Cyrano 970 SHAFT Disappointment.

[ihab]

The Cyrano 970 SHAFT Disappointment.

I recently bought the Mares Cyrano 970 (39 inch) pneumatic speargun with lots of disappointments.

SHAFTS.
The shafts that come with the gun tend to bend each time you load them. And I do mean B-E-N-D !!
I went through 2 shafts in 2 days …about 2 hours worth of hunting per day and the shafts were totally gone, bent from the tip more than any other place.

LOADING.
Although I work out with weights regularly and I’m considered a muscular guy; loading this gun was another story.
I had to put every muscle I have in my body to make the shaft go down the barrel, even my ear muscles !!!!
There is no way on earth, a regular guy can load this gun, with all the techniques known or unknown.

GUN PERFORMANCE.
The gun is beautiful, powerful, easy to maneuver but loading it and the shafts provided with that gun is just a very big disappointment.

In my opinion, anything larger than 70 cm in pneumatic guns is a waste of money.

Does any know what is the web site for for Mares that produces this gun.
I’ve tried www.mares.com, they have everything except the Cyrano spear gun.

Next time, I'm buying a band gun

[spaghetti]

It's a pity. As you said it's a very good speargun, powerful and accurate, and expensive too. Before throwing it in the waste bin, I would try again and give it a second chance. But mind that loading a long pneumatic with thin 7mm shaft is very technical: I've bent some shafts in the past, so I know what you mean.
Since you don't seem to have much experience with airguns, please accept some tips about loading properly:
-switch the power reductor button on half power to make loading easier.
-stretch you body long in water and place the gun butt on your foot.
-insert shaft, holding its tail with your left hand (this prevents bending) while the right hand pulls the shaft's top downwards.
-when it's half inside, slip left hand on the muzzle and finish the job until you hear the click. Then you can switch the power button back to full power.
remember: using left hand to keep straight the shaft's tail is very important to prevent bending. If you do it properly, everything will be okay.
-----------
website is a problem indeed. I have information that all the spearfishing products of the Mares group will be listed in the new Sporasub site, which is still under construction.

[ihab]

Hi Spaghetti:

Thank you so much for your reply......the thing that caught my attention was your quote….SWITCH the power reductor button on half power to make loading EASIER.

I did this once by pure coincidence........…and found loading very easy……… but I was under the impression that if I loaded the gun with the power reductor button on HALF power, the gun will only give out HALF the power, even after re-setting the power redactor to the FULL power position before firing.

I guess I was wrong
In that case, the shaft will not bent and it shows the little experience I have with spearfishing….but I love it and very much addicted to it.

Thanks again Spaghetti…..I can’t wait to load my gun…!!!

Ihab

[spaghetti]

No worry: you actually can reduce power while loading and then switch it back to full power to shoot.
I also have the impression that your gun might have been over-pumped. This also makes loading very hard: more air in the reservoir, more effort to push the shaft into it.
It's not necessarry to pump it to death: you could keep it loaded at just 20 or 25 atm, and it will shoot powerfully as well. But with less air in, it will be easier to load, and the trigger action will be softer too (so gaining some accuracy, BTW).
Hope this helps, enjoy.

[GreekDiver]

Your technique is probably not good. Take out some air in the gun and then add air gradually. Once you get used to it, it loads super easy. I have a plethora of airguns.

[ihab]

It's true, my technique is probably not too good but yet when I put the power at half point, still there is a slight bent that happens to the shaft thus my shooting becomes very inaccurate...basically due to the shaft wobeling...I think.

THE 1/2 POWER LOADING MYTH
Also, the concept that if you load the gun while the switch is at half power will make loading easy...THIS IS A MYTH.
What happens is......if you fire the gun while the switch is at half power, loading it after that while the switch is at half power ...this is easy...no problems here.

BUT ...If you fire the gun while the switch is at FULL power then return the switch back to HALF power before loading it...guess what...loading needs an effort just exactly as if the switch is at FULL power.
In other words, as long as you fire at half power, loading at half power is easy.
If you fire at full power, try to switch to back to half power just before loading...this will not do the trick.

