy to make, holds the fish well, shooting through it easily. But with this method of binding, it is more difficult to hit the fish from a long distance, the arrow can get stuck in the barrel or break at the point of attachment. The second type has the advantage of a longer line required for long distance hunting, as well as the independence of the line from the harpoon. But, this type is difficult to manufacture on your own, its design is more complex. In addition, prey is difficult to hit on the fly and keep it. A harpoon tied behind a sleeve with a slip is easy to manufacture, while the line does not affect it. The disadvantages of this type are: difficulties with replacing the line, weakening the arrow with a hole, the impossibility of hitting the prey right through.

At home, it is easy to make a harpoon for spearfishing, which will consist of a handle and a tip. Before you start making a harpoon, you need to prepare the following materials:

wooden stick
A piece of polypropylene pipe
Martens bandage
Medium sized nails
large nut
Vise
Sandpaper, file
Hacksaw
Insulating tape

graboon

First, the harpoon itself is made. To do this, the nut is placed in a vise. At the same time, a wooden block is put on a drill. Using medium speed, the bar is inserted into the nut and scrolled through it, achieving a round shape. Then, also, scrolling with a drill, the bar is polished with sandpaper. Then you need to take nails (3 pieces), saw off their hats with a hacksaw, and sharpen both ends of each nail with a file so that they are sharp. Electrical tape is wound around the end of the bar, nails are attached to it in turn with the help of a strong fishing thread. After they are tied with a thread, small wooden blocks must be inserted between them and the stick so that the nails take an angled position. The gap between the nail and the bar is filled with glue for strength. It remains to wrap the place where the nails are attached with electrical tape, and the spearfishing tool is ready.

Next, you need to make the main part to launch the harpoon. To do this, you need to cut off a small piece from the martens bandage (or rubber band) and attach it to the cut of the polypropylene pipe on both sides. You can do this with glue. From above, this part, as well as the place of contact of the harpoon with the bandage, is wrapped with several layers of electrical tape. The device is almost ready, it remains to attach the harpoon with fishing line or fishing line to the launcher to hold the prey.

Methods for making a harpoon as a projectile for a gun

If we consider the harpoon not as an independent tool, but as a projectile for an underwater crossbow, then its design will not differ from the above (shaft, tip, rope for attaching to a crossbow). The difference from a hand gun is that the rope is wound on a spool, and after the shot is easily unwound. To keep the harpoon on the trajectory of movement, plumage is often made on it.

Similar to a hand harpoon, in this case the shaft is made of a light, durable material. A thin branch, hardened by fire, will do. If the tip is non-removable, solid steel must be used. It is machined on a lathe from a steel bar. If this is not possible, they are made to order. When designing a harpoon with a detachable head, the main part is made of wood, as mentioned above, or of metal. The tip is formed from a thick wire (4-5mm), bent at a right angle. At the same time, it consists of several parts, one of which is flattened with a press and attached to the axis with a rope or by cutting. In the manufacture of a removable type of tip, it is advisable to make several pieces at once for their future replacement. They must have threads of a certain diameter and pitch that are present on the axis.

Already when the reservoir began to slowly freeze, and the “future catch” began to spend more time at the bottom, many anglers in the holes are visited by a feeling of nostalgia, for the past moments of catching fish, for the feeling when you pull your trophy.

In winter, there is a lot of free time that can be spent usefully, for example, making a homemade speargun for spearfishing.

There are many models that you can do with your own hands, which will be characterized by accuracy and ease.

We make an underwater gun with our own hands

To carry out weapons for spearfishing at home, you must have several qualities:

Perseverance:
painstaking;
Patience.

Such work will take a lot of time and effort, but the end result will give admiration and delight, especially in those moments when the very coveted trophy is obtained with the help of a gun made by oneself.

So, a speargun is a combination of several materials and rocks in one design:

Wood for the base;
Stainless material for escapement.

An average weapon that can be made at home will have a total length of no more than 900 mm, from the hook to the hole should be at least 75 mm, and the total weight is about 1.5 kg.

