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Which Gun to get? Riffe?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Luis,

It sounds like you received some bad information. Bill pretty much addressed most of the "inaccuracies" of your friend's PM, so I'll just add some other thoughts.

Unless you live close enough to the Riffe factory/headquaters to drive there for warranty issues, then you're going to have to ship your Riffe product back to them. I don't think it was much cheaper to ship a gun from Guadalajara to Dana Point than it is to ship it to Hawaii.

On some of the other points, a little due dilligence on your part could have yielded the truth. Or even just deduction could have yielded the same result. If Daryl was using Riffe trigger mechs and "Jay found out and stopped him..." Why would Jay find out? Wouldn't Daryl have to BUY Riffe trigger mechs from Jay? Daryl used Alexander trigger mechs and I think those two have a good relationship. I know Daryl talked about having dinner with Steve on different occasions.

You should have asked publicly the number of Wong guns with the aimrite triggers have failed. It's a fair question. Kind of silly for Daryl and Rick to offer lifetime warranties on weak plastic triggers, don't you think?

Regarding the Riffe guns as being the Mr. Potatohead of spearguns, here's what I've learned about them:

When you bought your (big) Riffe from the store, did you do at least one of these things to it:

- downsized the bands
- new longer bands
- downsized the shaft
- add wings
- add lead to ballast the gun

If you didn't then you're the first person I know of that shoots with a stock Riffe gun. Even Jay Riffe's son-in-law, who is a big strong young man, put wings on his island. But he says he has them because he likes them...not because the gun needs it. :confused: :confused: Most people I know with Riffes HAD to do this for the gun to shoot accurately. So the guns that are sold aren't more versatile and scaleable (potatohead). They're just "incomplete". My (retorical) question about the Riffe guns is: "If the guns need wings, additional ballasting, smaller or longer bands...etc, then why don't they come with it? If it doesn't need it, then why does EVERYONE who has one modify it with those aformentioned "fixes"?

Well, so long as you shared your mysterious buddy's Riffe customer service story, I'll add mine.

Bear in mind, I've never bought a speargun from Daryl. I bought a Mahi bluewater speargun fourth hand. Yep, not counting Daryl, there were three previous owners. I emailed Daryl with some questions and he emailed back telling me about the lifetime warranty. He also sent some pieces of of terminal gear I needed to get the gun ready to hunt.

So Daryl Wong has never received a check from me for buying a speargun from him.

Here's my story, and this is the first time I've shared this publicly.

I'm a minimalist ,read frugal,...no, no READ CHEAP ASS. I mainly hunt Southern California and use the Mahi for the big game and use a 110cm Aimrite railgun for smaller stuff. I think I've got every thing covered for where I hunt. I don't make enough trips to warrant another gun. Anyways, I happen to find a 55" Wong hybrid for sale, but it was in Hawaii. I really liked the gun and the price was unbeatable; however, I don't like buying things sight unseen. Daryl is the only person I know on Hawaii, I hesitated for two days before sheepishly asking if he would take a look at the gun for me. He asked me who the seller was and told me that he remembers the guy and the gun. He says that he refinishes the gun every year and it is in better condition than most of his own guns. He thinks it's a killer deal and I should buy it.

Daryl then drives to pick up the gun, makes the adjustments (changed out the muzzle because it came with an extra muzzle), throws in three freshly tied bands for free, then ships it to me.

Let's hear of another gun maker doing the same for anyone who hasn't even bought a gun from him.

Like I told Dave. Get the gun you're comfortable with owning and using. I don't know of an all wood gun that will be effective in hunting halibut and WSB. But who knows, maybe the Mr. Potatohead of spearguns can and I'm really missing out with my Wong Mahi.

Nate
 
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Seaman,

I don't think he did that because you are personal friends. Or maybe I should put it another way- everyone is his personal friend.

When I bought my first gun from him, he told me to look at it, and if it was OK, then send a check. I had never met him. As far as I know, he still does that. Or at least some of my friends have had the same experience- they ask "when am I going to get to pay the guy?"
 
Guys... I just can't believe such animosity:vangry , damn! Cool down, take a deep breath and please get a cold beer, I took a third look at my thread to find some disrespecfull line and I couldn't find it... But seems like you did!. Based on that PM I made a choice and I bought a Riffe, I'm very happy about it, I'm sure that if I got a Wong I'll be equally happy... Or maybe more! Who knows? So far I have no complains about my gun, acording to some comments that you placed, maybe mine is the first one in history that doesn't need to get extra wings or lead to compensate the recoil and make it an accurate gun, and I'm lucky... once again... who knows! I'm as happy with my Riffe as you're happy with your Wong, and I think that we all can share our experiences with our toys without taking it personal:head . If I ofended anyone... It was not my intention.

Peace guys and seriously ... go to the kitchen and grab a cold one!:friday

Best regards


Luis said:
In the end, all your choices for guns are great choices. You could not be considering two better guns. I also like the railguns, but as a first gun, you want something that will last. A beautifull wood gun can be an heirloom and you can pass it on. There are 20+ year old RIFFE guns still being use and still working like the day they were made today. Choose whatever looks best to you and whatever suites your pocketbook the best as well =) If you like the feel and look of the wong then go for the wong, if you like the RIFFE, go for the RIFFE. they both have great characteristics.

Sounds like you already caught the bug, lol. you are right though. There is no "best gun" it's whichever guns is best for the conditions and fish you are hunting..
 
Luis said:
Guys... I just can't believe such animosity:vangry , damn! Cool down, take a deep breath and please get a cold beer, I took a third look at my thread to find some disrespecfull line and I couldn't find it... But seems like you did!.
Best regards

What animosity? Did you see anything nasty in my reply? If so, I think you inferred something that wasn't there. I simply refuted some things, that in my humble opinion, were not true. Don't ask for opinions if you don't want them.

