Mako 130 al or Rob Allen 130 al ????

my 130 size rob allen came with SS trigger mech??? .. excellent freedive gun, just keep in mind you always need a chest pad.

i have held both guns and feel like they are probably pretty comparable...given that there are replacement muzzles out there(i dont like either companies muzzle) I would lean towards the mako because of the decreased cost and SS mech.

if you want, I would try to borrow one of each and use them before purchasing.

I love how the RA doesn't have a loading pad btw..makes it easier to aim and to hold IMO

This is a Rob Allen mech http://spearfishing.world/spea…en-spearguns-misfire.html Unless things have been drastically changed.

Where's the line release on the Mako? If it's on the side that would be an advantage provided it works well.

pretty sure it is on the bottom..

Rob Allen:attack2::fish:

Aluminum. it is a green handle though, those in 130cm size brought SS mechanisms. I guess they decided to change with the one above that Dan posted.
Do you think the profit margin per gun is substantially higher when using the plastic cartridge? I dont know why they would start using that.

Black if you dont mind me asking, didnt you own a riffe before? if so what made you switch to rail guns?

unfortunatly the line release on the mako is on the bottom As the owner of a mako its still hard to say what to choose. The rob allens have a great reputation and in my opinion look a little better assembled. That being said i do love my mako and having to make the choice again id still choose it. i ahve the 120 in blue with the two band set up and open muzzle.. Like lunker said the muzzles of both brands do leave alot to be desired.. but both work just fine. Personally i like the loading pad. I have large hands and it still doest catch my wrist or anything that impedes me. and i havnt had the gun quite long eenough to call the trigger mech reliable but no problems so far. also the rubber grips on the mako are nice and its important to get the rubber over the loading butt also casue otherwise its thin hard plastic and almost defeats the purpose. One last point the loading pad is completly and easily removable. Ok and one last last point is that the guys at mako are real stand up about there product and back it in full force. And if your a little tight on cash flow they ahve interest free 4 month payment.. i think i paid like 50 something dollars a month.

The thing about pipeguns is that they are easily modified. They are all pretty much the same, so I would be most concerned with the trigger mech being SS rather than plastic.

I don't feel that the bottom line relase is any issue especially when using only 1 wrap of shooting line, which I do with pipeguns.

I have a Mako 130 and I really didn't like the muzzle or the handle on it, but I was in a pinch for a long gun, quickly, for a bluewater trip. The gun was relatively inexpensive. it already has a strong reputation as a quality pipegun, due to the fact that it is simply a Rabitech, relabeled. (not trying to stir the pot here, just pointing out a fact in favor of the mako product)

I Modified my Mako with Tinman muzzle and a shapelock handle for about $60. Not that it really needed it, it was simply a matter of preference. I shot the gun stock and did quite well with it the first day I had it out. I never missed a shot with it, had no problems penetrating any fish, and had no tear offs. I would say that was a pretty good day!

Actually, I take back that I shot it stock. I did change out the shooting line that came with it from a double wrap mono, to a single wrap dyneema line.

Bottom line, is that it is a good gun. I have owned RAs in the past as well and made the same modifications, sans replacing the handle. Both were decent, however, the RA line release pin did break after a while, as it was made of plastic. Again, pipeguns are very easy to fix and modify. Buy what fits your budget best now.

Hey John - How did your handle finally turn out? I thought you still wanted to smooth it a little?

Yes, that was my gun.

I like Dyneema because it does not cause steering like mono can, especially with light shafts and a single band. I used pipe guns for quite some time a few years back. I felt that there was increased speed, no steering and less chance of fraying and or break-off over mono. I was changing my mono every 2-3 dives. I change my dyneema maybe once a year or when there is obvious damage or wear. I use 1.8mm dyneema which is 600 lb strength. 400 lb mono is 2.2mm, I believe. Dyneema also has no memory. So it will not form permanent loops or bends that can ultimately cause steering issues which lead to inaccuracy.

I have the predator model Mako. I have owned a Rabi Apex (mako Iconic) in the past and did not like the handle at all. The predator handle was much more preferable. With the predator handle, you could always take it off and use shapelock if you don't like it. The base of the handle has some nice indentations to lock the shapelock into place and is also very easy to shape around as it is simply a long skinny rectangle. The Iconic looks like it would be a bit more difficult to work with and limit the amount of options one would have, as the "frame" is already formed to the shape that you can see with the side plates attached.

I forgot to mention that I also prefer versatility in my guns. Another point for the mako over the RA would be the loading pad. I don't think that the RA will allow one. Perhaps I am wrong. But I know for a fact that with the Mako, you can use it or remove it by simply pulling the retaining pin.

Quote from Tin Man

Hey John - How did your handle finally turn out? I thought you still wanted to smooth it a little?

I haven't done anything to it yet. I kind of lost some motivation over it due to the fact that the last two weekends were a bust for going diving and also the fact the deer season is now open:D Busted a big boy out of the brush tonight behind the house. I know where he is hiding. Going out tomorrow morning with the bow:thumbsup2:

i also shoot a dyneema line...I use the powerlineQ..i love it...it holds up very well and performs as above mentioned.

i also like the high visibility, esp when you get holed up..it is sooo easy to follow the bright yellow line:)

Quote from black1

avOO1 yeah I have 2 Riffes at the moment, a Euro 110x and a Euro 130, I might sell my 130 because I know it will be difficult due to it's length in wood to track easily or at least comfortably. I have not even gotten it wet yet but by using my 110 for some time I think the 130 will be a difficult gun to track up and down , maybe not so much side to side but definitely up and down. I also have a Aimrite venom 120 and it is a great gun, easy to track and swing and nice and light when surfacing with fish.
.

No euro gun could ever be compared with a wooden speargun in terms of durability. The performance between a Riffe Euro 130 and any other railgun of the same length for that matter is negligible . No railgun passing the 100 cm length is easy to track with. A railgun is better suited for ambush hunting in which the gun is tucked at the side and then extended towards the intended target. or extended and then pointed at the target. Swinging a gun most of the time is not even an option, even a midhandle is not suited for that purpose. Anticipation vs tracking kind of thing. Do not sell your Riffe euro, you will end up regreting it. 130 is a nice lenght, but it´s already entering the very clear water realm. I don´t see how an aimrite gun could track better than any other similar gun, maybe aimrite knows something that other manufacturers ignore. I don´t think the life time warranty has to do nothing with it. For the price an aimrite runs, I think Riffe is a far better rig than any aimrite in my opinion.

I have a RA and really like it, have never had a problem with the line release although I wish it was on the side ersus the bottom. I don't own an Mako but from the pictures I like the track on the RA better than the Mako looks a little wider and deeper.

Quote from cww180

I have a RA and really like it, have never had a problem with the line release although I wish it was on the side ersus the bottom. I don't own an Mako but from the pictures I like the track on the RA better than the Mako looks a little wider and deeper.

Exactly what cww180 said

PS--you guys r in trouble now, I just learned how to use the quote button:D

Quote from hau

Exactly what cww180 said

PS--you guys r in trouble now, I just learned how to use the quote button:D

:thumbsup2::D;)