DIY harpoon at home. Homemade speargun

Today, underwater fishing is especially popular, for which fishing stores have a special tool - a spear gun. under water hunting. There are two types of guns: harpoon and pneumatic. The first is more common and cheaper, the second is complex in design and expensive. But it’s not always possible to purchase a weapon, so you can figure out how to make a gun with your own hands.

Before work on the manufacture of the gun begins, it is necessary to purchase the following components:

Wire grade OVS and 65 G, 16 meters.
Duralumin pipe, internal diameter 12.5−13 mm.
Gun handle, 2 plates can be used.
Rod for harpoon, diameter up to 1 mm.

Making a gun

The process of creating homemade guns with your own hands begins with making a spring - the most difficult stage. Make a spring on lathe, after which it is thermally treated and coated protective layer from corrosion. The spring should be 25-30 cm longer than the barrel, because after the first use it will tighten.

The next step will be making the barrel. You can use regular ski pole. The length of the trunk should be from 60 to 80 cm, this also depends on the body of water in which the hunt will take place.

Then a slot of about 15-18 cm is cut in the barrel for the sear. It is this length that is responsible for the lethal force of the gun. Also at this stage, holes are made to drain water.

A muzzle with a plug is machined from a duralumin tube. A hole is made in it, where the harpoon is then inserted. At this point, the creation of the barrel comes to an end and the stage of constructing the trigger mechanism and handle begins.

The handle is made based on the size of the barrel. First, a contour is cut out from two plates. Then slots for the trigger are cut out in the plates with a file.

Next, a hole is made for the spring, fuse and sear axis. The two plates that were used for the handle are fastened together with screws. You can put a ring on the handle to prevent your hand from slipping along the barrel. It is better to entrust the manufacture of the trigger mechanism to a mechanic.

The final step is to make an easy release device and a harpoon of approximately 6 mm. The main material is stainless steel. Now the gun is ready and can be tested.

The gun has sufficient destructive power to hit a target at a distance of up to three meters. Its main drawback is noise. To get rid of this problem, the harpoon and spring are lubricated with glycerin.

Hawaiian model

The gun model was named in honor of Hawaiian Islands, where this simple device was used. The first design consisted of a conventional tourniquet and a harpoon. At the same time, the rubber band clung to thumb hands and pulled to the elbow, after which the harpoon was pulled. All you had to do was aim and release the tourniquet. But this method is not entirely convenient, since it is difficult to keep the harpoon taut at all times.

The production of such a design has not only sporting interest, but also economic benefit, because a specialized store sells even the most simple options guns at a considerable price. In addition, when making a “Hawaiian” you can experience aesthetic pleasure, since it is always pleasant to deal with a thing made with your own hands.

To make a Hawaiian model you will need the following tools:

First of all, you need to saw off a 20 cm long part from the skewer, then clamp it in a vice, setting it to about 10-12 mm, then you need to bend the protruding part with the letter “G”.

The next step is to remove the skewer from the vice and bend it in reverse side the short part of the letter "G". Then you need to drill a 4 mm hole in the part.

In the middle of a short tube you need to drill a hole on both sides, with diameters of 4 and 5 mm, and stepping back from the edge by 1 cm, make 2 holes of 5 mm each.

You also need to drill an 8X2.5 mm hole in the short tube. The same procedure must be repeated in the aluminum tube, while drilling two 8 mm holes a centimeter from the edge.

You need to make a rope 40-50 cm long from rubber, then wrap it with nylon thread every 5 mm. You need to cut the cork from the prepared board and drill a 4 mm hole in it.

Aluminum wound design

This model is popular due to its tightness. The device must be assembled traditionally from the barrel. You can choose a small clip, which will allow you to better fix the winding. The best option for sear selection there will be a three-prong version. You can choose any fuse.

The length of the line plays a huge role in this modification. At the last stage, a compensator is installed. It would be better to select the trigger unit from a pneumatic, since it is difficult to manufacture.

Spearfishing gives a person an indescribable feeling from the process itself. This activity except positive emotions It also gives noticeable results. They make for a great catch.

