Homemade speargun. Making a homemade speargun for spearfishing What to make a harpoon for a gun from

Spear, spear, harpoon - names familiar from childhood. Every schoolchild knows that all these tools were once used for different types of hunting, but few people know that the spear and the harpoon, although they are used for water hunting, have differences among themselves. 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 tip with notches of 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, as 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 shores of North America and Japan. Previously, when ships were sailing and were small, 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 the southern waters of the 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 claws) 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. Recently, underwater hunting has become popular among amateurs, for which even special types of guns that shoot harpoon arrows have been invented. The harpoon itself for underwater hunting can be divided into several types, which depend on the design features of 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 shotguns with air or spring triggers;
• 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 shapes:

• 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 fish species, the harpoon must be made of titanium and have a diameter of 8 millimeters or more.

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 harm even stainless steel, because over time it can also be subject to destruction, 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 fact is that homemade weapons are often better than standard ones, since they are made to the individual requirements of the 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. A simple homemade harpoon model 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, modern models of harpoons are used both in professional activities (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-held harpoon.

You can ensure a significant catch by getting into a “fishing place”, but no matter how much fish there is, the hunter cannot do without good equipment and special devices.

Underwater fishing equipment includes several elements, but one of the main ones is an underwater harpoon. Only if a person has a gun and a harpoon in his hands can he be considered an underwater hunter.

Description

This is the main element that ensures direct contact with the fish. Having hit the fish, it helps to hold it.

Material used to make a harpoon - stainless steel, which has special strength, which is often subjected to hardening. Only with a harpoon that has sufficient rigidity can high-quality hunting be ensured.

If this element of equipment is not reliable in this regard - it bends when fired, then it is very difficult to hit the target, since the accuracy of the hit is not guaranteed.

Moreover, this device becomes dangerous when used.

Kinds

Harpoons for underwater guns can be classified into the following types:

A) the most popular type - harpoons that do not have a lock in the trigger mechanism. They are solid, there are no grooves or grooves. Guns in which this type of harpoon is applicable are pneumatic, with a trigger mechanism located at the rear;

b) guns with a trigger mechanism located at the front. The harpoon for such a gun differs from others in the hole and presence of a groove.

c) a group of guns in which the harpoons are machined so that they can be fixed at the back in the trigger mechanism.

Depending on the tip of the harpoon, they can be divided into groups:

a) A harpoon with a tip at its base. The advantage of this design is that the fish is securely held on it and its deformation is excluded. It also prevents loosening of the attachment of the tip to the harpoon and its loss. The downside is that it is somewhat difficult to remove fish from it.

b) A harpoon, the tip of which is screwed onto. A universal type of harpoon. Having a variety of tips, you can replace them, focusing on hunting conditions. It’s good because it allows you to easily remove fish from yourself. Its disadvantage is that the metal at the thread location has low strength, which leads to breakage or bending of the harpoon, which negatively affects the accuracy of the shot.

The shape of the harpoon tip and its sharpening directly affects on the quality of use of this tool and its productivity. In accordance with the type of fish living and the place of the planned hunt, the type of sharpening of the harpoon is selected.

Video about harpoons for underwater guns. Very useful for beginners and not only. Enjoy watching.

Choosing a harpoon for a speargun

You need to choose a harpoon for an upcoming underwater hunt based on the type and size of the fish you expect to catch.

The most popular is a harpoon with a diameter of 6.5 mm. If you are fishing for small-sized fish, then a harpoon with a diameter of 6 mm is suitable. They are faster firing.

If you are fishing for not very small fish, then you need a harpoon with a diameter of 7 mm, or even better, 8 mm, the material for which is titanium. Such harpoons are distinguished from others by their reliability and special strength.

If hunting is carried out in blue water, then the most convenient would be a gun with a length of 1.5 - 2 meters, and a harpoon size of 8 to 10 mm.

Some spearfishers give preference not production devices, but those that allow the possibility of making them yourself. Harpoon is no exception.

