Island Style vs Slide Ring

[Dragon Down]

Last fall I purchased a JBL Lightning that has the slide ring style tether on the spear. I recently ordered another gun, however it came with the Island Style tether where the cable is attached to the back end of the spear and is pushed through the front guard thing over the rail.

The problem I have is when shooting an Island style tether in the pool it would bird-nest at the guard on the front. My thought is, you don't push a string.

The JBL rep said that the Lightning has never come with the slide ring style configuration. If that's true what is the gun I have that says JBL Lightning on the side and has a slide ring?

Am I setting up the gun wrong? Is it supposed to pull all of the cable through the front guard instead of pushing a shaft length section out?

 

[Johnoly]

The problem I have is when shooting an Island style tether in the pool it would bird-nest at the guard on the front. My thought is, you don't push a string.

That's a completely closed muzzle gun like most JBL pipe guns. Unless it has been modified (which I've seen some) it's going to require a slide ring on the shaft for using a line. Several spearo's have taken that similar gun and cut the slide ring off as well as the line to make it a freeshaft hole gun. It makes it very quick to load and is a great little hole gun to shoot a fish quickly without worrying about re-stringing a line.

Depending on your dive conditions and style, you can eliminate the line and freeshaft it, or buy a new shaft with the slide ring on it.

You are correct in that you can't push a string through a completely closed muzzle system. Shaft whip along will bind and foul the line.

 

[Dragon Down]

Here in Utah they require a line.

The JBL rep said they dont make the lightning with a slide ring anymore. I'm not going to buy something new that comes broken and requires a modification to shoot, so I just bought a nice Mares gun with the open guide in the front.