Hypothetical spear gun question

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Diver-writer

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Location
Evergreen, Colorado
# of dives
25 - 49
I'm writing a mystery novel and have a question about spear guns. While I used to dive frequently in the Caymans, I've never hunted so I'm not familiar with spear guns. My question is this (don't laugh!) - but is there any way that a true bonehead could pick up a loaded spear gun on a boat and think he is aiming it at someone and actually shoot himself in the throat? Or maybe do this while he is trying to load the thing?

I know there are many different types of spear guns, and this could be any model, old or new, but it would be poetic justice if this character offed himself with the spear gun while trying to shoot someone else. I was just wondering if there's any particular type that would make this kind of accident more plausible. (Please take into account that this character is not a diver, he's a 40-something bureaucrat who has zero mechanical aptitude, and is in a highly agitated, highly emotional state at the time and is actually trying to shoot someone else out of spite and nails himself instead.) Thanks for your help!
 
I'm writing a mystery novel and have a question about spear guns. While I used to dive frequently in the Caymans, I've never hunted so I'm not familiar with spear guns. My question is this (don't laugh!) - but is there any way that a true bonehead could pick up a loaded spear gun on a boat and think he is aiming it at someone and actually shoot himself in the throat? Or maybe do this while he is trying to load the thing?

The second could be plausible. The first probably not.

I know there are many different types of spear guns, and this could be any model, old or new, but it would be poetic justice if this character offed himself with the spear gun while trying to shoot someone else. I was just wondering if there's any particular type that would make this kind of accident more plausible. (Please take into account that this character is not a diver, he's a 40-something bureaucrat who has zero mechanical aptitude, and is in a highly agitated, highly emotional state at the time and is actually trying to shoot someone else out of spite and nails himself instead.) Thanks for your help!
 
.... think he is aiming it at someone and actually shoot himself in the throat?.......

I think Pat has the best scenerio with loading a pneumatic.

On a different twist, hunters sometimes use a device called a Beco Powerhead. In effect it is a real bullet inserted into a springloaded chamber with a firing pin. If it were dropped onto a hard surface, the powerhead can go off causing death or severe injury.

The concept of the powerhead, is that it's loaded onto the end of a speartip, and then pushed/rammed/shot against a fish's head, firing the bullet. The bullet itself does not kill the fish, but rather the resulting gas expansion/explosion from the gun powder inside the bullet's casing, so the powerhead must be on the fish's head. On the surface, it would be the bullet that would be deadly. They come in different sizes from small 22's up to 44 mags, and even 12ga.

You may be able to twist your plot along this line too.

P.S. As a side note, a very good friend of ours recently had something similar to him while on a boat. He is still in very serious condition months after this tragic accident. I don't want to disrespect or downplay how serious this accident was and alot of us are still hoping for his full recovery.


MVC-238X.JPG
 
Do a search on You Tube topic speargun accidents I saw a clip of someone doing some target practice at a tin can with line attached to spear and the spear springing back and and hitting him.
 
Do a search on You Tube topic speargun accidents I saw a clip of someone doing some target practice at a tin can with line attached to spear and the spear springing back and and hitting him.

That's an idea. The line attached to the spear could get tangled and then rebound to hit the shooter.
 
Johnoly, I am so sorry to hear about your friend, and I apologize if this subject is upsetting to anyone. Sometimes I get so involved in writing fiction that I forget there are real tragedies out there. Thank you for sharing.
 
Diver-Writer,
They also make very short guns. It would be difficult to shoot yourself with a long gun but it seems like it could be very possible while loading one of these short guns. Perhaps it could go off because of a faulty trigger mechanism? When I was a kid I had an old Arbalete and I remember the parts on it would rust all the time. I remember constantly dis-assmebling the handle-trigger mechanism, cleaning it up, greasing and and putting it back together.

I wish your friend the best Johnoly.

-Chris
 
I think Pat has the best scenerio with loading a pneumatic.

On a different twist, hunters sometimes use a device called a Beco Powerhead. In effect it is a real bullet inserted into a springloaded chamber with a firing pin. If it were dropped onto a hard surface, the powerhead can go off causing death or severe injury.

The concept of the powerhead, is that it's loaded onto the end of a speartip, and then pushed/rammed/shot against a fish's head, firing the bullet. The bullet itself does not kill the fish, but rather the resulting gas expansion/explosion from the gun powder inside the bullet's casing, so the powerhead must be on the fish's head. On the surface, it would be the bullet that would be deadly. They come in different sizes from small 22's up to 44 mags, .....
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FYI
There is a difference between a Power Head and a Bang Stick. The Powerhead was developed by Californian Jack Prodanovich in 1940s. The Bang stick is a Wally Gibbons unit developed in Australia in 1950s. An article of mine from many years past describes the difference.
The article follows;

"Power Heads and Bang Sticks
by Dr. Sam Miller

The "power head" and the "bang stick" are not synonyms, though they could be considered distant cousins. Both use a gunpowder cartridge, but the similarity ends there. The power head is shot from a spear gun and uses the cartridge to force a dart through the fish. The bang stick is uses the cartridge's concussive effect to kill the fish.