The handle of the gun will need to be treated with a special automotive sealant, sprinkled with sugar and dried thoroughly, then shake off the sugar and end up with a porous material.

You will also need to make a reliable stop, you can make it on the axis, then at the moment the harpoon is inactive, it will rest against it and will not mix, and when the harpoon is activated, it will be able to scroll.

Homemade speargun for spearfishing

With the proper implementation of all prescriptions and recommendations, it is possible to ensure that the speargun will be characterized by a sufficiently large force to hit a fish of medium size and light weight.

Most likely, the radius of destruction will be no more than 3 meters.

It is also worth knowing some of the negative aspects of homemade weapons for spearfishing:

Significant level of noise when fired;
Spring creak during loading.

In order to reduce the level, you need to systematically wipe the barrel of the weapon and the spring with a rag, which must be moistened with glycerin.

It is worth paying special attention to the rules and safety requirements:

It is necessary to load the weapon only directly in the reservoir;
When going ashore, it is mandatory to discharge.
Shoot only if the water is clear and the target is clearly visible.

An important advantage of a hand-made weapon is its accuracy and lightness, which greatly helps to catch a clever predatory fish.

Any angler who tries himself as an underwater hunter needs to know that just shooting accurately is not everything, you need to not miss the fish from the harpoon.

Construction parts

Any design of underwater weapons consists of the following elements:

Trunk;
clip;
Harpoon;
Action spring;
Liner;
Hook;
Fuse springs;
Thrust.

The speargun barrel for spearfishing is a pipe with a diameter of 12 mm and a pipe thickness of 1 mm. Often, a material such as brass, which does not oxidize in water, is excellent for these purposes.

Stainless steel is also good.

In order to ensure unimpeded entry and exit of water, it is necessary to drill holes along the entire length of the trunk, with a diameter of at least 3 mm and an approximate distance between them of 10 mm.

The piston for the barrel is best chosen from duralumin or brass.

The pipe can be purchased in a larger size, the leftovers will be needed in order to make bushings and pistons.

This will completely dispense with turning operations in the manufacture of spearguns.

The clip, which is one of the main parts of the speargun, must be made of brass sheet metal, 1 mm thick.

It must have special holes, which must be made on the sides and it is best to cut them out after the workpiece is bent.

According to the selected technology, it is possible to achieve a clear arrangement of holes, without bevels and offsets on the right and left sides of the clip. When assembling the clip, you need to solder it to the barrel, you need to adjust the parts along the slots and holes.

The main active part of any weapon will be a harpoon, which is made of a durable steel bar with a diameter of at least 5 mm, at the main end of which a five-millimeter M5 thread is cut for installation and a hole for the line is sawn out.

After all the preparation work has been completed, it is imperative to harden the harpoon in a thermal furnace. In addition to everything, you will need to carve a sleeve for the harpoon, it is best to use stainless steel for this.

The mainspring for the weapon must be made of OBC wire, 1.6 mm in diameter and wound helically, so that the result is a pitch of 4.5 mm.

Before proceeding with the processing of the wire, it must be released, namely, heated to 300 degrees and cooled to room temperature.

Such operations will avoid deformation of the spring in the future. The ends of the rod, or already the springs, must be heated and bent so that they are perpendicular to the axis.

The liner in the gun is designed to secure the flat return springs and is mainly made of textolite.

It will need to be glued to the clip, and after that, glue the springs on it.

To assemble underwater weapons, you will need rivets, which are best chosen from strong, reliable steel.

In order to wind the harpoon line, you will need a special hook, which can be made of brass or stainless steel.

The hook must be soldered to the barrel.

Safety springs are mainly used as a stopper for two main positions.

Steel is best suited as a material, 0.5 mm thick from durable alloyed material 65 or carbon grade U8, U10, U10A. The spring is attached with rivets.

The pull for the line is nothing more than 2 mm steel wire. One of the ends of the rod is bent, forming a ring, with the help of which it will subsequently be attached to the trigger.

To date, pneumatic spearguns have received the greatest popularity among consumers. Although, it is worth noting that the principle of their manufacture includes several features.

