VOIT "Swimaster" Spearguns, Anyone Know?

[RayBanFoxMan]

Amigos, anyone ever heard of "VOIT" spearguns? I just acquired a pair of 60's-70's looking spearguns both made by VOIT, both labeled "Swimaster." One is looking to be around a 55inch while the other is maybe a 22inch. They look much like JBLs. Just wondering if anyone knows the history on these, where they come from, and if they are worth putting new rubber and lines to. Thanks for the help guys.

-Jeff

 

[foxfish]

Never heard of them mate but nice to see you are still alive & kicking!
Welcome back stranger.

 

[RayBanFoxMan]

Martyn! How are things on the Islands? Much fishing lately? Yeah, been gone for a long while, but I should be getting back into the swing of this with the forums and such. Good to hear from you again. If you hear anyone ever mention a VOIT speargun, send them my way, huh? Curious as to what I've fallen into. Talk to you soon!

-Jeff

 

[foxfish]

I found a pic Spearguns, Voit Gold, www.skindivinghistory.com
I think they might of been the forerunners of JBL spearguns & were produced in the mid 60s?

 

[slingshaft]

The Voit guns are the JBL line. Here is a pic to prove it. The design remains the same :mute

 

[Fondueset]

Affirmative on that - they are the original JBL's. Haven't changed a whole hell of a lot either.

 

[Erik]

The design remains the same :mute

Kind of like Harley Davidson motorbikes. :mute

Fight! :martial :blackeye

 

[RayBanFoxMan]

Yeah, when I first saw these I thought JBL, and after doing a little research I found JBL bought out Voit around the late 70's. But pretty much kept the design. I think I might re-band these things and go shoot me some dinner with a 40 year old gun. :vangry

 

[Fondueset]

My first gun was a voit carbine. It was absolutely no threat to the fishes. I also had Voit viking fins - but replaced them with US Divers Hydromatic Champions - which were bright yellow and incredibly comfortable during my 8 hour snorkeling sessions.

 

[slingshaft]

Hey, put a sling on the gun, go retro! Occasionally some of the guys shoot 'vintage guns', it is a blast! And honestly,these guns are perfect for hunting around jetties, and structure such as coral, the thick shaft stands up rather well to sustained penetration into cracks and crevices.

 

[slingshaft]

Second try!

 

[RayBanFoxMan]

Haha. No threat to fish, huh Fond? Not my kind of speargun! I don't have the highest of hopes for the the smaller Voit, but the 55in might turn out to be a good reef gun like Sling has said. I've attached a picture of both guns.

 

[Erik]

I always admit that I got LOTS of dinner with my JBL when I used it, after I insult the gun of course.
Cool old VOIT there, polish it up, new bands, throw it in the back of the truck with the weights and the spare and go 4x4'ing- it'll still work another 30 years probably!

 

[cdavis]

I shot my first fish with an earlier version of your smaller gun, what the JBLs evolved from. Mine was old and well used when I started shooting it in 1965, must have been made in the 50s. Very tough guns; good memories!

Connor

 

[nz676]

you may want to take a look at this VOIT safety recall not sure if this applies to your gun but thought i would post to be on the safe side apparently they have a faulty trigger that even with the safety on it will still fire.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Commission Urges Consumers To Participate In Recall Of Potentially Defective Spear Guns[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 1980) -- Following a very low rate of consumer return of potentially hazardous aquatic spear guns the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and AMF Voit, Inc., are repeating public warning of the hazard and urging consumers to participate in a free repair program.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Only one per cent (986) of the estimated 97,300 potentially hazardous spear guns have been returned to the manufacturer for free repairs since the recall was announced more than a year ago. These spear guns may contain defective triggers and as a result may fire accidentally even though their safety catches are engaged.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Although AMF Voit has received 13 consumer complaints about this malfunction, neither CPSC nor the company has received any reports of deaths or serious injuries.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The "carbine" spear guns being recalled were sold nationwide in specialty stores from 1967 to 1979 under the AMF Voit, Inc. label. The company's name can be found on the left side of the grip of the two models being recalled. One of the recalled models may be identified by a 17-inch aluminum barrel while the other features a 26-inch aluminum barrel. Both models have black plastic handles. (Sketches of these two models are attached.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Spear guns models G-6 and G-7, manufactured since May, 1979, are not being recalled and are easily identified if a serial number is affixed to the handle or barrel. Any gun which is equipped with a serial number is not involved in the recall.[/FONT]

 

[Bill McIntyre]

The design was originally called just Swimmaster. I still have a very corroded Swimmaster gun that I bought at the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange in 1961. The design was later purchased by Voit, and I had a few of those. Then the line was purchased by JBL, and I think I may have had one or two.

I'm not sure, but I don't think the muzzle shown in the photo is the original. I may have replaced the original with this one.

 

[cdavis]

That's my gun!! Haven't seen one of those in a very long time. Thanks for posting the pick, Bill.

Connor

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I guess I should add that the gun originally had a butt tube extension on it. You can see the bolt hole through the butt. I think I took it off and replaced it with a rubber crutch cap, but that probably disintegrated long ago.

 

[Erik]

I guess I should add that the gun originally had a butt tube extension on it. You can see the bolt hole through the butt. I think I took it off and replaced it with a rubber crutch cap, but that probably disintegrated long ago.

It probably actually WAS Connor's gun, and he wore of the butt.

 

[cdavis]

Shoot anything enough and it will try to come apart. You ought to see my 1969 Arballette Champion. It looks even worse than Bill's.

Connor