American Style Speargun Comparisons by Brand and Models
American Style Speargun Comparisons by Brand and Models
There are a wide range of different types of spearguns with different qualities and features. In this post, we are going to focus specifically on the American style of speargun, talking about the pros and cons of each.
Riffe Spearguns
Riffe is a tried and true speargun manufacturer. They were one of the first wood speargun builders that made mass produced spearguns, and have had a wide range of different designs, some of them better than others. From a free diver perspective, the Riffe Euro series is a streamline option that tracks well in the water. They have options for both open and enclosed tracks. The open tracks have incorporated a rare earth magnet that helps retain spear shafts and makes the reloading process easier. The band slot makes it so you do not need removable loop bands, so you don’t need to learn to tie your own bands.
The Riffe Competitor is another popular version available from Riffe. These have a taller profile compared to the Riffe Euro, but are still a tried and true classic design. Many spearos started with this as their first wood speargun decades ago before moving onto other spearguns.
The Riffe Marauder is one of their newer options in the Riffe line, and it's fast gained a cult following. The Marauder is a beautiful open track speargun designed for bluewater spearfishing. The cuttlefish design adds mass to reduce recoil, allowing for more speargun bands. That same cuttlefish design also allows for easier tracking in the water for maneuverability.
Hatch Amero Speargun
The Hatch Amero Speargun is hard to beat. Handmade in Hawaii, this gun has both the sturdy benefits and enclosed track of an American style speargun, and the streamline qualities of European style spearguns. They are well ballasted, accurate, easily maintained, and can last well over a decade. They utilize Neptonics trigger mechs which can withstand the tension of over 13 power bands. The enclosed track prevents shaft whip and ensures accuracy over greater distances, and they're extremely customizable. You can get the track poured in any combination of epoxy colors, you can interchange handles, and you can add any kind of reel you want. It isn't the cheapest on the list, but comes with a shaft and rigging and is affordable for what you are getting.
Koah Spearguns
Koah is a solid, quality American style speargun also made in Hawaii. They are almost all enclosed track style spearguns. The thing that sets all Koah spearguns apart from other speargun builders is the clear coat epoxy coating on the outside of the speargun that makes them look like they are encased in glass.
The flagship for Koah is the Koah Battle Axe. It is probably the best scuba spearfishing speargun on the market. With its integrated optional line release, it allows divers to quickly transition from free shaft to line shaft easily. It additionally comes with a spare shaft ready to go and is easily capable of adding an additional spear shaft on top of that, which can both be held by a spare shaft holder on the side of the gun. This is beneficial for scuba spearos as they have up to three spear shafts rapidly at their disposal. The Battle Axe is also designed to be hip loaded, which is more popular amongst scuba divers.
For Freedive Spearfishing, the Koah Euro and Fatback are more popular models. They are a bit more streamlined and allow for better tracking in the water. They are also designed for chest loading so you are able to get as much power and range out of your speargun as possible given the size.
The Koah Roller Spearguns are also a popular choice for freedivers. They are a single roller with a kicker band to add punching power. You can hole hunt with just the kicker band, or you can use both to have the power and range the roller offers if you are targeting bluewater fish or fish on top of the reef.
A.B. Biller
The A.B. Biller is a classic design speargun that have been around for over 50 years. They have probably killed more fish than every other brand combined. With that being said, biller has not improved much on their design in those decades, and the rest of the industry has pulled ahead as a result. If you are a fan of firearms, the biller is the Remington 870 of spearguns. It basically hasn’t changed since it was made. It works, but there have been several technological advancements that warrant considering alternative spearguns. Billers are a solid option for a scuba diver, especially starting out, but there are significantly better options available on the market today.