It is precisely due to the fact that the design involves a rather complex manufacturing technology that some interested customers refuse this type of weapon for fishing.

In order to make a spring speargun for spearfishing with your own hands, you need to prepare some materials in advance:

wire ОВС Ǿ 2 mm brand, it is best to choose spring steel 65G;
duralumin tube with Ǿ12.5-13 mm, which will be used for the barrel;
plates 2 pcs, 10-12 mm thick, made of vinyl plastic, from which the handle will later be made;
rod Ǿ 6-8 mm, a material such as stainless steel for a harpoon would be ideal.

The technology for the phased production of an underwater gun is as follows:

All experts recommend starting the manufacturing process with the most complex element in the design, namely with a spring, which is best left to professionals for winding. Specialists, most likely, will wind the spring on a lathe in accordance with GOSTs, after which they will have to be fired in a thermal furnace and apply a special anti-corrosion coating. Professionals will not need to give recommendations, they will only tell you what step the finished product needs and its final length, which will correspond to the size of the barrel. The spring, already in the assembled product, will work in compression and therefore its length must necessarily be more than the barrel by about 300 mm, otherwise it will sit down or burst at the first shot.
The essence of such a reserve is that at the moment of the shot, the value of the spring force at the very end of the barrel does not reduce to zero, but only to a minimum, which means that there is no premature shot of the harpoon. This effect is called the compressed spring effect.
The second step will be the implementation of the prepared material of the barrel for weapons. If it is not possible to buy a small aluminum tube, you can use an old ski pole. It is believed that the most optimal barrel length is 700 mm. Thus, it is possible to achieve the best and most convenient shooting, in any conditions, in any water bodies.
At the two ends of the tube, it is imperative to cut the thread and a special groove of 150 mm, which will be intended for the sear. After that, it is worth making holes so that the liquid that has entered the barrel can easily and quickly exit.
The gun must have a muzzle and a plug made of duralumin. In order to install a harpoon in the plug, you will need to make a special hole. After that, mono boldly begin the execution of the handle of the weapon and the trigger mechanism itself.
For the manufacture of the handle, textolite plates are perfect, which heal in a vise during execution and drill holes along the diameter of the barrel. Next, cut out the intended contour of the handle and cut out grooves 3 mm deep with a file to install the trigger.
Next, you need to drill a hole for the axis of the fuse, the sear and the spring itself, also do not forget about the fasteners, which will also require mounting holes.
Now combine the two finished halves of the handle in the barrel and secure with screws, this will subsequently exclude mixing along the length of the barrel. Before fastening, it is necessary to install a retaining ring. The assembly process itself will be completed after the trigger, springs, fuses and sear are installed. In general, there will be a simple locksmith work.
Now you can proceed to the harpoon, the best material for which would be stainless steel 6 mm thick. The harpoon must necessarily be with a tip sharpened in a special way, so that 4 edges are made under the body. Thus, the sharpened edges of the tip will instantly cut the fish scales and pierce them much easier.
Almost everything is ready, only the easy thrower remains, which is made of a steel strip and is fastened with screws to the barrel plug. At the time of the shot, the line will simply unwind without delay and effort, and when wound, it will be laid under the plate, in front of the barrel.
Everything is ready, the gun can be tested, start spearfishing. It is only necessary to fill the harpoon into the barrel of the weapon, so that it reaches the stop, then press the spring against the sear until a specific click is signaled.
Thus, the sear goes up into the barrel and is pressed against the sleeve, at the moment of descent, the spring performs translational actions, returning to its original position. The gun is now loaded and ready for its first prey.
When the angler pulls the trigger, the sear goes into the groove and makes room for the spring bushing. Thus, the spring unclenches and pushes the harpoon.

The benefits of making your own

The advantages of making an underwater gun with your own hands include:

high level of accuracy;
significant money savings;
manufacturing does not require special knowledge and skills;
comparatively quiet in operation.

But do not forget that there are also disadvantages:

Hunting can be done only for medium and small fish, for large ones, the harpoon is not strong enough;
The ability to change the tip of the harpoon is excluded.