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Old 03-01-2017, 07:47 PM   #1
Jason7654
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Question New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Hi all,

New spearo here with my first gun, a Salvimar Predathor Vuoto 100cm. This is intended to be an all around gun for South Florida, where clarity is good. I have test fired it once at this point, but not hunted yet.

Do I need a pressure gauge? When I got the gun I couldn't move the piston at all. After about four short bursts of air being let out, I can now load it, though the shaft still gets wobbly and wants to bend under the pressure. When fired it takes out three wraps of 1.5mm mono and yanks on the gun a bit. Does it sound like I have enough pressure and is the gauge necessary?

I've been trying to search, but still looking for more pneumatic maintenance info. The manual doesn't say much. What else do I need to do to maintain it? Do I need to keep the vacuum seal lubed? Does it help to take it apart and make sure everything is lubed and assembled right before using it? There is a video from Salvimar here showing disassembly of a vintair, so I'm not sure how much carries over. Are there other resources around?

I see some posts saying the shafts aren't that good and I should get another. Mine is 7mm, recessed flopper. The flopper is really loose, so I need to tune it. It has the streamlined nylon slide ring like it shows in the latest catalog. Is it worth it to get another shaft, or is this one ok for starters?

I used paracord through the handle to make a loop to hook to. Is that ok? I will be hooking it to floatline/dive board for shore diving.

Sorry for so many questions! Thank you!
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Old 03-01-2017, 08:07 PM   #2
popgun pete
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Sounds like enough pressure in the gun for now, you can put more air in the gun if you think you need it and when you have got your loading technique sorted out. Like everything practice makes perfect.

The spear will not bend if you push it in straight, although it may bow, but don't worry about that as that is normal. Wash the gun out after each dive, end for end for five minutes in a tub of freshwater if you cannot sink the entire gun. Rinse the spear off as well and the shooting line, etc.

The vacuum seal will be lubricated by water, but if you load the spear when the gun is dry and after the seal has lost its slick new finish, then a drop or two of very light oil will lubricate the seal. Don't use grease or thick oil on the gun.

After the spearfishing is over and for any following period of non-use hold the gun vertical, muzzle up, pour some water in the muzzle and then load and work the spear up and down, but don't cock the gun. Tip any remaining water out. Some water always sits in the muzzle, so you don't want it to be saltwater around the nose of the piston when the gun is stored.

You don't really need a pressure gauge, just judge by your loading effort whether you require less air or more air. After all you are loading the gun, not someone else. Use the gun's power regulator system for the "easy loading" feature by selecting low power which is the selector right back in the gate. The Salvimar guns use a reversed power regulator as on other guns, such as Mares, low power is forwards in the gate and not right back. The difference is down to an upstream regulator valve in the Salvimar gun whereas nearly everyone else uses a downstream regulator valve. The upstream valve is courtesy of the Scubapro "Magnum" pneumatic which forms the foundation for all the Salvimar pneumatic spearguns. I use a "Magnum" and know the gun inside out. The "Vintair" is a slightly reworked "Magnum"; Scubapro quit selling spearguns when spearfishing was on the outer as diving equipment manufacturers sought increased approval from their scubadiving customers.

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-01-2017 at 08:31 PM. Reason: more info
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Old 03-01-2017, 10:20 PM   #3
Jason7654
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Yes, the shaft bows a little. Good to know that is normal.

Thanks for the advice about cleaning in the muzzle. Do you need to do that every time, or just when storing for an extended period?

I did forget to test the power regulator when I went out. I will try it next time.

Thanks Pete!
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Old 03-01-2017, 10:49 PM   #4
popgun pete
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason7654 View Post
Yes, the shaft bows a little. Good to know that is normal.

Thanks for the advice about cleaning in the muzzle. Do you need to do that every time, or just when storing for an extended period?

I did forget to test the power regulator when I went out. I will try it next time.

Thanks Pete!
If you are using the gun again in a day or so then you can leave out the muzzle pumping with freshwater poured into it first, but if a couple of weeks are going to elapse then I would do it. Some guys never clean their guns and get away with it, but in my view prevention is better than cure, and a lot cheaper. A thorough cleaning before long term storage is to unscrew the muzzle nose, remove the vacuum seal which sits on a sort of thin metal fence, replace the muzzle nose and do the pumping without the seal in place. That allows more water to flood into the inner barrel and flush out any salt.

I store my vacuum seals in a container during the off season rather than leave them in the gun. It is a good idea to buy some spare vacuum seals, they are usually supplied in a pack of three. The vacuum seals should last a couple of seasons, what will damage them is surface marks on the spear shaft that will slice the rubber sealing lip. Look after your spears (it is also a good idea to have a spare spear) so that they maintain their smooth surface, but they don't have to be glossy looking, a dull matt surface surface is OK.
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Last edited by popgun pete; 03-01-2017 at 11:10 PM. Reason: adding a cross-section of the muzzle
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Old 03-01-2017, 11:56 PM   #5
Jason7654
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

It did come with one spare seal. I will see about getting a pack of spares, and an extra spear.

