http://www.omersub.com/catalog/spearguns/p19.htm
Cobra Speargun: An upgraded version of the Master America with the objective of producing a one piece laminated teak speargun with the handle integrated into the stock. The name Cobra comes from the shape of the elliptical barrel with more mass and stability and larger in the front, a characteristic that makes the gun more accurate. All machined in Italy using CNC for consistency in precision from gun to gun.
• Cold forged two piece stainless steel muzzle
• Front weight balance system to suit the weight of the shaft
• Integrated new T-20 cassette trigger mechanism and handle tested to 500lbs+
• Stainless steel line release mechanism
• New safety on top
• The US guns will have a rubber butt (pictured)
• Stainless steel integrated reel bracket (pictured) for Alum reels
• Balanced well to be stable and light on the wrist even in the biggest 130cm size
The same as the current Master America from the handle forward with an integrated track (rail as the S.Africans call it). The main difference with this new gun is the one piece design and the insertion of the T-20 handle cassette, it's ingenious and it makes such a solid connection. It can be easily removed out of the stock, basically an enclosed trigger mechanism within the wood stock. See pictures. This is basically a cartridge T-20 mechanism inside the machined wood stock. The advantage is that; not only is the structure one solid piece, but you don’t have to take separate trigger parts out of the wood if you wanted to disassemble for maintenance, since you can slide the complete handle and trigger cassette out of the gun by knocking out two pins and then eventually do the same with the cassette pins to disassemble the trigger mech. This ensures a very exact and precise fit in the rear portion of the gun and a solid connection.
My opinion: If you already own a Master America though, it’s up to you to decide whether the small changes are worth the extra cost for Omer’s 2006 flagship gun. Omer didn’t make this gun with a price-point in mind and when you don’t compromise anything like they did you end up with a hefty price gun, I’m guessing $600-700. As you can see there’s more work involved and more touches. From a shooting standpoint compared to the 2005 Master America’s there are no real advantages, a visually more pleasant and more detailed version of the current teak Master America. I think both guns are equally stunning weapons but there are people who like the one piece stock design better in a wood gun and the way they integrated the cassette trigger mechanism/handle and the stainless reel mount is very solid, much more so than guns where the handle is simply screwed to the bottom of the stock or where a less expensive alternative of shaping a wooden handle into the gun is used. The stainless reel bracket looks strait out of the museum of modern art to. It’s beautiful workmanship, from the custom forged stainless parts, to the round curves in the wood and the butt of the handle, it has a very solid feel comparable to the most serious production teak wooden guns on the market but in the water it’s agile and balanced perfectly. I’ve been using a 100cm with a 150cm 7mm shaft meant for a 110cm gun with two 16mm bands and have shot fish to 109lbs with it already. Just like it’s Master America cousin, the gun is very light on your wrist when reaching forward and still amazingly stable during the shot and agile swinging.
Contrary to your concern Dobs – this handle is much better than a wooden handle. Wood may be a cheaper solution for a custom wooden gun maker to manufacture but it’s a huge stress and leverage point for the gun handle to crack. Screws are the only thing holding it and if dropped they easily crack. The T-20 is exponentially stronger than an alternative in wood and I would bet most other gun handles. This coupled and well integrated into the thick of the Teak stock is not going anywhere. If you’ve seen one or own a T-20 handle you’ll see its as strong as any speargun handle on the market. I know because I’ve taken hammers to most of them. Not to mention you can substitute the grip for the ergonomic handle by knocking out a pin depending on the size of the diver’s hands.
XXV Gold
http://www.omersub.com/catalog/spearguns/p18.htm
XXV
http://www.omersub.com/catalog/spearguns/p17.htm
I haven’t tried either of these guns because we’re likely not going to carry them in the USA. The choice of either or these two guns not being made in sizes longer than 100cm is determined by the fact that the carbon barrel is 1,5mm thickness and a diameter of 25mm and therefore by definition much less rigid than a 28mm barrel. As a consequence longer sizes, if used with powerful double bands, would flex the barrel too much. The second reason is the intended use of this gun which was born from the objective to have an excellent swing and maneuverability in the water ideally used in all types of conditions (shallow water stalking, big swells, around rocks at shy fast moving prey) where this characteristic is fundamental in a speargun. These particular applications are particularly suited and appreciated in European diving conditions where guns between 75-100 are used which is why we’re probably not going to carry them in the USA. The muzzles are very innovative and unique for the obvious reason that one can choose an open muzzle or closed muzzle depending on the day of the week.
Excalibur 3000
http://www.omersub.com/catalog/spearguns/p16.htm
An upgrade to the Excalibur Aluminum version with an integrated shaft guide captured into the 28mm carbon fiber barrel. It won’t come in a size longer than 110cm making it the perfect single band mid size gun. I like this gun with 20mm bands and a small sharkfin shaft. This is a more complex rail design (from a production standpoint) compared to a stick on or glued on rail since it’s captured into the actual circumference of the barrel. Light, accurate, and very maneuverable. Five years of testing on the world market have gone into this gun thanks to lots of divers modifying Excaliburs into open muzzle guns for several years. The carbon fiber barrel just makes the gun lighter and rigid.
A few pictures, I’ll tell you about the fins and the float when I recover from this one…I tried those too and I gota say, they’ve been working hard and drinking lots of Espresso’s in Italy considering the work they’ve done creating them! The fins and the new float are top notch quality and performance.
Mark
The only thing OMER still needs to modify in the Cobra gun is the plastic handle... then we'll have a magnificent wooden gun 
