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All About Guns What's your weapon of choice, and why? Discuss the beloved speargun here! |
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08-22-2019, 09:19 PM | #1 |
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Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
Early on in my gun building experience I remember seeing in my research that when doing an enclosed track it was common practice to open up the last few inches of the track. I can't remember why. I've done it on all my enclosed track guns without question, but I've had problems with epoxy tracks chipping at the end when the shaft gets bumped. To avoid this on the gun I'm currently building right now, I've left about 1/2" of wood at the end of the enclosed track, and I was hoping to leave it enclosed all the way to the end so that the wood tip of the track can save the epoxy track from getting chipped. Does opening that last few inches improve accuracy, or what? This is a small light duty gun I'm building so I'd like to leave the whole track enclosed if possible but if anyone knows why its common practice to open the end up, I'd be interested to hear.
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08-22-2019, 09:52 PM | #2 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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08-23-2019, 02:51 AM | #3 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
The end of an ET is usually open to allow easier shaft insertion when loading a shaft. At least that is the reason I used to do it. Today an ET is not necessary performance wise except for a few rare types of spearfishing systems (eg. free shafting). The disadvantages of an ET are many …. reduced shaft velocity due to higher friction … limited choice of shaft diameter … need of high shark fins to allow wishbones to catch the shark fin … danger of breaking track top off if shooting a large fish at close range before shaft clears the track … etc...
Advantages of ET are that with a poorly designed speargun it can tame the shaft and tone down shaft whip … is for some people much quicker to load without having to look at the gun … can use Kevlar or Spectra line with less chance of band tangle as you don't need to have line over shaft to keep shaft on track. I might have missed some advantages and disadvantages but I think I covered the most important ones. |
08-23-2019, 06:52 AM | #4 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686 E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com |
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08-23-2019, 07:51 AM | #5 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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08-23-2019, 08:26 AM | #6 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
Good inputs thanks guys. Yeah I'm building this custom gun for a guy that just loves ETs for some reason. I'm going to start talking people out of it after this build. They're a pain to make and as pointed out here there are several downsides.
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08-23-2019, 02:10 PM | #7 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
It's done so it's easier to load the shaft.
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08-23-2019, 03:40 PM | #8 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
I am not a fan of enclosed track (especially if you are lineshaft/freeshaft shooting) because the perceived advantages of enclosed track do not outweigh the disadvantages. The exception would be if you really need to power up the gun to take long distance lineshaft shots with 3 or 4 bands. However, most folks who lineshaft/Freeshaft shoot only use one band and enclosed track has too much inherent track drag IMO to efficiently shoot with one band.
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Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686 E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com Last edited by Spear One; 08-23-2019 at 03:52 PM. |
08-23-2019, 04:39 PM | #9 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
A small light duty gun does not need an enclosed track. To stop the spear falling off the gun during loading used a closed muzzle. There are mini-tab shafts that will fly under the muzzle without collecting it on the way out or you can use slotted shafts for the wishbones.
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08-23-2019, 05:49 PM | #10 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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I was never a big fan of enclosed tracks anyway but these recent discussions have got me even more on the other side. Unless it is unavoidable I will urging future clients to let me design their gun with an open track. |
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08-23-2019, 05:58 PM | #11 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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08-23-2019, 06:32 PM | #12 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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08-23-2019, 06:46 PM | #13 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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When I do a spearfishing seminar or have the opportunity to have a one on one discussion with a perspective buyer, I always make it a point to tell them the advantages and the disadvantages of the speargun based on which rigging options they choose. I ask them what type of spearfishing they currently do or plan to do, and where they want to be in a few years. Only then can I make a short term and a long term recommendation on what will be the best rigging option for them. Once a perspective buyer understands all his or her options and the pluses and minuses of their decisions, the buyer is rarely unhappy with their purchase. I manufacture spearguns and I hope that folks buy them. However, any buyer should do their homework and make an informed purchase decision based on that homework.
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Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686 E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com Last edited by Spear One; 08-24-2019 at 06:40 AM. |
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08-23-2019, 07:27 PM | #14 | |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
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Yeah and I've definitely had guys come back after a year or so and say yeah I probably didn't need an enclosed track on this gun. I think it's something they think about when they dream up what kind of gun they want, then after some time shooting the gun they realize it's not necessary and might even be limiting the gun a bit. |
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08-23-2019, 09:00 PM | #15 |
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Re: Why do we open the end of an enclosed track?
More relevant if we jumped into a time machine and went back to the very dawn of mechanical weapon spearfishing we would see guys wrapped in dry suits of thin rubber or woollen jumpers wearing primitive goggles and sheet metal blade fins enclosed in an outer coating of crepe rubber staggering along the shoreline with huge metal spring guns or their rubber powered side-slotted barrel underwater rifle counterparts which were based on terrestrial weapon concepts.
When the Champion Arbalete appeared, no barrel save for the tube that held the gun head (muzzle) and a rear handle high mounted on the gun tube all those previous weapons were dropped like a hot rock. The rest is history. |
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