How to make a harpoon for spearfishing with your own hands

Homemade harpoon for spearfishing has a number of advantages. The master will bring his weapon to perfection, making it as convenient as possible in all respects. In addition, it does not require much time to assemble. If a hunter does not have a shortage of available tools, then making one will not be difficult.

Making a harpoon will require two items: a thick stick that will replace the metal rod, and tips.

The tips are made of durable steel wire, the diameter of which is 4-5 mm. It is cut into pieces of 25-30 cm, depending on the desired number of tips - either 5 pieces or 3.

The edge of the wire must be bent so that a right angle is obtained, the length of the bent edge is 5-7 mm. The other edge needs to be made flat by flattening it, and then made into something like a thorn with a hook.

Make holes in the stick, insert bent sharp ends into them, and secure it all with a rope in several turns. The harpoon is ready.

This video shows how to make your own gun and harpoon for spearfishing. Enjoy watching.

Tying a harpoon to a speargun

The most popular are three types of binding: front binding; binding from the front, the bushing has a sliding mechanism; binding from the back, i.e. behind the bushing with sliding.

Each of the listed types of binding has its own positive and negative aspects. Let's list them.

Front binding

Positive:

• has no difficulties in manufacturing, as well as replacement
  frayed tench;
• easily shoots fish and holds them.

Negative:

• less effective hitting from a distance;
• the presence of a hole for binding weakens the arrow;
• the arrow may get stuck in difficult places;
• Tench can be cut with a fish bone.

Video on how to practically tie a harpoon to a speargun. Enjoy watching.

Front binding to sliding sleeve

Positive:

• The length of the line is normal.

Negative:

• has difficulties in manufacturing;
• a fixation is required at the muzzle site;
• the harpoon has a complicated model;
• higher resistance;
• end-to-end damage to fish is complicated by the bushing;
• the arrow is not fixed in the fish at the moment it is hit.

Attached to the rear with a sliding sleeve

Positive:

• there is no special influence of the line on the harpoon;
• there are no special difficulties in manufacturing;
• The muzzle ensures the correct direction of the harpoon.

Negative:

• it is problematic to replace an outdated or damaged line;
• The reliability of the arrow is reduced by the presence of a hole for attachment;
• Tench can be cut with a fish bone;
• end-to-end damage to fish is complicated by the bushing.

Choosing for yourself optimal design of the harpoon, the hunter-fisherman will not experience difficulties due to the inconvenience of equipment, and will receive a lot of pleasure and impressions in the underwater world, ensuring the expected catch.

Photos about harpoons for spearfishing can be seen below. Enjoy watching.

The speargun has a direct impact on the success of the event, so its quality is critical. Experts do not recommend rushing to the first thing you come across, because an exciting adventure can turn into torment due to a poor device. Before selecting a weapon, it is better to get acquainted with all its varieties, find out their characteristics, pros and cons. Even then decide which underwater gun will be the best choice.

Types of underwater guns

There are certain types of guns for this type of hunting. The modern market has devices made by different companies, but you may also come across a homemade underwater gun. When purchasing a speargun for yourself, you need to know that there are the following types:

• Sling;
• Gunpowder;
• Vacuum;
• Gas;
• Spring;
• Hydropneumatic;
• Pneumatic;
• Crossbow.

Sling

You can’t call a sling or a Hawaiian gun a gun, and from the outside it doesn’t look like one. However, this device itself became the ancestor of all underwater guns.

A sling is a metal tube with a movable tip attached to it. The other end has a spring or rubber band. To activate the device, a spring or rubber band is pulled to the middle of the tube. At this point, the hunter, holding it with his hand, releases the tube after aiming. The tension force will throw it sharply at the target. You can make such an underwater gun with your own hands without any problems, even at home.

Powder gun for underwater hunting

The harpoon is ejected under the action of powder charges. These guns were popular in the last century. Nowadays their use is prohibited. Fans of spearfishing have not lost anything due to the many flaws of the device.

Underwater vacuum gun

The device consists of a metal pipe, a barrel and a piston with a large diameter. When loading it, the hunter presses on the harpoon, moving the piston. The created pressure between it and the pipe body forms a vacuum.

