Powerhead

A powerhead, bang stick, or shark stick is a specialized firearm intended to be used underwater and fire in direct contact with the target. These are often used for spear fishing, or they may be used against sharks or alligators for sport, defense, or to kill nuisance animals. The term powerhead generally refers to just the firearm-like part of the device; when attached to a shaft to form a spear, they may be referred to as a bang stick or, if intended for defense against shark attacks, a shark stick. The spear in question may be handheld, or launchable from a spear gun.

Design

A powerhead consists of a short length of tubing which is the chamber for the cartridge, a firing pin to fire the cartridge, and usually some form of safety pin or latch that prevents firing when it is engaged. The rear of the power head is fitted with some provision for attaching to a spear.

Powerheads are available that chamber a variety of handgun, rifle, and shotgun cartridges, from .22 WMR to 12 gauge. .357 Magnum is probably the most common, as it is fairly powerful yet still compact enough to be used in a spear gun. 12 gauge is generally only used on a handheld spear.

While some powerheads use the cartridge to propel a barbed spear point into the target, those are in the minority; the barbed point is heavy enough to travel a fair distance through the water, and can ricochet and potentially injure the user.

Why fire on contact?

Bullets are generally designed to work in air, which has a very low density. The density of water is roughly 1000 times higher than that of air at sea level, and that reduces the penetration of a bullet proportionally. A bullet might travel a mile (1.6 km) in air, but travel no more than a few feet (about a meter) in water. Expanding hunting or defensive ammunition, such as that using hollow point bullets, will penetrate even less, as the water is dense enough to cause the bullet to expand. By firing while in contact with the target, a powerhead does not waste energy on traveling through the water, but rather expends all its energy directly on the target.

How they work

Although most commercial powerheads use standard handgun ammunition, such as .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum, the bullet has little or no effect on the killing power of the bang stick. The muzzle blast does the damage, as much high-pressure gas is forced into the flesh of the target. Blank cartridges can produce fatal wounds when fired in or near contact, and they work well in powerheads.

Ammunition issues

Since most powerheads are designed to use commercial ammunition, which is not designed to be used underwater, the ammunition used must be waterproofed. A coating of nail polish or varnish is commonly used around the primer and case mouth. For shotshells, a layer of rubber, such as a balloon, can be used to seal the crimped front of the shell.

Legal issues

A powerhead may be considered a firearm under some circumstances. In the US, the BATFE considers a powerhead a firearm if it is not permanently affixed to a shaft; generally powerheads are sold spot welded to a temporary steel shaft giving an overall length of greater than 18 inches (45 cm). After installing permanently on a spear shaft, the spot weld is cut, and the temporary shaft discarded.

::Revenue Ruling 55-569, C.B. 1955-2, 483 says:-::"A device ostensibly designed for submarine spear fishing, but capable of chambering and firing .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, is a firearm within the purview of the National Firearms Act. However, such device, if permanently attached to the speargun shaft by the manufacturer, would not be a firearm."

Note that this ruling is with regard to the National Firearms Act, and not to the 1968 Gun Control Act. (The National Firearms Act defines 'firearm' as machine guns, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and concealable firearms that are neither pistols nor revolvers.) This means that powerheads may still be under the authority of the 1968 Gun Control Act with regards to shipping them and purchase of them from licenced dealers.

Laws may also prohibit the use of powerheads in sport fishing. They are allowed in US federally controlled waters, but many states prohibit their use in state controlled waters.

References

External links

* [http://www.freediver.net/freedivelist/faqstuff/faq_bangsticks.html FreeDiveList FAQ entry] on powerheads and bang sticks.
* [http://www.beco-products.com/beco_223_powerhead.htm Picture of powerheads] in .223 Remington, .357 Magnum, and .25 ACP calibers.
* [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/wbardwel/public/nfalist/rr_55569.txt BATF ruling] on powerhead legality.
* [http://www.thejohnharding.com/archives/00000182.htm] Wally Gibbins with an eleven foot tiger shark and 10 gauge shotgun powerhead in 1963.
* [http://www.thejohnharding.com/archives/00000513.htm] powerhead detonation on shark.