Edge spearguns have been developed by Tony Heugh, Tony is an experienced diver having dived extensively over the past 30 years. Tony has represented Australia in Freediving and Speafishing and managed an Australian spearfishing team at World Titles. Tony has combined experience, hands on ability and knowledge of materials, into creating the Edge speargun, a choice for many leading divers around Au
stralia. Tony designed the Edge according to the needs as advised to him by the top spearfishers in Australia. While a number of other brands had entered the market with heavier duty Euro type spearguns it became apparent that an even heavier duty speargun was required for the Australian conditions. These spearguns have features not obvious to the untrained eye. The Barrel…
The cylindrical shape of the barrel is the most efficient in providing both strength and reduced surface to volume ratios which affect tracking. Most divers use spearguns in periscopic fashion in open water and only need short manouverable spearguns whilst working white water and in conditions of ground swell. Shorter spearguns have a greater positive effect on manouverabiliy than barrel size. With many divers along the East and West Coast of Australia seeking larger prey the need became apparent for a gun which is both small enough to be efficient when targeting smaller prey particularly in competitions, yet when required, having the strength to handle longer spears, heavier spears and more power. The traditional spearguns that could handle this power consisted of wooden barrels, which are much heavier than alloy barrels. To balance a speargun so as to handle longer spears, heavier spears and more power, a stronger barrel with a bigger bore, to add floatation, was needed. Tony saw to this and designed an alloy barrel with an incorporated track, as others before him, but heavier. A question raised by several divers, concerned the noise it would create compared to a plastic track gun. When a speargun is fired, he spear travels at close to supersonic speed and therefore a fish has no time to react and take evasive action, unless one is using a heavy duty multiple band speargun with a 10mm spear and firing from a great range. The advantage of a plastic track is reduced noise when stalking a fish during tracking, since the slightest noise at times can instigate a fish to take flight. Tony came up with a solution to this problem by designing a muzzle which keeps the spear from moving excessively in the track (hence the small hole flat top muzzle option) and also not incorporating bungies and clips which rattle on the barrel. The clips instead on the Edge muzzles are kept away from the barrel through the muzzle design. Yet many spearo’s such as Doug Hanning prefer the large hole open muzzle for ease of aim and because for the most they hold the gun mid barrel while swimming to prevent any such rattle. The Handle…
Tony needed a reliable handle and settled for the Picasso Century. This handle has since withstood the test of time and 5 years down the track it remains a standard by which others are measured. It is very similar to the Basik handle used by Rob Allen for many years and the working parts have been copied by many other brands. Tony subsequently started using a heavier duty handle, the Merou, to give the customer an option. The Merou is also a reliable sturdy handle. This handle has a side line release which is preferable for spearguns fitted with a reel. The handle is of a heavier construction hi-glass filled nylon and the mechanism is encased in a stainless steel cassette. The handle offers great sighting as the stainless cassette is not as bulky as the traditional nylon cassettes often used in other mechanisms. Tony also provides a range of smaller cheaper spearguns, for those interested in shorter spearguns 1 metre or less in length. These are fitted with the much cheaper and lighter Assegai handle. The lighter weight provides for a more balanced speargun. The Assegai while not as strong as the Picasso Century or the Merou, has the same working parts of the former can easily handle the loading forces applied to the smaller less powerful Edge spearguns. The Muzzle…
Tony developed a muzzle to suite local conditions. The requirement was clear a versatile option which would be practical to use and maintain in remote areas along the coasts of Australia or around the Pacific islands. To achieve this Tony steered clear of screw in bands and articulated bridles which require access to dive stores and specialised equipment for service and replacement. Spearfishers in our region need to be able to service and maintain their own equipment. The concept of a split muzzle was therefore a logical progression. The shortcommings of the traditional bulk band muzzle’s were realized. Whilst some of these were streamlined they had basic design features that could not be overcome. The muzzle pinched the bands at rest and they were exposed around the compressed areas to UV light and abrasion around the muzzle contact areas. Tony then devised a new concept - an enclosed muzzle which locks the rubbers in place without distorting it and at the same time offering protection around the front from UV light and abrasion. Tony then managed to reduce the profile of the front at the same time as with the enclosed muzzle by reducing the wall thickness of the retaining cap to less than that of the traditional aeroplane type. The mechanical design of the enclosed muzzle cap allows for greater strength for a thinner wall thickness than the traditional aeroplane type which required more strength around the bands to hold them in place. An additional benefit of the split muzzle was that it allowed the diver an easier way to replace the bands as they did not need to be stretched into place. As the bands are not pinched around the front as with the traditional bulk band types, the rubber is free to stretch around the front - this allows for extra power to be achieved as more of the rubber is utilized. When using a second band the traditional aeroplane type muzzle has a design problem in that the second band, if not in use, dangles below the speargun and could easily catch on an underwater obstruction or frighten away fish. The second band is also not kept tightly in place and can slip around to create an uneven pulling force. This is probably not a big issue but still untidy. The second band in the Edge muzzle is kept firmly in place and will not slip around. The bolt holding the cap in position is of stainless steel and adds weight to the muzzle. Extra floatation due a wider bore barrel compensates for this weight. The Edge muzzle and handle is fixed with nylon pins which have great shear strength. The nylon pins will not corrode aluminium and the barrels will therefore outlast other alloy barrels. Other manufacturers use stainless steel screws to retain handles and muzzles - these look untidy and the holes in the barrel eventually wear out through electrolysis with the alloy of the barrel being the weaker electrode. There are 4 interchangeable muzzle caps for the Edge Speargun. Depending on the diver preference one can use a single band low profile cap or a cap which can take twin bands. For each of these options there is the further option of a cap with a large spear hole suited to divers who prefer to aim through the muzzle or the flat top tapered cap suited to divers who prefer to aim over the top of the speargun. The latter has a spearhole tapered from a large hole at the back to a small hole at the front. This taper effect ensures that a small spear hole can be used without the spearline getting chocked in the muzzle. Extra touches…
Handles and muzzles are fitted with a coating of lithium marine greece and are interchangeable. It is possible to fit different barrel lengths to the handles and muzzles of Edge spearguns as the holes for the pins are all identical as they have been machined using the same workshop jigs. A plug is placed in the back of the muzzles with rubber to prevent a void, which in other brands fills up with salt water and leaks slowly into the car whilst in transit from the dive venue. Tony manufacures nylon bridle inserts making replacing bridles very practical and simple an advantage when diving in remote situations. One does not require special tools to replace bridles when using an Edge Speargun. A nylon spanner is supplied with each speargun and this is the only tool required for the muzzle and this can be attached to a float. The speargun does not suffer the same recoil problems of lighter spearguns and is more stable in the water, due to is heavier construction. Unlike many others in the market Edge guns are manufactured in Australia - as such I have expensive production costs – the moulds are manufactured locally as are the injection mould products. The guns comply with standards for the Australian made campaign with up to 80% of local content going into an Edge speargun.