When diving to great depths, water pressure was supposed to increase the power of the gun, but in practice the device demonstrated its inefficiency and unreliability. The force of the shot was not enough for large fish, and there was also no accuracy.

Gas gun

The device is a barrel with a trigger mechanism. It has a special dispenser, as well as a compressed gas cylinder. When fired, some of the gas is released through the dispenser, after which the harpoon is launched.

The weapon is quite noisy, for this reason it is not used by either amateurs or athletes. It is used by professional hunters of large fish.

Spring shotgun

It is more widespread than all previous ones. It was especially popular until the middle of the last century, although some people still use it now. The gun has a powerful spring, under the influence of which the harpoon is thrown out of the barrel.

There are several modifications of this gun, with differences in the spring mechanisms, which:

• Springs stretch;
• The springs are compressed;
• Two springs - the first is compressed, and the second is stretched.

In addition, one gun can be equipped with two springs of similar action, but different in diameter. A thin spring is placed inside a thick one, which increases the power of the gun.

Expanding springs are used in small models, while compression springs, on the contrary, are also more powerful. Double-spring - very strong, but difficult to charge.

The advantages of such products include simplicity of design, ease of operation, low cost and reliability.

Despite this, such guns are not advisable for beginners because they have:

• Weak lethal force;
• Low buoyancy;
• Noisy during reloading and shooting;
• Low shooting accuracy. The barrel is thrown upward.

Hydropneumatic underwater gun

A powerful, but structurally complex speargun for underwater hunting. In its production, only high-quality materials must be used, because it is very demanding.

The design of this device consists of:

• trunk;
• muzzle;
• Receiver;
• Pistons for separating the hydraulic and pneumatic cavities;
• The handles in which the trigger mechanism is located;
• Harpoon.

Hydropneumatic guns have some advantages. With their help, you can hunt even at night in reservoirs that are completely overgrown with reeds. In addition, such a device can be fired completely silently.

Pneumatic gun

The gun is considered wasteless and operates on compressed air. The “Shark” underwater gun is one of the representatives of pneumatic guns. The presence of compressed air replaces the spring. The power of the shot is determined by the pumping. When firing, there is no release of compressed air; it will not leave the chamber.

The engaged trigger mechanism releases the harpoon from the couplings. The pressure created from the energy of the compressed air pushes the harpoon out of the barrel. Such devices can be recharged underwater.

Air guns have a wide variety of power, which directly depends on their size. Larger pneumatic devices are more powerful. Many systems have combat regulators. With their help, the force with which the harpoon will be allowed to fly out of the barrel is selected.

Pneumatic devices are produced mainly with 11-13 mm barrels, the thickness of the harpoons for them is 7-8 mm, respectively. 7 mm arrows fly out with high initial speed, but they are more likely to lose it due to the presence of less weight. Whereas 8 mm harpoons fly out with a low initial speed, but are capable of covering significant distances.

By the way, the Zelinka underwater gun is deservedly considered by many amateurs and underwater hunting professionals to be the best air gun in its class. Knowing the tactical and technical characteristics of this underwater weapon, experts recommend using sevens for hitting targets at short distances, and eights for hunting from a distance of several meters.

Some specialists will improve their devices by installing an additional pneumatic vacuum system on them. It will prevent the accumulation of water when loading in the barrel space. The underwater gun "Pelengas" is one of the representatives of pneumatic vacuum guns.

Advantages of air guns:

• Efficiency is high;
• Convenient use;
• High maneuverability;
• Good buoyancy;
• Considerable power;
• Adjustable stopping power;
• Compact sizes.

Disadvantages:

• Noisy shot;
• Big recoil up;
• The need to get used to the aiming process.

Underwater crossbow

This type of weapon for underwater hunting is used mainly in sea water and under conditions of good visibility. The design of the crossbow is very simple and reliable. Because of this and for several other reasons, the spearfishing crossbow is now extremely popular.