Characteristic

Harpoon is key element, which holds the fish after hitting it. It is made exclusively from stainless steel. It is often hardened to give it high strength. High-quality hunting is not possible with a harpoon that does not have high rigidity.
If there is insufficient rigidity, the harpoon may bend when fired. Such a weapon will not hit the target with sufficient accuracy. For the same reason, it poses a danger to the shooter.

Varieties

Harpoons used in underwater hunting are divided into the following types:

1. The most popular are harpoons whose release mechanism does not have a lock. They have no grooves, grooves or moving parts. They are used primarily in air guns that have the trigger mechanism at the rear.
2. The second type of harpoon has special holes and grooves. Shotguns for them have a front trigger mechanism.
3. The third type of harpoons with a special groove designed for fastening in the rear part of the release mechanism.

According to the type of tip, harpoons are divided into groups:

1. The tip is a single whole with the harpoon.
2. The removable tip gives the harpoon versatility.

High-quality use of the weapon and the effectiveness of hunting are directly dependent on the tip. Before starting a hunt, you need to correctly select the type of sharpening based on the hunting conditions.

Harpoon selection

For small fish, a tool with a diameter of 6 mm is suitable. They have a higher rate of fire. It is better to go for large fish with a titanium harpoon with a diameter of 7-8 mm. The most common is a harpoon with a diameter of 6.5 mm. To hunt in the sea you need a gun 1.5-2 meters long and an arrow with an arrow diameter of up to 1 cm.

Homemade harpoon

Many professional hunters use self-made tools for a reason. Making a harpoon is not difficult if you follow simple recommendations:

1. The steel rod will replace the wooden stick. The tips are made of steel wire with a diameter of 4-5 mm and a length of 25-30 cm.
2. One end of the wire is bent at an angle of 90 degrees by 5-7 mm. The second end is flattened and a hook is made.
3. Holes are drilled in the stick into which the bent ends are inserted. The structure is secured with rope.

Harpoon binding

Linking can be done in several ways. Let's look at the positive and negative aspects of each of them.

Front binding. Pros:

Easy to make and replace the line.
Shoots and holds fish with ease.

Difficulty to hit with long distance.
Arrow gets weak point at the point of attachment.
There is a possibility of the boom getting stuck.
Tench can be damaged by a fish bone.

Front attachment to sliding sleeve. Pros:

The tench does not affect the harpoon.
The line is of normal length.

Difficult to manufacture.
The need for fixation at the muzzle.
The complexity of the harpoon design increases.
Higher resistance.
It's hard to hit fish right through.
In fish, the arrow is not fixed when hit.

Attached to the rear using a sliding sleeve. Pros:

The line has no effect on the harpoon.
Ease of manufacture.
The direction of the harpoon is provided by the muzzle.

It is difficult to change the line.
The hole weakens the arrow.
Risk of damage from fish bones.
It is impossible to hit the target straight through.

A competent choice of harpoon will allow the hunter-fisherman to get a sea of positive emotions from the underwater world, an excellent catch and avoid problems with equipment. In the next article we will discuss how to do

In practice, air guns for spearfishing are of course popular. But to make such a gun you need a lot of things. One sports club has found a solution; it uses a spring gun of its own design. They make an underwater gun with their own hands, it’s not at all difficult, and most importantly, such a gun works flawlessly.

Before you start making an underwater gun, you need to purchase the necessary materials:
For a gun, buy wire with a diameter of at least two mm. grades OVS, 65G or PC for springs, up to 16 meters are required.
Duralumin pipe, internal diameter 12.5-13mm. , it is necessary for the trunk.

The handle requires two 10 mm plates. each (this can be oak, nylon or aluminum plates).
A rod for a harpoon, the diameter of which is up to 1 cm, it should be made of stainless steel.

How to make a speargun with your own hands step by step instructions

Let's start, it's the most difficult. It is made on a special lathe and then bent heat treatment and finally covered with an anti-corrosion coating. The length of the spring is measured based on the size of the barrel. It should be 20-30 cm longer than the length of the barrel, since after the first use of the gun the spring will decrease by 5-10 cm.

On both sides of the barrel, cut a thread, cut a slit 15-17 cm long for the sear. It is this length that regulates the force of the gun and its firing when moving the handle along the barrel. Then we make a hole in the trunk to get rid of water.

