What is this a gun?

[miketsp]

Actually, it's neither the slug nor water that does most of the damage, it's the expanding gases
from the powder, but the slug does do some damage and does no harm to the diver. I'm no
expert on blanks, but I would imagine they would be difficult to seal against water.

A blank round generates gas and makes a big bang. Nasty things tend to happen when you shoot a bullet down a barrel that has obstructions. I consider a barrel full of water an obstruction and that pressure has to go somewhere. If the barrel is strong enough, you get increased recoil, if not the barrel explodes in your face. Better safe than...

The one I used to have back in the 70s had almost no barrel. 95% of the device was the handle. The cartridge was located practically at the live tip - so there was no obstruction to speak of. Provided you could actually jab the stick square on to the target the slug would open the way and then the expanding gases would penetrate the target and expand.
But this would require a perfect jab. Most times with a moving target you'd end up jabbing at an angle and the seal would not be perfect. Without a good seal of the tip against the target the gases alone wouldn't do much damage.

 

[Walter]

A blank round generates gas and makes a big bang. Nasty things tend to happen when you shoot
a bullet down a barrel that has obstructions. I consider a barrel full of water an obstruction and
that pressure has to go somewhere. If the barrel is strong enough, you get increased recoil, if
not the barrel explodes in your face. Better safe than...

That certainly explains why you insist on blanks. The powerheads I've seen do not have this
problem. You don't need to use blanks with them.

But this would require a perfect jab. Most times with a moving target you'd end
up jabbing at an angle and the seal would not be perfect. Without a good seal of the tip against
the target the gases alone wouldn't do much damage.

Unless he's coming in for a bite, there's no reason to use a powerhead any way.

 

[miketsp]

Unless he's coming in for a bite, there's no reason to use a powerhead any way.

Unfortunately mind-set towards sharks was quite different back in the 70s.
I remember going out a few times in the Canaries spearing sharks with scuba gear and if you didn't get a clean shot you had to have your stick ready to finish him off or defend yourself.

At the time nobody thought it was unsporting and there were lots of sharks around.

I must admit though, it scared the c**p out of me at times.

 

[miketsp]

A blank round generates gas and makes a big bang. Nasty things tend to happen when you shoot a bullet down a barrel that has obstructions. I consider a barrel full of water an obstruction and that pressure has to go somewhere. If the barrel is strong enough, you get increased recoil, if not the barrel explodes in your face. Better safe than...

I've been thinking about this and there appears to be a fallacy in your argument.
The gas pressure is practically the same whether it's driving a slug out against the water resistance or forcing the same water column out.
You still have to accelerate the water column out of the barrel.

 

[driftwood]

You may well be right. I am used to guns that put lead down range and those barrels have tight tolerances. Without taking a close look at the stick, I would stick with blanks. I just don't want to read a post on the accidents thread. I may be a coward about things that go boom, but I am a live coward.

I do remember a whiskey bottle that was "stored" in the barrel of a 105mm tank gun. The crew forgot about it. Made to nicest blue flame when they fired.