Cressi comanche 110 allows 2 bands?

  • Hey guys I am new to this forum and brand new to spearfishing. I have never been spearfishing and I have a few questions. Your guys help would be greatly appreciated! So, I recently bought a Cressi Comanche 110 speargun. On the muzzle of the gun there is another slot for a second band. The band it comes with is a 16mm band and I was reading that people were saying on other forums that if I were to place a second 16mm band for extra power it would possibly bend the gun and or even cause trigger malfunctions or damage the trigger entirely. Is this true? On the Cressi website it specifically says there is a second slot for a second band. I have a hard time believing they would put a second slot and it would cause problems with the gun. Does that make sense? Also, the gun comes with a 6mm shaft. If using two bands, will that affect the shaft causing any whipping or bending of the shaft or even inaccuracies? Would I need a thicker shaft? Thanks guys I really appreciate your time and help! Just trying to catch on quickly and learn as much as possible. Thanks again!

  • If the manufacturer makes provision for a second band then the gun will handle it as if nothing else they test their standard product.
    One band is sufficient for slimmer shafts (6.5 to 7 mm diameter), but if you go up a size (8 mm diameter) then you may need two bands. You use more bands and heavier shafts for their stopping power and against more heavily protected fish in terms of “armour”. To shoot further out you get a longer gun, many divers have a range of gun lengths for different jobs and that includes me.


    When spearfishing the questions come in the following order, the fish you are targeting and the type of seabed they are located in, the reach required and the penetrating power of the shot to defeat them and lastly the type of weapon that can deliver the performance then required now that it has been defined. The other consideration is can you load the gun out in the water without your feet on the bottom.

  • Ok cool thanks popgun Pete, I appreciate the info very much! Just heard different things from the forums but that definitely helps. So I'll probably add another 16mm band for that 6mm shaft is what I'm thinking. That shouldn't affect the accuracy right? Too much power for a lighter shaft? What would you say the accuracy is in terms of feet with a 110 gun?

  • On this gun I would use at most two 14mm bands, for the reason that with two 16mm there will be too much recoil and you will not be able to hit anything.


    6mm shaft is too thin, it's only good for pan sized fish and will bend fast. Get a 7mm shaft.

  • Yes, 6 mm is what 1/4" which is OK in the Mediterranean Sea as the fish there are often smaller. You want 7 mm at least, but again it goes back to what you are shooting at. Two bands are too much for a 6 mm shaft, especially on a 110 cm model. As for accuracy the only way to really find out is to shoot it as how you hold the gun comes into it. Grip it tightly with both hands overlapped and you will find it is more accurate than with one hand. Various people can tell you all sorts of things, but at the end of the day you are the one pulling the trigger.

  • Gotcha thanks for the info from both you guys that makes sense. Well looks like I'll have to get a 7mm shaft then. I'm going to Tahiti in April and l plan to do some spearfishing there. I bought a reel for my Comanche 110, but I'm not sure what size diameter dyneema to get or if there are other substitutes besides dyneema I can use? Mono? Or do you guys strongly suggest dyneema?

  • Actually Tahiti is where the original Tahitian guns with single bands and 1/4" spears which had a lot of spear overhang started as fish there were rather small due to heavy fishing. So maybe the 6 mm spear may come in handy in over-fished Tahiti! As for line no sharp rocks and you can use mono, sharp rocks and reef you are better with dyneema as one nick in mono and it parts very easily under sudden loads like when a fish runs for its life after being hit.

  • But you can use mono for the shooting line and dyneema on the reel, but I don't like mono as it is such springy stuff and easily nicked if you are not careful around rocks, which abound in my usual haunts. You can run mono through your fingers feeling for nicks, but it is easy to miss one and at times if you tread on your shooting line on a rough bottom in the shallows you can cause damage to the mono. Out of a boat and rolling over the side, well then mono has an easier life.

  • 2 mm diameter and just under is fine, unless you shoot a monster! You want more than a skinny thread for the strength and the numbers of strands in a yarn define the properties as well as the material being used to create it.

  • Too much line and there is a lot to crank back onto the reel, but you want enough if the fish holes up and you need to surface for a breath of air, so maybe double the line for the average depth you are in for diving when in reasonably deep water, i.e. not in the shallows. The line will be at an angle, so that is why you need more than the depth straight down. You don't want too much line in the water as if the fish orbits around you then he may tie you up.

  • I've had the very same gun and catched lots of fish with it. For me, the best set-up for that gun is a 6.5-6.6 shaft and 17.5-18 mm short bands. Don't put an additional band in the slot as you won't hit anything.


    You can use mono (at least 1.8 mm) in your reel, but I recommend dyneema of 1.7-2 mm. Fill the reel as much as you can, 150 feet minimum. Better safe than sorry.


    Post some pictures when you return from Thaiti! :)

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.

    Edited once, last by Marco ().

  • Awesome thanks for the help that sounds great! And yes I will I'll post some pics! Hoping to find some fatties! I had another question. Im a shorter stature type guy with so muscle and I ordered a pathos thira wetsuit size small. I noticed when I put the bottoms on (long johns) there is a gap in my lower back. Everything feels great around my legs and even the top portion feels good. But I still have a little gap of air in my lower back. Anyone else have this problem? Will that be a major issue?

  • I don't like farmer john style pants because if I need to take a dump in the water everything has to come off including the jacket, and the suspenders don't add any warmth only more hassle to put on and take off. That said the belt should cinch it all down. Why did you choose that particular wetsuit?

  • Awesome thanks for the help that sounds great! And yes I will I'll post some pics! Hoping to find some fatties! I had another question. Im a shorter stature type guy with so muscle and I ordered a pathos thira wetsuit size small. I noticed when I put the bottoms on (long johns) there is a gap in my lower back. Everything feels great around my legs and even the top portion feels good. But I still have a little gap of air in my lower back. Anyone else have this problem? Will that be a major issue?

    Dont worry about the gap, your top should be snug enough to keep the material close to your skin. I agree with what Dan said, farmer johns are a pain when you gotta take an aqua deuce, but they do add an extra layer of insulation around the core. I tend to either order just pants style or cut the johns off above the stitched seam.


    The cressi comanche handle is one of my favorites for its simplicity and comfort. I used it with a single band, (cut the muzzle screw in and modified it to just use one circular rubber) It handled up to a single 20mm band. I then used the handle to make my first roller pipe gun. It works but you have to be careful loading or the rocking sear can get jammed. I figured out that if you do not pull the shaft to where the sear is fully engaged before laodding yout bands it can get stuck in a position where even pulling the trigger completely will not release the shaft. Maybe it could have been just mine, but just have that in mind when loading the comanche trigger mech with more than one band, or any setup with more power like a roller. Anyway goodluck on your trip.


    Dive safe,

    Josh

  • Awesome that's all great info and helps a ton. I got a great deal on my wetsuit normally it's $350+ but I got it for $50. So I couldn't pass it up. I think for now I'll keep the 16mm band and I'll probably buy a 18mm and use a 6.5 or 7mm shaft later down the road. My suit is 5mm and I was curious to know how much weight I should add to my weight belt? I weight about 155-158 lbs. Any idea how much weight I should add?

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