The Rob Allen Scorpia gun is a very durable and cost effective gun that will perform when confronted with a larger fish. Despite being inexpensive compared to other models, the Scorpia has a solid and robust build quality not found on the entry level models of our competitors. It is a seriously tough gun that can stand the harsh conditions of shore diving in the UK. It is an ideal entry into the range, and for surfers looking for some spearfishing action when the sea is calm, it represents an economical but reliable choice for a secondary sport. Unlike many 'entry level' guns, you can rely on the Scopia to give you years of use.

Built with the same care and with the same internal working parts as the premium models, the barrel is manufactured from aircraft grade aluminium with a wall thickness of 1mm and the mechanism is manufactured from glass reinforced nylon and has a solid 316 stainless steel sear.

Available in all lengths from 50cm to 110cm, fitted with a 16mm rubber and a 6.3mm spear.

Many of our customers start with a Scorpia before moving onto the railguns.

Penny Bird's World Record gun was an upgraded Scorpia.

What length speargun do I need for UK spearfishing? Our Recommendations:

There is no right or wrong speargun length and this is often simply down to your own personal preference.  Generally people tend to prefer the shorter spearguns for low visibility conditions or close range hunting.  They are also often used for hunting in holes and caves.  The bigger guns are often used for long range hunting when the visibility is better.  They can often seem more stable in the water than the shorter versions as well.

It would be safe to say that most UK spearfishing is undertaken with an 80cm or 90cm length speargun although we tend to prefer the slightly longer versions between 100cm & 120cm.  Either way you can't really go wrong and you'll enjoy your new gun all the same.

Rob Allen Scorpia Speargun Review...

...From the Women's world record holder!

I have been a fan of Rob Allen gear since my spearfishing days in South Africa. To me, the Rob Allen brand signifies quality and reliability and, let's face it, you don't want to be let down on the final straight!

When Lucy and Titus Bradley offered to provide me with a Rob Allen gun for the world record attempt, I was really happy. I knew the gun wouldn't let me down, but there were a few problems that had to be overcome. I needed a bespoke gun.

Muzzle modification: First, I can only load my gun with my feet. The old-style muzzles used to have horizontal "wings" across the front which made it exceptionally easy for me to load. Nowadays though, they are streamlined with the barrel and there is no hope of purchase for my heels without modifying the muzzle. After a bit of head scratching, my brother Cameron came up with the idea of crimping a loop of line through the muzzle and inserting a wooden dowel, about 20cm long, into the loop. Although not as sturdy as the old wings, it didn't take me long to learn to load fairly quickly. I carry the dowel hooked to a D-ring on my weightbelt and it didn't interfere with my diving at all.

Barrel length choice: The second challenge was the length of the barrel. I have only dived with a 90cm barrel and wasn't sure how long would be too long to load with my feet. I suggested 100cm barrel and Titus and my brothers voted for a 110cm barrel, so we went for the majority vote.

The gun: Titus recommended the Rob Allen Scorpia and upgraded the standard 6mm spear to a 7.5mm spear. It was also the first gun I would load with double 16mm bands. In practice, I found the gun marginally too long for me. I couldn't load the elastic closest to the handle and had to settle for putting both bands on the second notch. This didn't seem to affect the speed or penetration, but the gun did have a strong recoil and my middle finger is still marginally bruised from repeated poundings in the same place! I think the recoil also made the gun shoot slightly higher than I was expecting – sometimes I remembered to compensate, and sometimes I didn't!

Safety catch: Another personal choice about the Scorpia, is that I don't like handles with safety catches. This is just because I had a couple of bad experiences years ago trying to fire when the catch was on. My own fault, but not something I want to bother about when hunting.

Spear: I should also say that the spear impressed me greatly. I shot it almost point blank into a rock (girlie accident!) when hunting grouper and Colin managed to sort the tip out with a rasp and a bit of elbow grease. Also, the amberjack fought the spear really hard – I could see it bending it backwards and forwards very vigorously from the surface and I was expecting to have to straighten it after landing the fish. Amazingly, it was still unbent.

Line and bungee: My brothers Cameron and Rory assembled the gun and used 1.7mm standard nylon monofilament line and a bungee. This withstood the stresses of Ascension Island very well and is still in perfect condition.

Overall: My rig was perfectly matched to my experience and capabilities, as well as being tailored to my specific needs. The advice I received from Titus was spot on – his blue water experience is invaluable – and the gun did its job, not once, but over and over again. I highly recommend the Rob Allen Scorpia and if I ever get the chance to visit Ascension Island again, it will definitely be travelling with me, first class!

A big thank you to Crystalvis for supplying me with the rig...
Penny Bird

Update! The IUSA accepted both of Penny's World Record applications. Read about it here.