Quality / costs? Euroguns

[Pav]

Well boring as I am I think its going to be the Commanche again (not a wasted forum, as I've had fun window shopping and looking at all the recomendations! )

No local spearo shop means its mail order. I've been browsing the pages of http://www.subprof.com

Postage only hurts once so you know how the shopping list grows. Have a look at these ;

Rail Guide ; Just an idea to add it to the Comanche 90 I already have.
http://www.subprof.com/tienda/product_info.php?cPath=56_144&products_id=890

Trident with floppers, tempted having watched Christian Andre. But can't find a suitable shaft on the same page.
http://www.subprof.com/tienda/product_info.php?cPath=56_122&products_id=696

or http://www.subprof.com/tienda/product_info.php?cPath=56_122&products_id=695 but can't understand the huge difference in price?

fancied the trident to change the odds when fish are shy and the viz is poor.

What do your reckon on the extras?!

 

[spaghetti]

Hi Pav. I think an integral shaft guide is not necessary on a comanche: rubbers work parallel to the barrel, so what? It will make the shaft have more drag, with a slight loss of power, and maybe a loss of accuracy too, changing the band/shaft allignement. Plus, the omer guide is sticky: if you fail to stick it perfectly straight, the gun wont' shoot straight any more.

 

[Pav]

Thanks! Better spending my ££s on something else.

How about the trident heads? Anyone else use something similar. My accuracy with my 90 gun is good, and I only miss rushed shots. Would I notice a benifit of a trident on the 75 in the conditions described. I have only looked at the flopper type as I can never imagine one of the barbed tridents holding a fish, other than maybe a flattie?

 

[Old Man Dave]

Yes I've recently watched the DVD with Christian Andre fishing the D-Day wrecks.

The main point of the trident seems to be that it kills or at least stuns the fish much more than a single point. Presumably this is because it stops dead within 6 inches of hitting the fish and thus transferes all of the energy. Very interesting idea.

The idea of providing a wider head used for compensating for poor accuracy doesn't seem relevant in this case. Christian hits all the fish in the head from close range.

The wing barbs or floppers seem to be able to be "sprung" into reverse to get the fish off. Looks easy.

It's been quite a talking point with me and Foxfish. Killing big fish outright or at least stunning then and holding then steady looks like a winner. Been wondering if a small cross bar welded at right angles 6 inches behind a single head would do the same.

The arguement between penetration right through and stopping power is an old one in rifle balistics.

Hmmmm! Needs some more thought and experimentation.

Dave

 

[dave]

The more expensive trident is titanium, these work very well, particularly on a heavier shaft. The inox picasso trident is pretty flimsy
You lose quite a bit of range with a trident, but as has been said before, they do stop fish dead (even with body shots!)
I used to use an MATC trident in my 90 all the time, but swapped back to a single point a couple of seasons ago for the increased range. Range is not everything though, one of the best spearos I know dives exclusively with a 75 with MATC trident
Tridents are particularly good for wrecks as they stop the fish and prevent it tangling up. I also like them for hunting under kelp for the same reason
The thread on all euro heads is M7 x 1, so just cut down an old shaft to the correct length and get a thread cut on it
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk
www.c-ski.co.uk

 

[Pav]

Cut a M7 thread on an old shaft. So simple but why didn't I think of that :head

Thanks to all the feedback from everyone involved in this thread What I have learnt from the deeperblue forums is that everything stems from experimentation. Having had success with a standard 90 euro gun I guesse I'm ready to experiment, but was unsure what to start with.

I guesse its time this year to spend even more time in the water and try some new ideas (new to me at least) to see what works for me. Certainly your collected posts have inspired me and its nice to know their is rarely 1 answer to a question in this sport. Makes it more exciting.

 

[Mr. X]

Looks like this topic is coming up on a new thread too: http://forums.deeperblue.net/forum79/thread65227-2.html#post586155
BTW Here is a picture of the trident mentioned in Pav's earlier post (http://www.subprof.com/tienda/product_info.php?cPath=56_122&products_id=695):

$$$

 

[aesop]

RA railgun

Where the hell can you actually BUY a RA railgun? Do you have to email Rob to get one? I know someone who wants one and wanted me to purchase it for him, I can't seem to find a site to physically buy it.

Hope I'm not just a complete retard and didn't see something I was supposed to see.

Thanks,:head
Chris

 

[Mr. X]

Re: RA railgun

Where the hell can you actually BUY a RA railgun? Do you have to email Rob to get one? I know someone who wants one and wanted me to purchase it for him, I can't seem to find a site to physically buy it.

