We have already presented the Salvimar Hero, singularly and its complete “family”, but never have we “exploded” it in every single piece. This way, we can really show you the many advanced technology and clever ideas that the Italian company and its Product Manager, Massimo Quattrone, have put together. All that you will see is aimed to obtain a speargun that can load much more power than traditional circular section barrel solutions, still maintaining a neutral buoyancy in the water.
Handle
30% glass loaded Nylon, the handle of the Salvimar Hero has important dimensions, which determine and amazing rigidity and resistance to deformation. The design is modern with the chest support one piece with the handle. The grip is offered with right and left acid green anatomical inserts. We would have liked also a less anatomical and symmetrical solution. On both sides two big wings are present to position the monofilament away from the line of aim and the wishbone. The lower part is complete with a steel element for the connection of the speargun to the buoy by a strong line.
Key is the insert of the handle in the barrel. The first has in fact an almost elliptical section and is complete with a couple of specifically designed elliptical “O-Rings”. The seal of the handle to the barrel and of the muzzle to the barrel are obtained with the same system. The two elements are almost forced in the barrel and every single Hero is checked in the factory in an iperbaric room to verify the perfect seal. So DO NOT dismantle the handle and muzzle from the barrel as we did, because you might lose such watertight effect.
Heavy Metal release mechanism
A couple of 17.5 mm diameter elastic bands generate, when loaded, a force of around 62 kg each for total 124 kgs. Well, the 100% 17-4ph stainless steel Salvimar Heavy Metal release mechanism is tested to support up to 350 kgs, almost 3 times as much. This is obtained thanks to the case made of 2 mm laser cut thick steel sheet, the great dimensions of the trigger and of the internal wheel positioned on the release tooth. The trigger is made with MIM, micro injection molding, technology, obtaining an amazing and extremely precise design, and it is complete with an Allen screw to adjust the sensitivity. The lateral line release lever, also in steel and laser cut, can be positioned on one or the other side of the handle, even though to do this the release mechanism must be extracted from the handle, not the easiest process.
Barrel
Elliptical, a little more rounder in the inferior part and flatter in the upper, the barrel is a mine of ingenious solutions! First of all, to improve the stiffness, the inferior part is designed with a central band of increased thickness (1.8 mm measured by AP), compared to 1 mm of the rest of the wall of the barrel. In the upper part, a guide with two rails also increases the rigidity of the structure, and also hosts special elements. These are acid green segments that are inserted through sliding in the rails and together compose the open track shaft guide. The teflon with which they are made strongly reduces friction to the full advantage of the expressed power.
But this is not all. Inside the barrel I section elements in glass loaded Nylon are inserted to additionally increase the stiffness of the structure.
Muzzle
Not indeed a small and compact element, the muzzle of the Salvimar Hero has been designed specifically for this speargun. Of course the insert in the barrel has an elliptical section, which means greater dimensions of the muzzle itself. But also the entire design of this element is intended to create a strong structure, also complete with big wings and passages for the monofilament. This approach definitely increases the overall dimensions of the muzzle, but is tougher and more rigid. Also, the muzzle perfectly holds in position, without the risk of it slipping, the monofilament. The muzzle has a single hole for the passage of the elastic bands, holding up to a couple of 18 mm diameter, or three 14 mm diameter elastic bands.
Handle to barrel to muzzle
As anticipated, the connection of the handle to the barrel and the latter to the muzzle is obtained with two couples of elliptical O-Rings. This is not an easy solution, but gives an important advantage. Avoiding the plugs in fact permits to have much more free space filled with air inside the barrel, to the full advantage of buoyancy. The Salvimar Hero will be quite heavier than traditional aluminium spearguns out of the water, but practically neutral, even with heavier shafts, in the sea.
Max Reel
Offered standard with the Salvimar Hero is the Max Reel, a high quality accessory, with excellent clutch. The latter ia easily adjustable thanks to an well grabbable knob. The machined 30% glass loaded Nylon of the Max Reel, designed as the modern wheels of sports cars, gives an amazing result. The Max Reel has a specific connection to the Salvimar spearguns. Still, with a Salvimar adapaters, it is possible to mount the Max Reel also on Omer and Cressi spearguns.
Powerful setup
The great dimensions of the handle and muzzle, the outstanding resistance to load of the Heavy Metal release mechanism, and the incredible stiffness of the barrel, together with the high buoyancy, permit a very powerful setup of the Salvimar Hero. The measures that go from 65 cm to 95 cm actually host a 7 mm diameter shaft, a very heavy solution for short to medium lengths. With two 16 mm circular bands it means that the force and energy of the shaft will be extremely high. From 105 cm the Hero is setup with a 7.5 mm diameter shaft, an even greater power and energy. The lengths 125 and 135 cm are also upgraded with 3 circular bands of 14 mm diameter.
Again, this is possible thanks to the amazing rigidity of all components of the Hero, plus an outstanding buoyancy that determines a neutral setup in sea water. Great power with reduced recoil is what we all want from our speargun…
And if the lateral and vertical swing is not as good as more compact section spearguns, well simply use a shorter Hero and you will have the same power (but released of course in a different way) of a longer traditional speargun. If we consider a Hero 95 with double 16 mm diameter rubbers and 7 mm diameter shaft we calculate the following:
F = m*a, the second law of dynamic, where F is the force generated by the elastic bands, m the mass of the shaft and a the acceleration of the shaft. The two elastic bands generate a force of indicatively 55 kg * 9.81 = 539.4 Newton each, for total around 1080 Newton. The weight of the shaft is 0.395 kg so the acceleration can be calculated equal to (excluding, to simplify, all the friction by the water and other elements) a = F / m = 2,734 m/s2. For a Salvimar Metal 95 with a 6.5 mm diameter shaft, which weighs 0,345 kg, and two circular elastic bands of 14 mm of diameter, the force is indicatively 38 kg * 9.81 = 373 Newton each band, for total 746 Newton. The acceleration will be a = F / m = 2,162 m/s2.
So the Hero will shoot with more power, generating greater acceleration and will launch a heavier shaft that will have a longer reach and impact on the fish. Why can’t we setup the Metal, or other circular section aluminium barrel spearguns, with two 16 mm elastic bands and a 7 mm shaft? Because the buoyancy would not be sufficient, so the speargun would be negative in the water, so heavy, and the recoil could be a little too much as the Metal is lighter than the Hero. Moreover, the Hero has an extremely tough and rigid structure to better support heavy loads.
