Power Speargun, by Drazen Schiller

Power Speargun
Item No.02

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: 24.03.2006.

Description

This speargun was also built by Drazen Schiller, my father, in Zagreb, Croatia when he was about 19 years old.

Only a few of these were built and I am pretty sure that this one is the only one in existence now. The overall gun length is 104 cm, with spear being 108 cm, 8mm in diameter.

Unlike his first gun, this one is quite complicated and full of features. I am not sure but maybe he was inspired after seeing a French Hurricane gun, since this gun has many similarities with Hurricane but is quite more powerful.

Complete gun with spear, without rubbers

Complete speargun is made out of aluminum. Gun handle, head and end piece are cast aluminum while body, cocking handle and spear guide are made out of tube. Bolts, and smaller pieces are made out of brass. The head contained a hole for harpoon string end, and a pin for wrapping the string between gun's back and front.

Isometric view of the gun

The gun was intended to use rubber bands up to 16mm in diameter. Rubber band is fixed on to the cocking handle via adjustable holder seen above.

The other end of rubber band traveled over two aluminum rollers onto the top of the gun and ended in the steel / aluminum ferrules.

Overall rubber stretch length is 96 cm (top of body) + additional length (20 - 50 cm) depending on adjustment on cocking handle. Overall maximum stretch length is therefore between 116 and impressive 146 cm, which makes it more powerful than most rubber guns in use today.

It is important to say that in those days rubber band were not as elastic and powerful as today's, but still this gun was powerful.

< Ferrules

Handle shown above is actually recast from the original, which has broke over the years, but I still have it. Handle is made out of two asymmetrical pieces interconnected with screws, and it's good ergonomic shape provides comfortable grip. Inside it contains pins for pivoting triggering mechanism.

Handle (recast) with detail of

Trigger mechanism is more complex since the trigger is inside the handle and it is attached to a hard steel wire which runs to the back of the gun into the end piece. End piece itself contains the catch for the spear.

If my father used a Hurricane for inspiration, he definitely tried to improve the design. This can be seen by below sketches (only existing design drawings) which show his thoughts about implementing a safety break mechanism.

Idea 1 - Up-Down safety break

Idea 2 - Forward - Backward safety break

Idea 1 shows a small shaft which can be moved up and down. In upward position (1), trigger was able to move freely, but when it was in downward position (2) then it was locked. Since he at the time didn't know how to implement a mechanism to hold the locking bar in place, this idea had one major problem; a bar could fall down easily and lock the gun unintentionally.

Idea 2 has similar principle, just this time bar had to be moved forward and backward. In forward position (2) the gun was locked, and in backward position (1) the gun was free to fire. As it can be seen on below picture, this concept was implemented in the final design and it worked.

End piece with trigger mechanism, and hole for a forward- backward safety catch

Above picture also shows an elastic catch for a spear string.

Spear end with trigger catch, one notch for ferrule and string holding piece

Picture above shows the spear end, from which, if you compare it to sketches of the trigger mechanism above, it is clear how it worked. It also contained only one notch, but the gun's power was adjustable by adjusting position of rubber band end on the cocking handle.

Entire spear end is slightly larger diameter so that the string holding piece doesn't fall off when spear flies out. Normally this piece is nicely fitted into the speargun head.

Cocking of spear is done by sliding the spear through the head until its end catches on to the trigger mechanism inside the gun's end. Then with cocking handle in open position, rubber bands had to be stretched until ferrule catches the notch on the spear. Finally the rubbers were fully stretched by cocking the handle into the closed position.

For better strength during cocking and better balance in water, speargun's body, i.e. aluminum tube, was filled with wooden rod.

The spear tip had a threaded end, therefore allowing a variety of spear's to be fitted. Please see spears also built by D.Schiller for his guns here.

This speargun was a serious piece and it needed to be treated with respect. Its design shows a great dedication and lots of thought regarding its use and functionality.

Also since it was never in serial production it makes it a very unique and interesting item, a beauty in my collection.

The only photo of this gun being used, Croatia, Island Murter

Description and photos © Damir Schiller

Do you have more info about this item?