We grind the muzzle together with the plug from duralumin. In the last one we make a hole into which we insert the harpoon. The barrel is ready, after which they begin to make the trigger mechanism and handle.

The handle is made from two separate plates. They are drilled to the original diameter of the finished trunk, and then the contours are cut out. Next, a slit up to 4 mm deep is made with a file in each plate for the trigger mechanism.

The next operation is to make holes for the sear axis, spring and fuse. The halves in the handle are connected to the barrel and pressed with screws. A ring is placed on the front of the handle to prevent slipping along the barrel. The mechanic makes the trigger, the sear, the spring and the fuse, in a word, the trigger mechanism. He tempers the sear. This completes the assembly of the speargun handle.

The penultimate thing they do is a harpoon (see drawings of a harpoon for a speargun). The diameter in our case is 6 mm. For this purpose, previously purchased stainless steel was used. There is a sliding sleeve along the harpoon, and a line is attached to it. The bushing is made in such a way that it is cushioned by a fluoroplastic ring and rests against a special shank. The latter is designed to secure the harpoon. The tip is made simple - a flag with a wire to hold the fish. They sharpen it for several edges. The trick is that the sharp edges quickly cut through fish scales.

And lastly, they make an easy release. It is cut from solid steel. The cut plate is attached to the plug on the barrel using two screws. When winding, the line is placed under the plate, and in the very center of the barrel it is attached to the fly. When fired, the line easily comes out of the plate and unwinds.

The do-it-yourself underwater gun is ready, it needs to be tested in practice. Insert a harpoon into the barrel and compress the spring until it is fixed to the sear. This is facilitated by a clicking sound, which indicates that the speargun is ready and loaded. They press the trigger and shooting begins. This gun is loaded only in water and unloaded too.

The underwater gun has sufficient destructive power, weighs about 3 kilograms and hits the target at a distance of up to 3 meters. When it is infected, it is quite noisy, just like when shooting. This is a drawback, but it is the only one. To reduce noise, the spring and the barrel are rubbed with glycerin.

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

The device of the harpoon and its history

Many centuries after their invention, harpoons have changed little in appearance: a long and strong shaft, a serrated tip different 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 rod of a harpoon arrow is made of solid stainless steel, and the tips are made replaceable. The purpose of harpoons, like many centuries ago, remains the same - hunting fish or whales and seals.

Whale hunting with a harpoon is one of the most ancient types of hunting. Scenes depicting whale catching have been discovered 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 already in 1000 BC. From the 12th to the 17th centuries, this type of commercial hunting spread throughout the world from the Arctic to the coast. North America and Japan. Previously, when ships were sailing and had small sizes, whalers hunted whales on lighter and more maneuverable boats, and their main weapon was a hand-held whaling harpoon. Later, in the 19th century, when the Norwegian Sven Foyn invented the harpoon cannon, whale hunters expanded their geography and moved to southern waters 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) on the tip, the petals of which, getting inside the animal’s body, opened and did not allow the whale to escape from the pursuit of hunters.

Today, not only professional whalers use harpoons. IN lately Spearfishing became popular among amateurs, for which even special types guns that shoot harpoon arrows. The harpoon itself for underwater hunting can be divided into several types, which depend on design features 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 in the design of its arrow does not have various fasteners (grooves, grooves, soldering, grooves). It is also used in air or spring shotguns. trigger;
With groove: it is designed for shooting from underwater guns and pistols and is equipped with a trigger mechanism in the front part;
In spearfishing weapons with a trigger mechanism located at the rear, products equipped with latches are used;
With non-removable tips. They have high rigidity and strength of the rod and eliminate the risk of losing the tip, but are a little inconvenient when removing from fish bodies;
Removable tips are less convenient, but you can change them. The type of tip depends on the type of underwater fishing. The removable harpoon tip is very sensitive to damage, and the accuracy of the sight depends on the strength of the thread. If the thread becomes loose due to damage, the harpoon will quickly fail.

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

Shapes of harpoon tips

Speaking about the 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 blades 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 sharp-conical, double-conical, three- and tetrahedral, cross-shaped or crown-shaped.

How to choose the right harpoon?

For an experienced hunter who has been engaged in underwater fishing for several years, 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 underwater fishing?