Power heads:

The power head was a point-impact spear point which contained a propellant, generally a .22 caliber or .38 caliber shell, which when fired, drove a spear point called a "dart" into and hopefully through the fish. There were two separate lines on the gun: one a shooting line, the other attached to the dart. The dart line was in turn attached to probably 200 feet of W.W.II of surplus parachute line which terminated in an inflatable device generally a surplus W.W.II Mae West. This component was contained in a "line pack," which was some how attached, generally via bands, to the barrel of the gun.

The "power head" which is distinctly unique to Southern California, was developed in San Diego in the very early 1940s by the grand old man Jack Prodanovich. Jack's model was small and compact. It was powered by a .22 caliber rife shell and was unique in that it was cocked by the inertia of firing. A very desirable feature since it eliminated the need to cock it or carry it armed.

Those that know Jack well realize that in addition to having hearing problems like all divers of the Viagra generation, he is blind in one eye. This was caused by the power head being rebounded back to him when he was test firing it in a swimming pool. Jacks account of this accident can be found in an early 1950's issue of Skin Diver Magazine.

Herb Sampson, of Costa Mesa, was second to developed a power head. Herb's was big and massive and propelled by a .38 caliber pistol shell. Like his spear gun it had unique threads on the shaft - 1/4-24 (as I recall,) so it could only be attached to his gun. The gun, with its twin line releases, his special line pack, and the power head were "the gun" for a number of years, and at one time held more world records than any other spear gun. Which is how the Sampson got the name "World Record Spear Gun."

Bill Barada, of Los Angeles, was all over diving in the pioneering days and contributed so much; About a dozen books including 2 hard backs on spear fishing, the original dry suit, developed the Hammer head muzzle for the Arbalete, established the Neptunes spear fishing club, the list goes on and on. He also developed the .38 caliber "Thunder Head" power head. It was his biggest failure. Both the Prodanovich and the Sampson power heads had triggering mechanisms that extended about a foot in front of the unit and acted as a trigger when it came in contact with a fish. The Thunder Head relied on the point making contact with the fish exactly like the bang stick. As taught in freshman physics every action has an equal and opposite reaction so the arrow being free flight would often, by the laws of physics, be propelled back at the diver if the object that was struck was hard or impenetrable. Even though it was a dismal failure and was on the market for a short time, there is a picture of this unit in the 1950's book "Dive" by the Carriers. I can't recall a good picture of the Prodanovich or the Sampson in any book.

Bang Sticks
The "Bang Stick" was perfected down under in Australia, bythe late Wally Gibbons. I first recall seeing it in action in the early 1960's at an under water film festival. Aussies presented a movie in which it was used to dispatch sharks. It is composed of a barrel, which holds the propellant, any thing from a small caliber pistol cartridge to a very large caliber rifle cartridge which must have a rim to hold it in place and a back/firing pin, which is generally attached to a pole spear.

The operation is quite simple, the propellant slides into the barrel and extends out the firing side about 1/2 inch. The back/firing pin which should contain a safety constructed of a cotter pin inserted crosswise is attached to the barrel. When the prey is spotted the cotter pin is removed, which arms the spear. The spear is grasped, the sling stretched to maximum length like a pole spear and released striking the prey. Upon contact the cartridge is driven up the barrel making contact with the firing pin igniting the cartridge and propelling the charge into the prey. Very simple and effective.

An American, Rhett Mc Nair, lived in Anaheim developed and tried unsuccessfully to market a six shooter bang stick about the time the "Shark Dart" was introduced.

My diving buddy of that era, the late Jack Waite (note SDM first edition) and I went to a gun dealer, Hy Hunter in Pasadena purchased a very cheap and beat up .38, cut off the barrel, tossed the handles, and allowed Uncle Sam to fabricate a three foot trigger extension which was welded in place of the gun handle. With six .38s available and placed next to a fish's head, it did wonders to persuade the stubborn Baja fish to exit their holes; they really got an offer they couldn't refuse.

About 1958 the US government got into the act. Power heads were at that time were classified as firearms, and fell into the same category as sawed off shot guns, machine guns etc. Therefore they were illegal to posses or use. Finally the government decreed that they could be rendered legal IF they were solidly attached to a shaft longer than 18 inches. By that time the age of the power head was passing into history, so the law was essentially ineffective. I have no idea how the shops legally sell bang sticks in today's government controlled market place."


30 sdm
 
I suppose you could say the guy in the novel had an injured hand but was desparate....so he put the butt of the gun against the side of the boat and tried to cock the bands with his toes with the gun pointed right at him. He didn't check to see that the shaft was locked in well, and when he let go with his toes....SCHLIIINK !!!!....he's pinned to the cooler....ha, he's toast.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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