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:	24.03.2006.

Description
This speargun was also built by Drazen Schiller, my father, in Zagreb, Croatia when he was about 19 years old. Only a few of these were built and I am pretty sure that this one is the only one in existence now. The overall gun length is 104 cm, with spear being 108 cm, 8mm in diameter. Unlike his first gun, this one is quite complicated and full of features. I am not sure but maybe he was inspired after seeing a French Hurricane gun, since this gun has many similarities with Hurricane but is quite more powerful.
Complete gun with spear, without rubbers
Complete speargun is made out of aluminum. Gun handle, head and end piece are cast aluminum while body, cocking handle and spear guide are made out of tube. Bolts, and smaller pieces are made out of brass. The head contained a hole for harpoon string end, and a pin for wrapping the string between gun's back and front.
Isometric view of the gun
The gun was intended to use rubber bands up to 16mm in diameter. Rubber band is fixed on to the cocking handle via adjustable holder seen above. The other end of rubber band traveled over two aluminum rollers onto the top of the gun and ended in the steel / aluminum ferrules. Overall rubber stretch length is 96 cm (top of body) + additional length (20 - 50 cm) depending on adjustment on cocking handle. Overall maximum stretch length is therefore between 116 and impressive 146 cm, which makes it more powerful than most rubber guns in use today. It is important to say that in those days rubber band were not as elastic and powerful as today's, but still this gun was powerful. < Ferrules
Handle shown above is actually recast from the original, which has broke over the years, but I still have it. Handle is made out of two asymmetrical pieces interconnected with screws, and it's good ergonomic shape provides comfortable grip. Inside it contains pins for pivoting triggering mechanism.
Handle (recast) with detail of
Trigger mechanism is more complex since the trigger is inside the handle and it is attached to a hard steel wire which runs to the back of the gun into the end piece. End piece itself contains the catch for the spear. If my father used a Hurricane for inspiration, he definitely tried to improve the design. This can be seen by below sketches (only existing design drawings) which show his thoughts about implementing a safety break mechanism.
Idea 1 - Up-Down safety break	Idea 2 - Forward - Backward safety break
Idea 1 shows a small shaft which can be moved up and down. In upward position (1), trigger was able to move freely, but when it was in downward position (2) then it was locked. Since he at the time didn't know how to implement a mechanism to hold the locking bar in place, this idea had one major problem; a bar could fall down easily and lock the gun unintentionally. Idea 2 has similar principle, just this time bar had to be moved forward and backward. In forward position (2) the gun was locked, and in backward position (1) the gun was free to fire. As it can be seen on below picture, this concept was implemented in the final design and it worked.
End piece with trigger mechanism, and hole for a forward- backward safety catch
Above picture also shows an elastic catch for a spear string.
Spear end with trigger catch, one notch for ferrule and string holding piece
Picture above shows the spear end, from which, if you compare it to sketches of the trigger mechanism above, it is clear how it worked. It also contained only one notch, but the gun's power was adjustable by adjusting position of rubber band end on the cocking handle. Entire spear end is slightly larger diameter so that the string holding piece doesn't fall off when spear flies out. Normally this piece is nicely fitted into the speargun head. Cocking of spear is done by sliding the spear through the head until its end catches on to the trigger mechanism inside the gun's end. Then with cocking handle in open position, rubber bands had to be stretched until ferrule catches the notch on the spear. Finally the rubbers were fully stretched by cocking the handle into the closed position.
For better strength during cocking and better balance in water, speargun's body, i.e. aluminum tube, was filled with wooden rod. The spear tip had a threaded end, therefore allowing a variety of spear's to be fitted. Please see spears also built by D.Schiller for his guns here. This speargun was a serious piece and it needed to be treated with respect. Its design shows a great dedication and lots of thought regarding its use and functionality. Also since it was never in serial production it makes it a very unique and interesting item, a beauty in my collection.	The only photo of this gun being used, Croatia, Island Murter
Description and photos © Damir Schiller
*Do you have more info about this item?*