another advantage of the rear handle is that - at equal overall length - you keep your own body more distant from the fish than with a mid handle.
This helps especially when hunting shy reef fish, which are not likely to let you get very close to them.
I think that's one of the reasons why all guns made in the mediterranean countries are rear handled (our fish are not just shy: they're all Ph.D.'s in "stayawayoffmeology"