Hope I'm not just a complete retard and didn't see something I was supposed to see.

Thanks,:head
Chris

I believe there are a couple of dealers in the USA. I was going to say check the main site at www.roballen.co.za/ for details but it has none for the USA. Probably individual dealers rather than a distributor.

1. Sumora is one I believe (great site: http://www.sumora.com/).
2. http://www.norcalfreedive.com/ (another favourite site)
3. http://www.flfreedivers.com/
4. In Europe, of course, www.RobAllenEurope.com (or Rabitech from www.Spearo.co.uk now I believe, see Dave's post above).

Catalog: http://www.roballendive.com/ (guns have been updated since then).

 

[Mike Damms]

Hi Aesop/All,
In the USA there are quite a few RA retailers.
Sumora is not one and unfortunately Norcal has just about given up the RA agency.
Tell me where you are and I will advise you where is the nearest dealer with RA guns in stock.
Regards,
Mike Damms.

 

[aesop]

Thanks for the help all, Very much appreciated. I live in Salem, Oregon. I'll pm you with this info too.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Mr. X]

From the man himself, websites around the world:

Australia www.roballendive.com
USA www.flfreedivers.com
South Africa www.roballen.co.za
UK www.roballeneurope.com
Portugal www.roballen.submerso.net
New Zealand www.wildblue.co.nz

 

[aesop]

Oh, nice! That should eliminate a few double posts, hopefully.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Pav]

Well I did order the Comanche 75 in the end to compliment my Comanche 90. Brand new and delivered for £62! Thats got to be a best buy?

I am a little suprised by the length difference. 90 - 75 = 15cm :head

Maybe I should have gone shorter? Is the difference between the 75 and 90 guns more noticable in the water?

Questions best answered by getting in the water, but its still too cold and dirty for me! so any comments? thanks.

 

[foxfish]

I do not own one gun that I have not customised or modified. If you find your new gun too long cut a bit off the end! Of course you will have to fit new slings if you want to maintain the power. But you may find a 90 very useful as you get used to it. I think you will also find most spearos own loads of guns & when they are so (relatively) cheap why not?

 

[Pav]

Thanks foxfish. The 90 is the gun I already have. Its the 75 that I've added to my quiver. The 90 gun I am confident with but find it slow to turn when hunting around the shallower gullies / and when the viz is poor.

The 75 I was hoping would be quicker to turn etc, but now wonder if the 15cm will make a difference. Your right if I find it to long I could always shorten it. Guesse I'll have to get in and try. I can't imagine companies would make two guns that would feel the same in the water.. but they do look similar + or - 15cm rofl

I'm trusting Easter will bring some clearer skys, sun and FISH!.. Mr X will confirm this at the end of next week I hope

 

[Mr. X]

Just messing around with a tape measure, it seemed to me 75 & 90 are pretty close (although I am told even 10cm makes a noticeable difference), so I was thinking about a 70cm. Even that is not much different, it almost seems you need a foot difference for it to seem significantly different. e.g. 60, 90, 120, 150. But as spaghetti mentioned, the world champ. used a 60 & 75 commanche in one comp. (the world championships?).

I am thinking about getting a 65/70cm rob allen or a 60/75cm commanche. The commanche is smaller overall than my current speargun, so that might make a difference for me too.:hmm

Re. holiday, I was expecting my roof rack today but instead got an email saying they won't have them in until next month:head

 

[Mr. X]

I like Foxfish's suggestion about "adjusting" your gun length. Obvious really :duh - although I guess you'd need to adjust your spear line & perhaps even the spear itself (I think railguns are a little more tolerant of shorter spear length differences because the don't need to balance a droop in the middle - not sure about longer than normal spears)? Apparently Rob Allen will make spearguns to order -- if you want a non-standard length I suppose; you can also buy spare barrels.

 

[foxfish]

I am surprised that roller guns are not more popular? Anyhow I am building one at the moment. A 750 with 275 bands, so I will find out if they have any pitfalls first hand? It seems to me, although DB is a fantastic source of info sometimes the only ansaw it experience.

 

[spaghetti]

Pav, you will enjoy your new 75: it's big fun fishing with it, because aiming and side movements are easier, and you can use it for any sort of technique (creep into caves, ambush between rocks, "shadow-hunting" in very poor visibility). For me between a 75 and a 90 there's no great difference in ballistics: of course a 90 shoots a bit longer than an equal 75, but the main difference is in handyness. Me? Tomorrow morning I'll go fishing with my 75 and my 60 (N/W wind and evening storm promise terrible viz :-(