Crossbows with a length of 500-1500 mm are popular on sale. It should be remembered that it is not the actual length that is taken into account, but the distance from the first hook of the harpoon to the places where the rods are attached, that is, the barrel (“barrel”) is measured. The actual size will exceed the stated size by approximately thirty-five percent.

Main advantages:

• Accurate shooting;
• Silent shooting;
• Simple design;
• Insignificant price.

Flaws:

• Low rate of fire;
• Poor mobility.

Rules for choosing underwater guns

When choosing the underwater gun of “your dreams,” you will have to take into account the characteristics of the bodies of water where you plan to hunt: whether it will be the sea or a fresh body of water, what the level of the bottom and vegetation is there.

Thus, for hunting in reservoirs with densely overgrown vegetation, the presence of stones and snags, it is recommended to arm yourself with highly maneuverable short-barreled models. For deep-sea hunting with good visibility, it is recommended to arm yourself with long-barreled guns that have the most accurate fire.

What trophy is intended to be hunted will determine the choice of gun power. The larger the trophy is planned, the more powerful the shooting device should be. So, when hunting at short distances, you will need a silent gun.

• CressiSubSL Star 55. Good price-quality ratio. Simple and reliable;
• It appeared relatively recently, but has already won over many admirers. The device has many useful innovations;
• Seac Sub A convenient and practical shotgun, it has a reel and a regulator;
• Mares Sten 11. Has good characteristics and low cost. By the way, most experienced hunters prefer to use this model;
• Zelinka. It is one of the best and most expensive. The main advantage is the titanium body of the weapon.

It is not advisable to buy the cheapest Chinese devices, because the quality will most likely be appropriate. You shouldn’t go to extremes and think that the best speargun for spearfishing should only be the most expensive. The most acceptable option for a gun will most likely be a mid-price model, preferably from a well-known and time-tested manufacturer.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

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

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 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.

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.

There is an opinion that a harpoon is something like a spear (harpoon) for underwater hunting. It is often equated to a prison. And this is understandable, because practically no one uses classic harpoons when hunting or fishing “for fun.” However, the northern indigenous peoples, who live off traditional crafts to this day, use this tool.

More civilized Europeans and Americans these days have harpoon guns as their “authority.” However, they have practically nothing in common with ancient tools. They are quite complex instruments that have undergone significant modifications over the many centuries of their lives. Naturally, the whaling harpoon, which was described in detail by Herman Melville, was especially famous. However, others are also known to be different in their designs and purposes.

What does the word "harpoon" mean?

In explanatory dictionaries you can find that the very concept of “harpoen” owes its appearance to the Dutch whalers, who had no equal back in the 17th century. The word itself is of Late Latin origin from the word harpo (“hook”). However, there is information that this word was previously used by the Basques in one of the Spanish regions. From the Basque language the word “harpoon” can be translated as “stone point”. The Old Russian name for a harpoon is a cutilo or a knitting needle.

Structural features of the harpoon and spear

The simplest device is a harpoon for fishing. This harpoon has the appearance of a jagged spear. Some harpoons have rings for attaching to boats. Harpoons can sometimes be called spears or vice versa. However, in reality, forts are somewhat different tools. They have several long teeth and are not throwing weapons. Hunters use them to hit fish without letting go of the shafts.

Hunting with a harpoon looks a little different. Harpoons for hunting sea animals are throwing weapons. They consist of shafts (usually wooden), tips (bone, stone or metal) and ropes connecting them. Given the lack of raw materials and tools, it is not easy for hunters to make such harpoons.

The tips are usually flat and jagged and are inserted into the shafts, but are not connected to them tightly. Following the throw, the shafts are separated from the tips that enter the bodies of the victims. However, it was not so often possible to kill animals with one throw. Wounded animals, trying to hide, pulled on the rope, and poles floating on the water surface showed the hunters the direction of their movement. The victims could not free themselves from the points stuck in their bodies due to the obstacle from the side teeth.