Sorry Spaghetti.....your advise did not work on the Cyrano 970...unless I'm missing something!!

In any case, I've tried very hard to get used to the gun...still extremely disappointed, although I have a 50 cm pnuetamic and caught reasonable size groopers and what have you.
BUT with this gun....I'm not doing much except hurting my elbows joints and scarying the hell out of the fish...for nothing.

I'm getting a Rob Allen 100 cm and see what happens.

Thanks though for all your replies.

Originally Posted by GreekDiver

Your technique is probably not good. Take out some air in the gun and then add air gradually. Once you get used to it, it loads super easy. I have a plethora of airguns.

[GreekDiver]

Originally Posted by ihab

It's true, my technique is probably not too good but yet when I put the power at half point, still there is a slight bent that happens to the shaft thus my shooting becomes very inaccurate...basically due to the shaft wobeling...I think.

THE 1/2 POWER LOADING MYTH
Also, the concept that if you load the gun while the switch is at half power will make loading easy...THIS IS A MYTH.
What happens is......if you fire the gun while the switch is at half power, loading it after that while the switch is at half power ...this is easy...no problems here.

BUT ...If you fire the gun while the switch is at FULL power then return the switch back to HALF power before loading it...guess what...loading needs an effort just exactly as if the switch is at FULL power.
In other words, as long as you fire at half power, loading at half power is easy.
If you fire at full power, try to switch to back to half power just before loading...this will not do the trick.

Sorry Spaghetti.....your advise did not work on the Cyrano 970...unless I'm missing something!!

In any case, I've tried very hard to get used to the gun...still extremely disappointed, although I have a 50 cm pnuetamic and caught reasonable size groopers and what have you.
BUT with this gun....I'm not doing much except hurting my elbows joints and scarying the hell out of the fish...for nothing.

I'm getting a Rob Allen 100 cm and see what happens.

Thanks though for all your replies.

id buy it from you but you are in egypt

Your shaft is probably not spring steel either. The shaft that the gun comes with is crap. I throw them away once i recieve a new gun. Rob allen is a good band gun. Even though i think airguns are superior to band guns, the rob allen is a nice gun and will kill fish just fine.

One last thing, how tall are you? Are you using an extendor to reach the tip of spear? I use a similiar style like the one on the right.



Here is also a video you can watch how to load a real long pneumatic.
130cm + mambatized gun. The cyrano is actually easier to load because it has a smaller chamber to shoot only 7mm shafts. The airguns that shoot 8mm shafts are harder to load.

http://www.team5150.com/~harry/spear...el%20Mamba.avi

I hope this info helped.

[ihab]

Okay...you may have a point, where do I buy a spring steel shaft, preferabley an on-line store.

May I ask, where is Boca Raton located.

I'm 1.72 m tall...

Originally Posted by GreekDiver

id buy it from you but you are in egypt

Your shaft is probably not spring steel either. The shaft that the gun comes with is crap. I throw them away once i recieve a new gun. Rob allen is a good band gun. Even though i think airguns are superior to band guns, the rob allen is a nice gun and will kill fish just fine.

One last thing, how tall are you? Are you using an extendor to reach the tip of spear? I use a similiar style like the one on the right.



Here is also a video you can watch how to load a real long pneumatic.
130cm + mambatized gun. The cyrano is actually easier to load because it has a smaller chamber to shoot only 7mm shafts. The airguns that shoot 8mm shafts are harder to load.

http://www.team5150.com/~harry/spear...el%20Mamba.avi

I hope this info helped.

[GreekDiver]

Originally Posted by ihab

Okay...you may have a point, where do I buy a spring steel shaft, preferabley an on-line store.

May I ask, where is Boca Raton located.

I'm 1.72 m tall...

I don't know where in Egypt. I'm in USA, Florida. Usually an quality spear is stainless spring steel. The one that the gun comes with is not. I'm sure the local dive shops will have spring steel shafts. I'm 1.8 meters tall and i can load that gun in less than 2 seconds. I know people who are about the same height as you and load 130cm airguns with no problems.

