57" Enclosed track teak gun

Here are some photos of the lastest gun myself and Pugz have collaborated on.
We built this one for me to take to Maui in June, and today it gets shipped to Key west for some much better divers than me to test with.

57" long, 2"x2" stock, 3 lam Teak
3 5/8" dia. bands
Short extension mid-handle
Epoxy graphite enclosed track
Hogue-AR-15 grip, adapted to custom pocket mounted frame
64-1/2" 5/16 DIA Addiction spear
Neptonics Reef Mech.
400lb green mono

The other unfinished gun in the background is this ones little sister.
a 55" open track. Similar build components

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

By dustyyoungblood at 2012-05-02

Quote from ladvr

Sweet gun. How much lead did you put into it? What was the final weight?

Mike

So far only 2 Oz. final ballast will happen tomorrow.

Quote from metelin

very nice work, i especially like the handle frame but why an open epoxy track?

It is enclosed. Just enough to retain the shaft. I would have liked it about 0.05" deeper.

Quote from Don Paul

Nice looking guns, what is the design function of the deep milled groove in the center of the timber span?
Have you tried tracked the gun with bands right and left underwater? I would think the groove would have a cupping affect adding to hydrodynamic drag, just a thought.

Cheers, Don

The milled groove idea came from feedback from a test user. The sole function is a hand grip. He likes to swim his guns down while gripping them over the bands at mid-barrel. The last gun we made him was 2 1/4" wide, and he had trouble getting his hand around it. This gun is 2" wide, with a groove so it is easy to grip in that way.

I need some more time with it to really tell. I had it in the water at Catalina for only 45 min on Friday, and I spent most that time just firing it in open water. I did swing it around a bit, and to be honest side to side drag did not bother me. It is the longest gun I have dove with, and seemed to move well without me fighting it. I will guarantee that this shape will have more hydrodynamic drag when tracking than a thinner/sleeker shape. But will it be a hindrance? Don't know yet.