Reel for a JBL Magnum 48 inch

    I just picked up a JBL Magnum for Mo. The Wong 55 is too much gun. Plus it's real expensive, plus it has my wife's (his mother's) name on it and .....well, the gun means a lot to me. :D


    It looks like a decent gun. Aluminum barrel with a 5/16 shaft...I think. There are no reel mount holes in it.
    I'm not in a hurry to put a reel on it and want Mo to concentrate on less than 20 feet of water and fish less than 5 lbs until he gets real comfortable.


    But if I do put a reel, what happens when you drill into the barrel? It looks as though only a thin piece of aluminum will hold the threads of a screw. Plus, do you have to put a good sealant on the screws to stop water from getting in and making the gun sink?


    Mo's stoked. I made a longer set of 9/16 bands and he can cock it. Ya man. The little fart has a really good eye for spotting fish....and lobster. He's a born hunter.

    Hank,


    I have a jbl competition magnum xhd and the tube has always flooded. I recently used Marine silicone to try and seal it but I have not tested it yet. Mine has a very heavy 3/8 shaft and three 16mm bands which equal to some nasty recoil. I nearly knocked my teeth out once with it. :@ My fault but if yours has a heavy shaft also you might want to be extra careful. Personally I hate mine but I have not completely given up on it yet. I recently grinded and polished the notches on the shaft to accept soft wishbones but there are so many things wrong with the gun that I’m not sure if it’s something that I’ll ever be able to fix enough to consider keeping.


    If anyone knows of any worthwhile modifictions that could be done to these guns, I'd love to hear them.:thumbsup2:


    Good luck with yours and keep us updated on how it goes.

    Edited once, last by Sith ().

    Sith, I've seen the different models of Magnums and this one has shark fins on the shafts and nylon wishbones.
    I'm gong to put a 7 mm shaft on. I tested one and it seems to hold well. And then use 9/16 bands.


    Thanks for the heads up on the leaks. I think I'll pass on the reel installation. I can't see how it will be a strong hold and a hard pull by a fish could work it loose, even with sealant, and start a leak.
    Unless JB Weld would work....??

    Hank, JB weld and JBL are not related products. I understand your confusion as they do sound somewhat similar. But in effect they're completely different, JB weld works well for some applications, whereas JBL does not.


    To put a reel on any pipe gun you need support from the inside of the tube, to anchor the screws into. Something like this machined Delrin plug with o-rings would be ideal for the JBL, because I find it problematic to seal smooth aluminum tubes with plugs.





    Before you ask I don't have this beautiful piece of engineering. But to plug a JBL you can probably find a suitable substitute. Look near public gas stations, usually around the back near some bushes. It will look like the pic below, although diameters and shape may vary. Once cut to size, push into the JBL tube, it will be just as if it came from the JBL factory.












    I use JB Weld for numerous things here at home...like pasting old wetsuit material on my door frames in my house so they don't BANG so loud when the kids slam them. I understand it's nothing to do with JBL.


    A good friend of mine who runs a store that sells.....just about anything....legal anyway....had the guns laying around and gave me a really good deal.


    So JBL is one of your favorite guns? :D

    Sounds cool Hank. Does the 7mm(euro) shaft you put on it have an American square notch? The jbl handles have a squared sear. It may hold a euro shaft temporarily but it's not very safe. Most of the older jbl guns seem to flood even without reel holes, definitely need to plug the barrel. Also, if you don't want to drill into it for the reel mount, Omer makes a "clamp" reel called the pelagic.

    Quote from Nate

    Sounds cool Hank. Does the 7mm(euro) shaft you put on it have an American square notch? The jbl handles have a squared sear. It may hold a euro shaft temporarily but it's not very safe. Most of the older jbl guns seem to flood even without reel holes, definitely need to plug the barrel. Also, if you don't want to drill into it for the reel mount, Omer makes a "clamp" reel called the pelagic.


    You're right. I just put one 7mm Pursuit that I use on my Wong in (just to piss Dan off. :D) and although it holds, it doesn't click in like the 5/16 shaft that came with it. Thanks for the info.


    How do you plug the barrel? I was looking at the screws that hold on the butt extension and the tip. I was going to put 452 (or that JBL Weld,,,? haha) Sealant on the screws and around the seams. It'll look like shit but may keep the water out. ?


    I'm starting to regret this. :(


    Jose, thanks for the reel ideas. I think I'll hold off on putting one on.....I may try to return the gun.

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