[ihab]

If you know of any web site that sells spring steel shafts...please let me know.

I import all my spearfishing gear from the US.

Originally Posted by GreekDiver

I don't know where in Egypt. I'm in USA, Florida. Usually an quality spear is stainless spring steel. The one that the gun comes with is not. I'm sure the local dive shops will have spring steel shafts. I'm 1.8 meters tall and i can load that gun in less than 2 seconds. I know people who are about the same height as you and load 130cm airguns with no problems.

[GreekDiver]

Originally Posted by ihab

If you know of any web site that sells spring steel shafts...please let me know.

I import all my spearfishing gear from the US.

that is going to be expensive for shipping. Are you sure there arent any dive shops around there? There is a guy in florida who makes shafts. Hes pretty cheap but the shipping will kill you. He is an old timer that makes shafts. His name is Ray Oder and hes a member of this forum. I have his website info at home. Ill post it when i get home.

[ihab]

Thanks a million...I appreciate this.

In Egypt, we don't have access to spare parts and what have you...and I also know shipping is always expensive...as long as it is worth it...that's okay.

Who said spearfishing is a cheap sports !!

Originally Posted by GreekDiver

that is going to be expensive for shipping. Are you sure there arent any dive shops around there? There is a guy in florida who makes shafts. Hes pretty cheap but the shipping will kill you. He is an old timer that makes shafts. His name is Ray Oder and hes a member of this forum. I have his website info at home. Ill post it when i get home.

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by ihab

Sorry Spaghetti.....your advise did not work on the Cyrano 970...unless I'm missing something!!

Sorry for our misfortune, I know how you must feel. But this is strange: I have loaded long Mares airguns hundreds times, with the factory standard shafts, and (except for the first two or three times) the tricks have always worked .
Did you release some of the air? As suggested before, loading it at 35 atm would give hard times to everybody, while at 20 or 25 atm it would be easier to load, yet powerful to shoot.
THE MYTH
The power reductor works with a no-return valve that splits the air reservoir in two: when you switch it, part of the air remains in the barrell, while the other part is trapped by the valve inside the handle.
So when you pull the shaft down the barrel on half power, it's supposed to meet only a fraction of the air to make resistance. Then after, when you put the switch back on full power, you lift the block, so that all the air meets again in the same place: BOOOM!
So what?
Maybe I understated the fact that you, being very muscular, can pull all the shaft down in one single stroke. The action should be fractioned, to allow the no return valve to capture a portion of the air (it works as every other valve: air can get in, but then not out). "Fractioned"means: pull down half shaft, pause, release it a bit, then all down with a brief pause at half track.
After all, away from any power reductor thing, the shaft should not bend if it's pulled down straight: the force that pulls down must be parallel to the axis of the shaft. Differently, even the strongest steel can be bent by a strong man like you.
I tried to help. If these tips will not work, I don't know what else I could say.
Regards, and all the best to you.

[GreekDiver]

all shafts bend. You want them too. If they dont, they will snap or stay bent. That is why spring stainless steel works so well for spears. The best shafts are just harder and denser spring steel but they still bend. Your loading problems will not be solved by buying spring steel.

If i was you, i would release some air in the gun until you get your technique down. I can load pneumatics very well with super high pressure because im used to it over the years. You still need to buy a real shaft though because that shaft that came with the gun will rust anyways.

If you think 97cm gun is hard to load, try loading a 130cm

I never messed with power regulator. If you asked me, its a complete waste. Mine is rusted shut on full power. I guess if you are shooting into rocks less power is good. I rather just sharpen it more Mostly everyone cranks their gun up as much as they can handle for MORE POWER!

[spaghetti]

Hurrà! Greek Diver and I agree on one point: release some air while you work out your technique.

PS: Hey Greek, I've been looking for new Sten longer than 100 after you asked me, but I couldn't find anywhere here. I'm afraid that 100 is the longest, yet not 100% sure. DB forum members Asturven and Zohara trade airguns in the Usa: ask them for a final verdict. Cheers.