You didn't say which Riffe model you got, but if its a No Ka Oi or larger, hopefully it will be the first one that is not underweight and overpowered. I got my first yellowtail and my first white sea bass with a Riffe Island, so its not impossible. Just be careful to always have your elbow locked and the other hand firmly backing up the gun. On a couple of occasions when I took a hurried shot, it bruised my chin so much that I'm sure I would have lost a tooth if it had hit higher.

And while you may think that advice was animosity, I'm just trying to give you fair warning. I have friends who have broken teeth, and others that have severely sprained wrists.

In case I'm being too vague, I'm offended by people who ask for opinions, and then put down those who try to help.

Go grab a cold one yourself.
 
Luis said:
Guys... I just can't believe such animosity:vangry , damn!

Luis,

I think you're misinterpreting disagreement (and setting the record straight) as animosity. The person who PM'd you was wrong about many of the facts. He may have wanted to be discrete and not hurt feelings, but had he posted it publicly then what he wrote would have been challenged. Then you would have gotten all the facts before making your decision. If he is who I think he is, then there's good reason why he didn't post publicly what he wrote you in the PM. It would have been because he started spearfishing just a few months prior to giving you that advice. If you did a search for his posts, then you would have seen that he posted threads in January and March asking about which guns to get. That's less than two and four months from when you inquired about guns.

I know my reply was to answer some of what was written in the PM that you posted. If my posts have had any element of animosity towards you or even the Riffe company or products please point it out to me and I'll gladly edit and apologize.

Nate

I'm glad you like your Riffe. Like I said in one of my posts, I have friends and dive buddies that like their Riffes. I also am a firm believer in buying what you're most comfortable owning and using. I believe I told the OP that as well.

Edit. Dang Bill, are you following me around? I push "Post" only to see you've posted a reply seconds before mine.
 
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cadiver said:
I will however admit one of my biggest attractions to the Riffe guns that I've concidered as well as some other guns, is the all teak wood constructions. I guess a lot of it is just asthetics, maybe that's all it is, but I just seem to want to get an all wood gun.

You may wanna contact Mori (morifish@aol.com). He's a speargunbuilding pioneer in SoCal. He builds all-teak works of art and his prices are comparable to Riffes and Wongs. Mori guns are generally tapered, internally ballasted, and don't need anything modified or added to make them shoot straight. He built me a 65" BW canon last year, and helped me build 2 others. His craftmanship is unsurpassed.

I agree with Spinal Tap about having 2 guns (at least) around here.
1) a 100-110 railgun or a 50"-55" smaller wood (or hybrid) w/57"x9/32" diam shaft for calicos to smaller YT & WSB

2) a 55"-60" tree trunk w/ 55"-60"x5/16" diam shaft with a sliptip, for bigger YT and WSB.

Buy #1 first. You'll get a lot more mileage out of it than you would expect. Buy #2 when you need it. If you have to have ONE gun, the best compromise, IMO, would be a 55" midhandle, open track, ballasted to shoot BOTH a 57x9/32 tahitian/hawaiian shaft and a 55x5/16 shaft w/sliptip. Switch shafts depending on what you're targeting. Good luck and have fun in your search for that perfect gun.
 
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teaknsteel said:
I agree with Spinal Tap about having 2 guns (at least) around here.
1) a 100-110 railgun or a 50"-55" smaller wood (or hybrid) w/57"x9/32" diam shaft for calicos to smaller YT & WSB

2) a 55"-60" tree trunk w/ 55"-60"x5/16" diam shaft with a sliptip, for bigger YT and WSB.

Great advice. One of my dive buddies has a 50" Wong hybrid and a 60" Wong Magnum hybrid. A couple of days ago we stopped at a spot that is usually good for calicos and he took the 50" in the water, but it was still enough to get him this white sea bass when it showed up.
 

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I think that what everyone can agree on is that you should see how many of the spearguns you are considering buying you can get your hands on and try them all. Then you'll have made a truly informed decision. All else is hearsay. I haven't commented on either the Riffe or the Wong because I've never shot either. I know Jay and Julie slightly and have spoken with Daryl. I think highly of all of them as people . . . BUT I refuse to make any comments on their products. I would also recommend that you, too, talk to the makers. Sometimes the difference in personal relations could be the deciding factor. It certainly helped me decide to buy the poseidonsub, whick I like very much.
 
Dammit!

'I will not buy another speargun, I will not buy another speargun, I WILL not buy another speargun.....' etc etc.
 
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Sarge,

I restricted my comments to Riffe and Wong guns because I have owned and shot both, a lot.
 
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teaknsteel said:
You may wanna contact Mori (morifish@aol.com). He's a speargunbuilding pioneer in SoCal. He builds all-teak works of art and his prices are comparable to Riffes and Wongs.

Dave,

teaknsteel would know Mori's prices. I never considered Mori's guns because I'd always thought they were out of my price range. Mori's guns are immaculate.

nate
 
Here are the photos to my gun.

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=65947"]Gun photos[/ame]
 
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I would also look into the yokooji's they are very well made, I own three, I am very happy with them. I think they are better then the riffe (my opinion since I own a riffe as well).
 
You might want to consider this website: www.joediveramerica.com . I own an Aimrite 110cm and love the thing, I am looking for a 90cm for halibut. In my very beginer opinion.......... go with 90cm euro then work up to the wong Magnum ect. Riffe. But if you are like me (broke) Euros are probably the way to go. My dive buddy owns a gun similar to the comanche and he seems to shoot more fish than me, and he likes it.
 
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