SCUBA w/the Sharks
- Thread starter BarrySDCA
- Start date
Destructo6
New member
Aren't "Bangsticks" NFA items, Any Other Weapon to be exact?
I have read a post elsewhere that claims most firearms will fire under water. The following is from the Glockmeister FAQ: "Q: Can a Glock be fired under water?
A: A specially modified Glock 17 is tested for underwater firing. It is never recommended that you try to fire your Glock under water - the preparation for that task involves a modified gun, special ammo and training."
And I would bet a very good set of hearing protection!
Also from Glockmeister: "Stock Glock factory Maritime Spring Cups are brand new original Glock parts. The maritime spring cups are designed to allow the Glock to be fired under water. We are selling these as a novelty item - we do not recommend that the Glock be fired under water without proper factory training. Firing the Glock under water without proper training can lead to personal injury and damage to the gun. These are guaranteed to be Glock factory original parts." And "These fit all models, but all models are not designed to be fired under water."
I forgot to mention that I have seen photos (don't remember where) posted on the net of someone firing a Glock under water BUT the guy pulling the trigger kept his head out of the water!
[This message has been edited by Gregg (edited October 07, 2000).]
A: A specially modified Glock 17 is tested for underwater firing. It is never recommended that you try to fire your Glock under water - the preparation for that task involves a modified gun, special ammo and training."
And I would bet a very good set of hearing protection!
Also from Glockmeister: "Stock Glock factory Maritime Spring Cups are brand new original Glock parts. The maritime spring cups are designed to allow the Glock to be fired under water. We are selling these as a novelty item - we do not recommend that the Glock be fired under water without proper factory training. Firing the Glock under water without proper training can lead to personal injury and damage to the gun. These are guaranteed to be Glock factory original parts." And "These fit all models, but all models are not designed to be fired under water."
I forgot to mention that I have seen photos (don't remember where) posted on the net of someone firing a Glock under water BUT the guy pulling the trigger kept his head out of the water!
[This message has been edited by Gregg (edited October 07, 2000).]
I second the above post refering the Glock 17 for underwater shooting, it can be converted to shoot safely with certain spring cups and what not.
Checl out the following link, the guys name is John Leveron and he does some underwater shooting with his G17, he has a ton of info on his page dedicated to shooting the G17 underwater.
http://glock.missouri.edu/glock/glock1.shtml
Good luck man.
~Jason
Checl out the following link, the guys name is John Leveron and he does some underwater shooting with his G17, he has a ton of info on his page dedicated to shooting the G17 underwater.
http://glock.missouri.edu/glock/glock1.shtml
Good luck man.
~Jason
Remember that when you're firing a weapon underwater, you're adding the mass of the water in the barrel to the mass of the bullet.
In other words, instead of firing a 124 grain JHP, you're firing a 224 grain JHP...the weight of the bullet (124) plus the weight of the water (100) with the same amount of powder and the same barrel length. (Please note that I am only guessing about the weight of the water.)
This is what leads to your pressure problems, not the design of the pistol.
LawDog
In other words, instead of firing a 124 grain JHP, you're firing a 224 grain JHP...the weight of the bullet (124) plus the weight of the water (100) with the same amount of powder and the same barrel length. (Please note that I am only guessing about the weight of the water.)
This is what leads to your pressure problems, not the design of the pistol.
LawDog
But wouldn't the water's added pressure outside the bore (surrounding the barrel and the rest of the gun) provide for some equilibrium in this situation? It seems as though it would be much more dangerous to fire the gun when only the barrel was full of water while the rest of the gun was dry. The same holds true for the atmosphere. Gravity and the weight of the air in our atmosphere basically holds our bodies together. We'd explode in a vacuum.
[This message has been edited by ether (edited October 07, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by ether (edited October 07, 2000).]
Libertarian
New member
I have carried a bang stick when diving in the Gulf of Mexico. The dive shop had no problems with it except to make sure I knew how to use it. One of the sticks was a 410 and the other a .44 magnum. Both were dischaged by pressing it against the target and releasing the striker. The pressure was like a 1911's backstrap safety, holding the firing mechanism from moving unless engaged. (un)fortunately I never had the opporrtunity to use either.
It would have been nice to have had one in Saudi when we went diving in the Red Sea where Tigersharks are plentiful and not the least bit shy. But along with nearly every other right, anything that goes bang is forbidden in that "enlightened" country unless you are a Royal.
It would have been nice to have had one in Saudi when we went diving in the Red Sea where Tigersharks are plentiful and not the least bit shy. But along with nearly every other right, anything that goes bang is forbidden in that "enlightened" country unless you are a Royal.
a pistol fired under water will only have ~15 feet of range, and not much velocity.
