It all starts from the shrewd eye of Franco Martini who first doesn't miss the opportunity to acquire a rifle coveted by many, then he decisively aims the harpoon with which it is equipped, too special to go unnoticed, and sends me some photos.
The harpoon was installed in the shaft of a second-series Mordem Razzomare short spear gun but there are no evidences that it is of the same brand. It could also be a quite rare artisanal piece, since some spear gun specialists of that time said they never saw it.
What makes it so special? Photos are very clear; it is a, harpoon that can be divided in three parts (dimensions are in the picture) to screw in the female shaft up to the rod until breaded. The shaft is 21 centimeter long and, in the back terminal, a cartridge with black powder must be inserted.
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The long section inserted into the rod has the obvious function of strengthening a usually delicate point. The ring with the five mobile fins is inserted in its body and the tip is finally screwed onto this; the resting fins remain adherent to the body, fitting into the appropriate seats, ready to open when they receive a push from their terminal part.
A section of 4 centimeters is inserted into the shaft and, since this adapts perfectly to the shaft, it suggests that the harpoon is from Mordem. With further research, here is the confirmation that Franco Martini himself found in the Vadecum Rex-Hevea of 1958, fatally published last month in this website. Page 257 is dedicated to harpoons in which this one is well pictured and described: harpoon in special steel with interchangeable tip and 5 or 7 fins arranged in a radial pattern like the ribs of an umbrella. Enigma solved.
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