Harpoons in the service of different nations of the world

Harpoons are international weapons. Even primitive people knew how to make a harpoon. They learned to make and use them back in the Paleolithic. Initially, they were made from bones (northerners used walrus or mammoth bones) and antlers, usually deer. The points in the ancient harpoons of the Eskimos, Aleuts, Chukchi and Koryaks were flint, bronze, copper and iron. Although, for example, in Alaska there were also solid wooden harpoons.

Some African tribes use harpoons with iron points to hunt hippopotamuses, and in the Andamans, wild boars. The caves of the European continent (far from the sea) are full of bone tips from harpoons that are not as simple as they might seem. They could have been used, apparently, for hunting large or forest animals.

It is also known about bone tips from the Neolithic era on the territory of our country. Hunting with harpoons was carried out all year round. They hunted with boats on rivers or near gullies. The ancient Indonesians used harpoons to catch whales, dolphins and sharks. Structurally, they did not provide for the detachment of the tips; they were only tied to the boats with long lines. Indonesians have a special hunting style. They do not throw harpoons at whales, but, without letting go of the shafts, jump on their backs and deliver piercing blows.

Harpoons - ancient whaling weapons

The configuration of harpoons was very diverse. Classic European or American whaling tools have iron shafts and wide, short blades. More often, such harpoons have wooden handles; very long ropes were tied to them to the boats.

From a six-meter distance, harpooners threw their guns at the whales. At the moment of throwing, the points did not separate from the shafts. The ropes tied to the harpoons quickly unwound, and the whales quickly pulled the boats along the waves until they got tired. At that moment, whales were finished off, but not with harpoons, but with a spear, and this was done not by the harpooner, but by the captain of the whaleboat. Although, good harpooners were highly respected. In the North, hunters still find the remains of twisted 19th-century tools in the bodies of whales.

The Making of Harpoons

From the second half of the 19th century, whaling harpoons were replaced by harpoon cannons, which were invented by the Norwegian engineer Foyn. This invention made whaling less dangerous. Conventional harpoons evolved into underwater guns. There was even a harpoon for a crossbow. However, these devices retained the main features of their “ancestors”, namely sharp tips with teeth directed in the opposite direction, and cables that prevent hunters from losing their catch.

Northern indigenous peoples still have the same tools as their forefathers. In general, harpoons are universal fishing tools. Despite the fact that the Aleuts or Chukchi have long possessed firearms, they still do not abandon the traditional methods and tools that have been tested for centuries.

How to make a harpoon at home

At home, it will not be difficult to learn how to make a homemade harpoon, for example, for spearfishing. Typically such devices consist of handles and tips. Before making a harpoon, it is advisable to prepare and purchase all the necessary materials.

To make a homemade harpoon at home, as an option, you will need the following items:

• Wooden stick;
• A piece of polypropylene tube;
• Glue;
• Martens bandages;
• Medium sized nails;
• Threads;
• Large nut;
• Vice;
• Sandpaper;
• File;
• Hacksaws;
• Electrical tape.

Initially, they begin to manufacture the harpoon itself. For this purpose, the nut is placed in a vice. At the same time, a block of wood is attached to the drill. Using medium speed, the bar must be inserted into the nut and twisted through it to achieve a circular configuration.

Next, in the same way, using a scroll drill, you need to sand the wooden block with sandpaper. Then up to three nails are taken, the heads are sawed off using a hacksaw, and two ends on each nail are sharpened using a file to achieve their maximum sharpness.

At one end of the block you need to wind electrical tape and attach nails to it one by one using a strong fishermen's thread. Then smaller bars are inserted between them and the stick so that the nails become at an angle. Fill the space between the nail and the block with glue for reliability. Next, the junction of the nails is wrapped with electrical tape. That's it, the harpoon is ready.

Next, the main part for launching the harpoon is done. To do this, cut a piece of martens bandage and glue it to the polypropylene pipe on both edges. The top of this part, together with the point of contact of the harpoon with the bandage, should be wrapped using several layers of electrical tape. Then the harpoon is attached with fishing line or fishing line to the launcher to hold the prey.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them