Me doubts any scuba diver is going to be shooting any sharks with a pistol.
there is an HK underwater pistol on www.HKpro.com but i think thats for pinking mammals.
if you bangstick a shark, doesn't that attract other sharks?
http://www.beco-products.com/about_beco.htm
i'll take mine in 50bmg! http://www.beco-products.com/images/product/MVC-230X.JPG
http://discountdivers.com/fx/gary.bandstick.html
dZ
Me doubts any scuba diver is going to be shooting any sharks with a pistol.
there is an HK underwater pistol on www.HKpro.com but i think thats for pinking mammals.
if you bangstick a shark, doesn't that attract other sharks?
http://www.beco-products.com/about_beco.htm
i'll take mine in 50bmg! http://www.beco-products.com/images/product/MVC-230X.JPG
http://discountdivers.com/fx/gary.bandstick.html
dZ
I also scuba dive. I've seen bangsticks in various calibers advertised in a scuba magazine within the past couple of years. I think it was in one of the free "California Diving" newsprint magazines they give away in dive shops, but I'm not positive. I didn't see any indication that they were in any way restricted.
I don't think bangsticks get much press because: (1) most major scuba magazines are too "environmentally concious" and "enlightened" to condone harming sea animals (even if they are about to eat you), and (2) Anything that gives the impression that sharks (or anything else) might harm divers may scare off potential customers for all the dive equipment, travel, and training that are the bread and butter of these publications.
That said, I don't really think sharks pose much of a danger to divers, and on the very rare occassions when they do attack, I understand they usually hit once, very fast, out of nowhere. People survive attacks because the sharks often don't come back after they figure out you weren't a seal. I'm not sure how useful a bangstick would be unless you are baiting sharks or something. But it would be comforting at times.
I've also heard that the Glocks can be adapted for this. And even if the range is only a few feet, it might beat a bangstick - which requires contact, and gives you one shot. I read somewhere of a diver off northern California who carried a Glock diving.
Doug
I don't think bangsticks get much press because: (1) most major scuba magazines are too "environmentally concious" and "enlightened" to condone harming sea animals (even if they are about to eat you), and (2) Anything that gives the impression that sharks (or anything else) might harm divers may scare off potential customers for all the dive equipment, travel, and training that are the bread and butter of these publications.
That said, I don't really think sharks pose much of a danger to divers, and on the very rare occassions when they do attack, I understand they usually hit once, very fast, out of nowhere. People survive attacks because the sharks often don't come back after they figure out you weren't a seal. I'm not sure how useful a bangstick would be unless you are baiting sharks or something. But it would be comforting at times.
I've also heard that the Glocks can be adapted for this. And even if the range is only a few feet, it might beat a bangstick - which requires contact, and gives you one shot. I read somewhere of a diver off northern California who carried a Glock diving.
Doug
I think DougB got it right. I got certified as a NAUI Open Water 1 while living in Washington(Puget Sound). I learned about bang sticks, but the instructors who taught our group (former Navy divers, no SEALS) said that most sharkes don't bother you. Further, they said that if a shark does approach you they do it slowly and it is easy to punch them on the snout. They thought bangsticks were unnecessary and dangerous, and anything you would need a bangstick for is a drop in the bucket compared to ALL THE OTHER potential problems that would most likely happen to you. If you run into a Great While or a Tiger Shark, well then yer just gonna get munched regardless of a .44 mag bangstick 
Mike
Mike
VictorLouis
New member
The latest in this subject was just recently used at the Games in Sydney harbor. It is a module that secures to your air bottle(s), and a hand-held remote conncected with a thick cable to the module. When the remote button is pressed, the module sends out a burst of electrical current, which all sharks are apparently hyper-sensitive to.
The sharks do an instant 180, even when enticed by a diver holding onto a large, bloody piece of fish! I also saw this unit on "Real TV"(?), where it was demo'ed against the Great
White. It diverted them just the same as the littl guys that occupy the harbor where the swimmers competed. Alas, the cost and availability of the unit was not discussed on either program.
The sharks do an instant 180, even when enticed by a diver holding onto a large, bloody piece of fish! I also saw this unit on "Real TV"(?), where it was demo'ed against the Great
White. It diverted them just the same as the littl guys that occupy the harbor where the swimmers competed. Alas, the cost and availability of the unit was not discussed on either program.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dZ:
i have wondered about color as a deterent,
most sea creatures do not bother sea snakes
yellow & red striped neoprene?
dZ[/quote]
Actually, I think there is some evidence that yellow ATTRACTS sharks. I've seen yellow dive equipment referred to as "yum yum yellow" (implying that it might invite shark bites).
Doug
i have wondered about color as a deterent,
most sea creatures do not bother sea snakes
yellow & red striped neoprene?
dZ[/quote]
Actually, I think there is some evidence that yellow ATTRACTS sharks. I've seen yellow dive equipment referred to as "yum yum yellow" (implying that it might invite shark bites).
Doug