Take down (travel) guns - useful or gimmick?

    A guy recently asked me to help him build a "travel" style euro that broke into two halves similar to the Riffe "Traveler" design. That's pretty straight forward, but I started thinking about different ways to make the joint, each with relative advantages or disadvantages.


    But then I started to wonder. Is such a gun (along with a two piece spear) really a practical choice? Does it really make travel substantially easier? Or is it more of a marketing thing?


    I don't travel, so for me, playing with different designs or bulding one would simply be for the fun of the construction.

    Good question. I'd travel with a tube and pay the airline whatever extra rather than buy a take down gun. So for me it's a gimmick. But if the gun is solid when put together, no flexing or bending at the joint, as the Riffe could very well be, then it's pretty neat, although I still wouldn't buy it. When I dive I want to use one gun, my gun, the one I use all the time. I'm not going to be using the take down gun all the time so I'd feel uncomfortable switching to it just to travel. Probably this reluctance to switch guns is all in my head, but then so is diving well.

    I wouldn't have a problem using a break down gun as long as it's solid when it's put together, it's the two piece spear shaft that I wouldn't trust

    I agree w Jerry. I have much more apprehension about the shaft


    To dans point. If I were a jetsetting business man who travelled a lot to separable locals, I could see this being my only gun an in that case, quite a great tool


    Since the pull is more or less straight back with some vector to the vertical, I would consider joint designs that provide more vertical support, the Riffe looks like it is horizontally braced

    i like to spear fish

    I would love to have a ET CF barrel like the one in Tin Man's pictures he posted.:thumbsup2:
    (with a Tin Man spiked muzzle and euro grip in 120cm of course, one piece)
    Thanks for posting the pictures Tin Man:D


    BTW--I would not buy a take down gun because of the 2 piece spear issue. Just my personal opinion

    I'd take a brake down pole spear over that Riffe travel gun. Just say"in.:rolleyes1:


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    The problem is that I can check a 160cm shaft + 120cm gun for free on most airlines as "fishing gear". I've done it with Southwest and American Air. I know I can get away with longer, but that's the longest gun/shaft I have..

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.

Register a new account
Sign in now