Pneumatic Spearguns
Pneumatic spearguns are different from standard spearguns as they do not use rubber bands to propel the spear. Pneumatic spearguns have an air tight chamber which contains a barrel, piston, trigger and shock absorber. The chamber can be pressurised to well over 300 psi, the force of the air pushes the spear out of the barrel.
The loading process for pneumatic spearguns is to place the butt of the gun against your waist or front of your hip, the muzzle should be pointing outwards away from you. Fit the rear end of the shaft into the barrel of the gun, place the plastic hand loader over the tip of the spear. Pull the shaft back into the muzzle with the hand loader rotating it to help reduce the chances of bending it. There is some resistance while doing this as you are working against the air bladder until the catch on the spear shaft engages fully with the trigger mechanism.
Pneumatic spearguns are relatively quiet these days considering the workings of the gun, which helps when hunting fish in a condensed area. Many pneumatic spearguns have pressure controls that allow the shooter to use either hi or low pressure. The pressure control function is handy when shooting close to a reef, so as lessen the damage done to your shaft.
Pneumatic spearguns are not as popular as banded guns among spear fisherman. Some complaints about pneumatic spearguns include them being too overpowered for reef fishing, bending spears on the reef. Others have concerns about poor accuracy, stating the spear doesn't protrude far enough from the end of the gun, making pneumatic spearguns harder to aim. While others point out the on going maintenance of pneumatic spearguns and the complicated inner workings that have more potential of a part failure. While banded spearguns are simple in the way they operate.
Pneumatic spearguns are more desirable to some people because of the extra power and ease of use, not needing to reload a rubber band is a good thing for some. What puts most people off however is the cost of pneumatic spearguns, they are expensive in comparison to banded spearguns, they are also expensive to maintain and repair. While banded spearguns are simple to fix and relatively cheap on parts.
In conclusion if you are considering buying a pneumatic speargun be aware of the pitfalls and do your research. Pneumatic spearguns are great if you want a powerful gun that is easy to load. If possible borrow a pneumatic speargun from a friend and give it a try before you buy. Pneumatic spearguns are not cheap and you could be stuck with something you don't like. Happy hunting!