Simple Portable Speargun Item No.01

Origin:	Croatia, Europe	Collection:	Damir Schiller
Year:	~1955	Described by:	Damir Schiller
Maker:	Drazen Schiller	Photo by:	Damir Schiller
Do you have more info about this item?		Last updated:	21.03.2006.

 

 

 

Description

This speargun was built by Drazen Schiller, my father, in Zagreb, Croatia when he was about 19 years old. About a dozen of these were built for local sale. The overall spear length is 132 cm, which makes it quite long, but it can be completely dismantled for easy carrying in a bag or backpack. Gun is shown without rubber band on the pictures.

Complete gun with loaded spear, without rubbers

It is a very simple gun, with handle (1) made out of aluminum casting and spear guide made out of brass tube. The rubber used was 12mm in diameter, U shaped. It passed through the hole in the handle and it was fixed sideways on handle wings (visible from top).

Gun with removed and dismantled spear (spear is shown smaller in relation to gun)

The handle is only 55 cm long and its ergonomic shape is excellent, providing good grip. It carries also a brass tube which is actually a spear guide. Spear guide has an open profile on its end, shaped in such way to guide rubber upwards upon fireing in order to prevent injury to arm. Spear can be dismantled into 4 pieces as shown (2, 3, 4, and 5). Longest spear part is only 58 cm long. Interconnection between pieces is done by threaded joints, thus allowing a variety of spear tips to be mounted. The spear itself is made out of steel rod of 6,5mm diameter.

Top view of gun

Cocking of spear is done in a similar way like with a bow and arrow. Initially, the spear end had to be pushed through the spear guide into the rubber end (metal, or string) and then forced backwards until first of the teeth caught on to the trigger mechanism. The spear middle piece (4) has three teeth on it which allow three positions i.e. rubber stretch lengths of 58, 66 and 74 cm. Trigger mechanism is shown on below foto. It is spring loaded and quite simple. The gun doesn't have any security break or similar safety mechanism which could prevent accidental triggering. The spear doesn't have any means for attaching string, which prevents it from being fired into the depths. Thus the spearfisherman had to pay attention regarding direction of firing. This also makes it quite unsuitable for harpoons, since it could well happen that spear flies through a fish, allowing it to escape (wounded of course).

Gun inside - spring loaded trigger mechanism

Apparently this gun was more a toy for a hobbyist than a serious speargun, its concept and design makes it quite an interesting item. I have one complete gun in my collection, and one handle which is not fully finished. As far as I know these two pieces are the only ones in existence. Description and photos © Damir Schiller

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