A harpoon with an arrow whose diameter does not exceed 6.5 mm is suitable for small-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 larger are usually chosen;
For large breeds The fish harpoon must be made of titanium and have a diameter of 8 or more millimeters.

The method of tying the line to the rod is of great importance in fishing. 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 over time it can be destroyed, especially if you use a harpoon for hunting in salt water. The rod must be inspected for deformation, and the tips must be periodically sharpened. If the tips are removable, then their fastening may become loose and the threads may wear off. Tench is also susceptible to abrasion and aging, so periodic replacement of aged tench with a new one is necessary.

All harpoon maintenance is best done after each hunt. If defects such as worn blades or cracks on the harpoon are not corrected in time, then hunting, especially with an underwater crossbow, will not be enjoyable.

How to make a harpoon yourself

Beginners starting underwater hunting 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 point is that homemade weapon is often better than standard, as it is made for individual requirements 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 you can make tips, 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 edge of the wire is bent at an angle of 90 degrees, and the other is flattened with a hammer. The ends thus flattened are then filed into a hook shape. Holes are made in the stick and manufactured hook tips are inserted into them. Simple homemade model the harpoon is ready.

Harpoons, just like knives, spears and other hunting weapons, are the property not of one specific nation, but of all humanity. Today in many civilized countries they use modern models harpoons as in professional activity(whaling), 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 did many millennia ago - on boats and using an ordinary hand harpoon.

Spearfishing, one of the most exciting elements of recreation and tourism, naturally implies a good catch as its climax. And since a fishing rod cannot be used underwater, its role can be perfectly performed by an underwater gun (crossbow), equipped with a high-quality and reliable harpoon. Without such equipment, underwater hunting is impossible - and modern technologies, in fact, did not significantly change this ancient tool of ocean, sea and partly river fishing.

The device of a gun (crossbow)

Design features of harpoons and their appearance in the 21st century have remained almost the same as they were 100, and 500, and 1000, and 5000 years ago. The harpoon structure still includes a long and strong rod, a sharpened tip with a hook of one shape or another that prevents the prey from getting rid of it, as well as a hole for the line, which allows you to pull the harpooned fish or animal towards you. The main difference between a professional modern harpoon and ancient tools is, first of all, the use of durable stainless steel with a high coefficient of rigidity, since flexible rods are not only unreliable and not accurate, but also dangerous. In addition, modern universal harpoons have acquired replaceable tips that screw onto threads, and in some versions, special clamps, holes and/or grooves.

AMS “Gator Getter Point” harpoon for spearfishing

Types of harpoons

Due to such a variety of options, harpoons are usually divided into individual species both by the method of interaction with the trigger mechanism (related to the principle of operation of the latter), and by the types of tips.

By way of interaction

Without latches in the release mechanisms

The most ancient, structurally simple and yet the most popular type of harpoons does not require the inclusion of grooves and grooves in the design of the rod. It is used in guns with a rear trigger - pneumatic, spring and crossbow.

Equipped with groove and hole

This design is necessary if the release mechanism is located at the front.

Target pistonless pneumatic shotguns AMATIKA-47 – design

Equipped with a lock

Used in spearfishing guns with rear-mounted trigger mechanisms.

By type of tips

Harpoons in which the tips are integral with the rod

The advantage of such harpoons (in essence, the design is no different from those used by ancient hunters to catch fish) is precisely their simplicity and strength. In this case, the tip cannot become detached, deformed, or get lost; it will reliably hold the fish, and among its inconveniences one can highlight only a slight difficulty in removing prey and the impossibility of using the main rod with other types of tips.

Harpoon with solid tip “Tahiti”

Harpoons with removable (screw-on) tips

This type is the most versatile and convenient, first of all, due to the ability to select a small tip of any shape and type from their set, depending on the requirements of underwater hunting. Obvious disadvantages are associated with reduced strength threaded connection, which, in case of the slightest damage, immediately reduces the shooting accuracy and threatens final failure.

Photo gallery of removable tips

Removable tip “Taimen” Removable “Paralyzer” tip for eels and small fish
Harpoon for spearfishing “Titanium five-pointer”

Regardless of the types of harpoons, an important role is played by the shape of the tips and, especially, their sharpening - selected separately not only for various types fish, but also for fishing spots.

Which harpoon to choose?