Thanks for that cutaway picture. Very helpful!
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Old 03-04-2017, 04:47 PM   #6
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

The water sitting around the piston nose can be let out before long term storage by pressing the gun down onto a short rod that doubles for the spear tail (the muzzle vacuum seal already being removed). The piston is pushed back from the shock absorber anvil that it usually leans against and any trapped water runs out under the action of gravity. Nemrod made a gadget for doing this on their guns, but in that case it was because the muzzle relief ports were in the wrong place. Wet barrel pneumatic guns don't trap water as the muzzle relief ports let it out. Vacuum barrel guns don't have muzzle relief ports, hence their propensity to trap water, albeit only in small amounts.
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Last edited by popgun pete; 03-04-2017 at 07:31 PM.
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Old 03-05-2017, 04:18 AM   #7
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

I have the 100 and the 115,

When loading the spear make sure you hold the spear in the middle to minimize bending, i have ruined a spear before not loading properly and it has happened to a friend as well.

I replaced all my nylon line sliders with stainless steel ones as they fail when they hit rocks or fish spines, i use the JBL mini sliders and the riffe ones as well.

I also smooth down (with sand paper) the lip on the spears tang to increase the life of the vacuum gaskets. You will got through those gaskets quicker than anything else on that gun so get a few spare.
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Old 03-06-2017, 01:03 PM   #8
Jason7654
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

How do you hold the spear in the middle? I load it like it shows in the manual:



Are you saying push up only with your foot, and push down with both hands? I don't think I could keep it on my foot.

Where do you buy the sliders? Here is mine.



When you say to sand the tang, do you mean where the red arrow is?

I can't get the flopper tuned. Because it's recessed, it sits against a flat part of the shaft, so you can't easily bend it.





Also, if I wanted to order another shaft, what should I get? Is there any reason to get an 8mm as a compliment to the 7mm I have?
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Old 03-06-2017, 02:41 PM   #9
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

You may want to consider putting a muzzle bungee on your shooting line. You will get used to loading it with practice in the water. Make sure to always keep the spear clear of your head/neck while loading haha. Super accurate and awesome, but you have to keep them out of the sand! I got so I could stone almost every fish I shot with my Cyrano. Keep it rinsed off and if you have a pump for it store the pump somewhere super clean. I would also recommend not taking it apart unless it is leaking. That Salvimar looks awesome! I might have to start saving up for one
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Old 03-06-2017, 04:49 PM   #10
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Don't worry about making any changes, just use the gun as it is. What may be a problem in one area may not be in another, so the line slide should work OK unless you are hunting over very rocky surfaces with not much sand. If anything needs changing then make such changes when and if they are necessary. The spare shaft should be the same as the first as the gun will shoot the same with either shaft. If you change shaft sizes then the set-up changes as a larger diameter shaft requires more pressure to propel it at the same velocity as the slimmer one. Your shots will be more consistent if you get used to one set-up without switching shaft diameters.

Last edited by popgun pete; 03-06-2017 at 04:57 PM.
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Old 03-08-2017, 06:46 PM   #11
ninjagazz
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Hi Jason,

In figure .4 Where the man is holding the speargun muzzle with his left hand, move your hand from the muzzle up to the middle of the spear, when the spear is halfway in the barrel then slide your hand down to hold the muzzle. You can lift your foot if you want, i find myself doing it on the sorter guns but not on the longer ones, thats just personal preference. Lower the pressure a bit to make loading easier and figure out the easiest and safest way for you.

Where you have drawn the red arrow is exactly where you should give the tang a light sand to avoid catching/scratching the vacuum gasket.

Don't bother tuning that flopper. Most of my fish end up on the shooting line so a locking flopper is less important on this gun.
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Old 03-08-2017, 07:20 PM   #12
popgun pete
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

If at some stage you want a metal slider (line slide) then you can buy titanium versions made by Pelengas.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Titanium-Sli...UAAOSw8w1X9jGs

I just had one delivered (7 mm). The line side and stop ring are combined and the shaft shoulder or stop diameter goes into a small recess in the rear of the line slide for hydrodamping. The only thing to check is that the back of the slider fits the same hole in the muzzle as the stop ring does. I measured the rear OD at 10 mm, whereas a stop ring is 11 mm OD (for Mares). Titanium is not as hard as stainless steel, hence it will not hammer up a sharp shoulder edge on the shaft tail stop diameter. However that takes some time to happen, so not something you need to worry about. The 8 mm diameter spears give the vacuum cuff a harder time as in their wisdom Salvimar use the same size vacuum cuff for all shaft sizes. The stepped recesses in the muzzle nose are for the 8 mm (outer) and 7 mm (inner) diameter stop rings.
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Old 03-09-2017, 09:17 AM   #13
Jason7654
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will see about an extra shaft, seals and line slide.

I may get a chance to go out this week and test it out. Can't wait!
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Old 03-11-2017, 05:07 PM   #14
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

As a matter of interest I weighed the titanium slider (line slide) at 2.94 grams. By way of comparison a stop ring and plastic line slide for an original Mares "Cyrano" are 1.45 grams and 3.20 grams respectively, or 4.65 grams combined. As a weight change compared to the mass of the shaft the difference between them is nothing, but when looking at the sliding hammer effect when the shaft accelerates the line slide as the shaft tail stop diameter hits the line slide on the way out of the gun it will reduce the impact on the shoulder. Sharp edges can be hammered up by repeated blows and for this reason some pneumovacuum guns use a polyurethane bush as a lead in to the stop diameter on the shaft. A small oil stone can be used to remove any sharp edges (which would be of no consequence in a wet barrel gun as there is nothing to cut).
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Old 06-19-2018, 10:05 AM   #15
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Re: New spearo, Salvimar Predathor Vuoto

Sorry for bringing up a old thread but have you had any luck finding that spare shaft for your predathor vouto? I can't seem to find one anywhere.
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