Speargun Heritage: cocking stock models

[popgun pete]

The heritage of the Swimaster-Voit, now JBL speargun, can be seen through a stylistic appraisal of the guns in these photos. Jack Prodanovich's gun, the Swimaster "Magnum" which was a copy of Jack's gun (Jack gave them a handle to copy) and the current JBL "Magnum" created by Joe LaMonica are shown side by side. These are iconic shapes and were synonymous with what an alloy tubing barrel based speargun should look like as other manufacturers duplicated these proportions in their own guns.

[Alec]

I watched my buddy have his shaft bounce off a sheepshead with one of these guns before

[SpearMax]

Originally Posted by popgun pete

The heritage of the Swimaster-Voit, now JBL speargun, can be seen through a stylistic appraisal of the guns in these photos. Jack Prodanovich's gun, the Swimaster "Magnum" which was a copy of Jack's gun (Jack gave them a handle to copy) and the current JBL "Magnum" created by Joe LaMonica are shown side by side. These are iconic shapes and were synonymous with what an alloy tubing barrel based speargun should look like as other manufacturers duplicated these proportions in their own guns.

Cool history Pete - thanks for sharing.

[slingshaft]

Sweet collection!
I keep one for posterity.

[gatorbrown2]

Popgun ... Help me out .. In the late sixties I dove in the la gulf .. With a fellow who had several swim masters .. One of the main differences from the newer voits was that the swim masters had a star wheel in the base of the handle for the cable .. Rather than on the side.. I still have a magnum and sawed off mag.. Plus a Dacor lake gun.. They killed a lot of fish and can be over powered with 9/16 or 5/8 rubbers.. My Koah mid plus looks slicker but won't get the use those voits have had..hb

[popgun pete]

Originally Posted by gatorbrown2

Popgun ... Help me out .. In the late sixties I dove in the la gulf .. With a fellow who had several swim masters .. One of the main differences from the newer voits was that the swim masters had a star wheel in the base of the handle for the cable .. Rather than on the side.. I still have a magnum and sawed off mag.. Plus a Dacor lake gun.. They killed a lot of fish and can be over powered with 9/16 or 5/8 rubbers.. My Koah mid plus looks slicker but won't get the use those voits have had..hb

The "Spearfisherman Company" guns had a three arm, "star wheel" line release in front of the trigger finger guard on a rather angular looking alloy handgrip, that same gun was sold as a Swimaster when Swimaster took over the Spearfisherman Company product line. The other guns with four arm, "star wheel" line releases in the bottom of the butt handle were the "Aquacraft" and "Sportways" (now "Bandito") guns, both plastic handles rather than die cast aluminium alloy clamshell designs. An even earlier version of that gun had a cast alloy handle which Sam Miller said was first created by Johnny (John) Carrol, but unfortunately I have never seen one, although I vaguely recall seeing a double (side by side?) which appeared to be related to the single version. All are collector's items today and too valuable to use. The Jack Prodanovich guns around now are all that there will ever be, so their value can only go skywards.

Looks like Ron Mullins has the double gun: http://www.skindivinghistory.com/gea...nny-Carol.html

[gatorbrown2]

thanks popgun.. I'm sure these were swim master guns.. with star wheels.. the location my be fuzzy in my brain but i still think they were in the bottom of the handle.. unfortunately my friend died of cancer more than twenty years ago.. his wife disposed of the guns and i have no clue where they went... hb

[popgun pete]

Originally Posted by gatorbrown2

thanks popgun.. I'm sure these were swim master guns.. with star wheels.. the location my be fuzzy in my brain but i still think they were in the bottom of the handle.. unfortunately my friend died of cancer more than twenty years ago.. his wife disposed of the guns and i have no clue where they went... hb

Well if they were I am sure somone has one and hopefully we will see a photo of it. Bill has one of the early Swimaster guns, only it has a later muzzle, with the "star wheel" release in front of the trigger finger guard.

[gatorbrown2]

Popgun... The more I think about it you have to be right.. I'm just mistaken .. After all 1970 was a long time ago.. That wheel must have been in front of handle .. Not surprised that bill has a different muzzle on his gun.. That was the thing to get rid of.. The winged muzzle was a nightmare .. We used bandito muzzles but since they are plastic it was necessary to drill thru the tubing and base of muzzle to put the cable.. So the fish didn't make off with the shaft and a piece of the muzzle..hb

[popgun pete]

Just to complete this story as some photos finally showed up. You can see how the star wheel line release operates when you pull the trigger a sliding link frees the star wheel to turn as the shooting line departs.