Since the choice of harpoon will be decisively influenced by the expected type and size of the fish being caught, the hunter will need to carefully consider such parameters of the weapon as the diameter of the rod, its material and rate of fire. For not very large fish, the most popular options are considered to be diameters of 6 and 6.5 mm, which have the highest rate of fire. For medium-sized fish, it is recommended to take a 7-mm harpoon, and for even larger underwater game (for example, silver carp) - 8-10 or more millimeters in diameter, preferably made not of steel, but of a titanium alloy.

For clean, clear water the gun itself can be chosen to be quite long, 1.5–2 meters, since visibility in such water will be good.

Equipment - binding methods

Since the main (and practically the only) element of harpoon equipment is the line, the method and especially the place of tying it is a fundamental point. There are not 2, but 3 such options (the usual front, in front of the sliding bushing and in the back, behind the bushing) - each with its own advantages and disadvantages. To decide how to tie the line, check out the table below.

Table “Advantages and disadvantages of methods for tying a line”

Way	Pros	Cons
Front binding	is the easiest to manufacture and allows you to quickly and easily replace the line if it is damaged or abraded; promotes good (through) shooting and retention of prey.	a rapid drop in shooting accuracy with increasing distance; weakening of the strength of the harpoon (due to the presence of a front hole); difficulty in removing the arrow; high probability of tench being cut by a fish bone.
Binding from front to sleeve	reducing the influence of the line rope on the boom; the possibility of using a long line.	design complexity; need for fixation on the muzzle; high resistance; low (due to the bushing) probability of end-to-end damage to fish; lack of fixation of the harpoon in the body of the fish at the moment of impact.
Snap behind the sleeve	insignificant influence of the line rope on the boom; ease of manufacture; high precision.	difficulty in replacing the line; weakening of the strength of the harpoon (due to the presence of a hole); the likelihood of a tench being cut by a fish bone; low (due to the bushing) probability of end-to-end damage to the fish.

Features of care

At first glance, the simplicity of the harpoon does not seem to require any special care, but this is only partly true.

It is important to note that even on stainless steel, if it is frequently underwater (especially salty), corrosion can occur. For this reason, regular lubrication is the basis for extending the life of the harpoon. It happens that even the strongest rod is subject to deformation - and in order to detect and then eliminate geometric defects of this kind, the harpoon requires periodic visual inspection. Further, the petals in harpoons may wear out, the tip may become dull, the fastenings may become loose, the line rope may fray, cracks will appear in the body of the harpoon, and that’s it. similar problems before the hunt (or after it) will need to be eliminated - with a hammer, sandpaper, clean dry rags and good lubrication. By the way, the usual motor oil. You need to apply it to a piece of cloth and thoroughly wipe the metal, paying attention special attention threaded areas.

IN various sources recommendations on the frequency of lubrication are given differently - but since this procedure is not so expensive, ideally it is better to carry it out not a couple of times a season, but after each hunt (and also at the end of the season). If serious defects are detected on any part of the harpoon, the failed element must be replaced.

Photo gallery: spearfishing trophies

Fantastic trophy – catfish 70 kg Not a bad trophy - perch The romance of spearfishing

Video: spearfishing for silver carp (22 kg) from a boat

How to make a harpoon with your own hands

As is known, many experienced craftsmen spearfishers prefer to make a harpoon (or, according to at least, tips) with your own hands, rather than using a factory product. In addition, making a harpoon with your own hands is not so difficult, and if you have everyone necessary details and materials, such a weapon will have a number of advantages over the standardized version, since it will meet the needs of the hunter even in minor details.

Everything you need to create the simplest model- this is a strong thick stick, strong steel wire, rope from synthetic material, tools and a little patience.

The optimal diameter of the wire for the tips (of which you can make several - from three to five) will be 4–5 mm, and the length of the cut pieces will be from 20 to 30 cm. One end, 6-7 mm from the edge, of each piece will need to be bent under at a right angle, and flatten the second with a hammer. The flattened ends will need to be filed to form a more or less curved hook-hook. And the rear ones will then be inserted into a stick (with holes made in advance for this purpose) and securely rewound with several dozen turns of any strong synthetic rope. After this, the homemade harpoon can be considered completely ready for use.