JBL spearguns

  • hi guys,
    anyone familiar with JBL guns?
    i can't afford a Riffe and don't have the proper tools to build one...
    JBL seems affordable. is it a good brand? and can't decide on a Woody or an Elite 55inch
    thanks for your advice
    Dex

  • I would suggest looking into AB Biller guns. JBL isnt bad but they arent very good either. The Biller guns are work horses and can last forever if taken care of. The Biller guns are about 70$ cheaper than a Riffe Padauk of comparable length. In my opinion the Riffe is a better gun with higher quality parts but if cost is an issue the Biller is a good option.

  • The jbl elite guns are very good guns . Basicly a slightly wider riffe standard ,with a much better trigger and a plastic muzzle ,and a good handle shape . Get the shark fin shaft, open muzzle model.
    Phil

  • Sorry if I posed in the wrong thread
    I thiink I will look for a used RIFFE
    Thanks!


    Craig's list...I've seen some very good deals. Your on the right track mate.


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • Makes me chuckle that one of the most well respected gun builders in the country is the only one who suggested that JBL was the better gun. You guys are missing out not checking out the new JBL guns. Much better gun for a much smaller price. I agree with Phil on model choice too. Go with the Elite, and possibly switch out at least the rock point tip, if not the whole shaft.

  • I've shot them as well. Pretty decent gun. Cant say anything about durability, as I don't actuallt own one or dive with anyone that uses it on a regular basis.


    As Dave said, the shaft is pretty bad.

  • I've been shooting a new JBL Elite Sawed-Off Woody mag that I got about 5 months ago new. It's been a very good gun so far. I honestly can't see much difference in it and the Riffes I saw at the store the other day. Looks almost like a copy. Only a whole lot less $$$
    I'm not a professional so take my coments with a grain of salt.

  • Well I felt like sharing my experiences with JBL guns.




    Pictured below are the old versions of the JBL spearguns. Notice how the trigger mechanism/handle is one solid metal piece (this is how you can tell it's the old version). I've noticed this trigger mechanism is not designed to handle a lot of band power. So with every band you load it increases the amount of force needed to pull the trigger. Depending on your gun it can get to the point where it's more than noticeable and can become a real problem when shooting fish. I've spooked fish or completely missed them while trying to pull the trigger. Now that's not to say this gun won't kill fish, it will. It just can be annoying when you have to spend an extra 2 seconds squeezing the trigger at whatever you're aiming at. For some fish that short moment can be the difference between success or failure.



    Here (below) is a picture of JBL's new version with a much better Kitto trigger mechanism. Notice how the trigger mechanism/handle is separate instead of joined together (this is how you can tell it's the new version). I've used this new gun and can say the trigger performs perfectly. You don't have to strain you finger to pull the trigger. Just a smooth easy pull and it fires. Also there's no difference in the trigger pull if you have one band loaded or multiple bands loaded. It fires just as well as any professionally made speargun.




    Below here is a list of all of their metal guns. I've tried the magnum series and they are the same as the old wooden version except made of metal. None of the metal versions have the Bill Kitto trigger mechanism. So none of these will perform as well as the new Wooden JBL spearguns.









    Carbine series.... I've tried firing the smallest version of this gun and I was like WTF!? It took a huge amount of effort just to pull the trigger back. 10x worse than any gun I've ever tried. Think about squeezing something as hard as you possibly can and that's about the strength needed to fire this gun. By the time you mange to fire the gun you're completely off target. Seriously I can't believe JBL sells this gun. I can't imagine who would ever want to own a gun like this. I'd have a better chance of catching a fish with a pointy stick!





    Lastly JBL sells an "Elite Series". These are the same guns as the ones above, except they are designed to shoot with an "open track" (meaning there is no hole in the front of the gun for the metal shaft to pass through). They also have shark fins instead of notches on the shaft. And the bands are tied together with spectra cord wishbones. If I could own any JBL gun this is the one I would want to have (the wooden version of course)


    But just like the other metal guns I wouldn't recommend the Elite metal version as it has the same sub-par trigger mechanism I described in my first paragraph.


  • Nice post Daniel, it gives a good perspective on JBL spearguns. I'll add that the new Elite series JBL guns while being a huge leap forward from the low quality "spearguns" JBL sold for many years, I don't like the Kitto mech, don't like the new handle, and don't see the point of the plastic muzzle. The handle is not ergonomic. The mech while it has the mystique of the Kitto label I found to be rough to engage the shaft in, and aesthetically it's obtrusive. Probably it shoots fine once you get past those things, but to me a speargun is about the details.

  • Nice post Daniel, it gives a good perspective on JBL spearguns. I'll add that the new Elite series JBL guns while being a huge leap forward from the low quality "spearguns" JBL sold for many years, I don't like the Kitto mech, don't like the new handle, and don't see the point of the plastic muzzle. The handle is not ergonomic. The mech while it has the mystique of the Kitto label I found to be rough to engage the shaft in, and aesthetically it's obtrusive. Probably it shoots fine once you get past those things, but to me a speargun is about the details.


    Yah I'm not 100% positive on how the Kitto trigger compares to other trigger mechs on the market, since I only have a handful of spearguns. So your opinion may be correct. But at the very least the Kitto mech is an adequate trigger mechanism, where the previous trigger mech was not.

  • regarding the elite mech . it is a 3 piece mech with the highest fail load / lightest /smoothest trigger pull under load of any trigger on the market . the trade off is to load the shaft you have to overcome the mechanical advantage of the internals of the mech , it takes about 7#-10# of force to engage the shaft in the mech . but with a 1000# of load the trigger pull will only be around4#- 5#
    phil

  • Good info, thanks Phil. Probably a great mech for a bluewater gun, but more of a hindrance than an advantage for a two band speargun. The top of the mech housing being round, I can't remember if the notch has to be purposefully aligned down, which would not be intuitive. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.

  • I've never had a problem loading mine just takes a good positive push and then I pulll against it just to make sure. And I think I would prefer the plastic end after seeing some pics of those really high end guns with split band slots. That would make me cry. I would think it's alot cheaper and easier to replace the plastic than make a repair directly to the wood.

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