Top of the line jewel
The Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail Invert Roller is the new top of the line speargun by the Portuguese Company led by Carlos Osorio. We have already presented some nice and more affordable solutions by Picasso, like the Picasso Cobra Roller Light, the Picasso Magnum Rail Light, the Picasso Magnum Power, the Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail, the Picasso Magnum Power Carbon Rail camo green, the Picasso Magnum Rail Light and others. We have also had good tests in the water of the Picasso Cobra Rail 75 and the Picasso Cobra Roller Light 75.
The Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail Invert Roller is made with a high quality carbon fiber preformed barrel with integrated shaft guide. It has an Invert roller system, also called Vela, a 100% stainless steel inverted release mechanism. This speargun is a Jewel in the market.
Barrel
Definitely a top quality design for the barrel of the Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail Invert Roller. The design is excellent, with the cuttlefish shape to improve brandishing thanks to the reduced height of the section. Still, the greater width compared to a circular section barrel increases internal volume and buoyancy. The final 19 cm towards the muzzle change section into a circular one to additionally improve water penetration. Such section is 28 mm diameter and has a 1.5 mm thick wall which is an interesting high value. Such solution can improve the rigidity of the structure.
The shaft guide is beautifully integrated in the barrel and runs all along. At the base of the barrel on the side of the handle a simple plastic element is mounted. Its first function is to hold the line of the central couple of rubber bands. The second is to keep the monofilament away from the line of aim thanks to two small lateral wings. The lengths of the barrel available are 85, 95, 105, 120, 130, and 140 cm.
Handle and release mechanism
Extremely slim, the handle of the Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail Invert Roller has net and clean lines. It is in 20% glass loaded Nylon, while the white cover of the grip is in 100% natural rubber. The design of the grip is slightly anatomical and good for right and left-handers. The chest support is dismountable and is in glass loaded Nylon. Below the grip a large steel ring to connect a line.
The release mechanism is the EVO version. It is 100% 316 stainless steel, including the trigger and lateral release lever. The trigger is amazingly thin, which is a nice way to reduce weight and should not have any resistance issue since it is in steel. The EVO system is considered by Picasso one of its best solutions thanks to the auto-centering of the shaft. In fact, the Magnum inverted mechanism automatically centers the shaft, so it is much more precise and it is also totally independent from the power of the rubbers on the shaft. This determines that the spearo will always need less than 700 g of power on his finger to shoot, even if it is loaded with 3 or more rubbers!
Muzzle
Extremely slim and compact, the Inverted Roller Picasso muzzle has a base structure in 20% glass loaded nylon, and additional elements in steel. Two small plastic wheels are mounted on a 6 mm diameter steel axle with hallow center. The upper part of the muzzle has an almost closed track shaft guide. The monofilament passes around the muzzle and over the shaft to keep the latter well in position. In the inferior part of the muzzle a plastic “hook” one piece with the muzzle permits the passage of the line more times. This evidently helps to have more line free to support the long shots the Picasso Magnum BW Carbon Rail Invert Roller can generate. A steel ring is also present under the muzzle for the passage of the line coming from the reel.
Invert roller bands and shaft
Three pairs of rubber bands are positioned under the barrel and linked in the inferior frontal part of the handle. One couple is connected through the line passed in a hole made on the plastic element which also supports the reel. The other two pairs of rubber bands have the Dyneema line hooked to a steel element mounted in the inferior part of the barrel just in front of the handle.
The three pairs of rubber bands can be of 14.5 mm diameter until the length 105, and then go up to 16 mm for the greater lengths. The three pairs of bands are connected on each side to a pulley through which a Dyneema line passes and goes all the way to the muzzle, through the wheels and up to the top of the muzzle. Here the two Dyneema lines are connected with a Dyneema wishbone. This is kept in position and free to be grabbed thanks to two knots stuck on a metal plate on each side of the muzzle. The wishbone can so be easily grabbed to load the speargun, and no additional tool is needed. This process will be done alternatively on the wishbone and the inferior pairs of rubber bands.
The shaft is a Hawaiian (barb down) solution with three shark fins, one of which is positioned half way on the shaft. This shark fin is needed to help the loading of the speargun. The steel of the shaft is burnished but cleaned and refined int he areas of the shark fins and the terminal that hooks to the release mechanism. Until the length of 105 cm the shaft is 7 mm diameter, while for greater lengths of the speargun the shaft grows to 7.5 mm diameter.
