Intro
Not a particularly recent product by Salvimar, in their amazing path towards constant R&D and launch of most probably the highest number of new (and good quality) products in the last 3-4 years by the Italian company, the Salvimar Metal is definately an interesting and simple speargun complete with a good number of up to date technology solutions. We have already presented the Salvimar Metal when it was launched end of 2016, but had not yet had the time for a real test in the sea we could publish for all of you. Now is the time!
Basic design
Single passage circular bands muzzle, aeronautical aluminium barrel with open track shaft guide with segmented design. This according to Salvimar should help brandishing, but sincerely main effect is to determine a reduction in the weight of the barrel, but at the same time the reinforcement that the usually the integrated shaft guide determines is partially lost.
Handle is the traditional partially anathomical left and right hander solution by Salvimar with the extremy refined Metal release mechanism, complete with roller wheel and MIM technology (Micro Injection Moulding) manufactured trigger.
Elastic bands follow the philosophy by Salvimar of having medium diameter versions, in this case a couple of 14 mm circulars, instead of the often used 16 mm. The shaft is a 6.5 mm diameter, while the reel on our speargun was the Mini Reel for 50 meters of 1 mm diameter line.
General impressions in the water
The Salvimar Metal gives immediate feeling of a very light and brandishable speargun, easy to use, with a good grip and well positioned trigger. All movements are fast and well controlled. The locking of the shaft in the release mechanism is always very effective. The slot for the shaft is quite large to host also big diameter ones, but this determines that the end of the shaft inserted in the release mechanism can slightly move sideway. Some would consider this could impact precision of the shot, but most probably it is quite irrelevant.
The handle misses the lateral side wings that usually help to pisition the line and also clear the line of aim. Such solution has in fact been added for the handle of more recent spearguns like the revolutionary Hero, presented and tested by AP..
The line release lever has good dimensions and can be easily shifted from one side to the other, still a more curved internal profile would additionally help keeping the line in position with no risk of it sliding away.
The muzzle well positions the double circular elastic bands close to the barrel, but their direction is not perfectly parallel to the shaft as one would want for a perfect efficiency shot.
The aiming and shot
The real test has been done on a group of seabreams moving during an aspetto at around 15 meters of depth, action of which we have the video. Another catch, with no video, has been made of an amberjack of around 1.5 kg, caught precisely.
In general, the feeling of the shot with the Salvimar Metal 85 is of very good power even though elastic bands are “only” 14 mm diameter, and of extreme precision tahnks to the fact that the latter are very progressive and recoil is really reduced to the minimum. This helps anyone who tends to keep the arm or the hand a little bit too loose during the shot, determining the shaft to hit the target high.
The movement of the arm and hand holding the Salvimar Metal 85 during the aspetto to the seabreams is extremely easy, with absolutely no feeling of weight of the speargun, determing to fatigue and perfect aiming.
The trigger is smooth with no excessive noise produced and a perfect release that permits to have perfect control of the trigger and the release moment for the shot.
General conclusions
The Salvimar Metal 85 is the perfect speargun for the use it is thought for. Light, precise, with a smooth and “feelable” release mechanism, this speargun is an amazing choice for spearfishing in the layers, ambush and aspetto, without in this last case pretending to make extremley long shots to very important dimensions preys.
