Speargun Basics: Parts of a Railgun & How to Load it Properly

Handling railguns might seem overwhelming especially for beginner spearos as there are many different parts that you need to get used to. Here are the different parts of a railgun and how to use it.

Before we start loading and firing the speargun, it’s ideal to learn about the different parts of the railgun first:

Parts of a railgun

Handle -Spearguns have different types of handle but the most common type is a pistol-grip handle. It comes with a trigger, line release, a mechanism that locks the spear in place, and a safety. The trigger can be pulled when the safety is disengaged; then it’s locked when the safety is engaged. To release the spear, you will have to pull the trigger. 

Barrel - The barrel is where the spear sits in. It guides your spear when you shoot to give you more accuracy. 

Muzzle bungee -The muzzle bungee anchors the rubber bands. This piece of rubber is designed to take tension off the shooting line so when you shoot the spear and the line reaches its maximum length, the bungee gives it some elasticity reducing the tension. 

Rubber bands -  the rubber band is used to give tension to the spear. The more the band is stretched back, the more tension there will be on the spear. The more tension on the spear the faster and farther it will shoot when the trigger is pulled. 

Spear -The spear is a hard steel with a sharp tip. It is longer than the gun and always extends out beyond the gun barrel’s end. 

Mono shooting line - Attached to the spear is the shooting line or "mono". This line is designed to remain attached to the gun when fired so you do not lose the spear and is extremely strong. It connects to the end of the shaft with a crimp and then to the end of the barrel. Without mono, you would lose your spear everytime you shoot.

Once you've hit your target or once you've shot the gun, it will float in the water. If it's not floating, it's not good. Once the shaft is out, it needs to float. When the shaft is in, it can be slightly negative and it'll slightly sink. 

On your shaft you have got a top and the top has notches in it and it has the shaved section at the back. This gives you an idea of where the top is. Put the crimp over the top before you put it in the gun and the reason is if you had the line on the bottom and you put it into the gun, then the shaft is going to come out of the gun on top of the mono shooting line and hit it. That will damage the mono rendering it weak.

How to load your railgun

When you load the railgun, you may find yourself loading it to the point it gets to about the end of the line and all of a sudden you're struggling to find the muscle power to bring it down to the knees. It's no good loading on your leg. Some people hook it into their belly. It's a bit tough still, but we see all our modern wetsuits have loading belts.Watch the video above for a demonstration on how to properly load a railgun.