The Chiappa revolver is a six shot, uniquely designed handgun produced by Armi Chiappa. The Mateba inspired design of the Chiappa Rhino revolver takes the basic premise of what a revolver should look like and flips it upside down, literally. The barrel is built at the bottom of the cylinder, while the hammer and all other external components remain essentially unchanged. The key advantage to this design, as noted by the manufacturer, is that there will be less felt recoil and less muzzle rise. Another interesting design feature is the shape of the cylinder. The hexagonal shape is said to help reduce overall width, thereby providing a slimmer profile for concealed carry. The Rhino is chambered in .357 Mag., .40 S&W and 9X21.
Richard has reviewed the Chiappa Rhino Revolver ...
Felt recoil from .357 Magnum loads is almost non-existant.
Sounds like a pretty bold statement, I suppose. But after shooting the Chiappa Rhino at the 2011 Media Day at the Range, that sums up my feelings exactly. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning…
After I do a lot of shooting with heavy(ier) caliber guns, I find it really hard to judge recoil. By the time I got to the Chiappa guns I had done so much shooting I could not accurately judge the recoil. I can say that at the time the recoil did not seem bad. Bryan, who was with me at Media Day, took these photos of the Rhino ...
American Rifleman have gotten their hands on the Chiappa Rhino Revolver and posted a review of it online.
While the U.S. market has never shied away from “ugly” guns as long as they’re reliable, accurate and easy to shoot—just look at the success of Glock—Norton questioned whether the North American market would embrace such an “unorthodox” design, even though it was innovative. With his heart on the pulse of the American market, Norton suggested a few profile changes, including a snub-nose variant, and prototypes were turned around almost immediately.
Heh.
Chiappa's Rhino Revolver is now available in a very attractive brushed electroless nickel finish. Both the aluminum frame and steel cylinder get the nickel treatment.
Pricing is $799 (2" barrel), $899 (4"), $925 (5") and $980 (6").
The Chiappa Rhino .357 Mag Revolver is finally shipping. Initially the 2" barrel model will be on sale which will be followed by the 3,4 and 6" model in the next few months.
2" barrel model (MRSP: $775)
4" barrel model (MSRP: $899)
From the press release ...
Rhino Revolver has finally cleared all the import requirements and tests for sale in the United States and are now arriving for distribution by MKS Supply, the exclusive marketer for the Rhino.
...
The Rhino, especially in the 2-inch version is an unusual looking firearm but form really does follow function. The recoil and muzzle flip from hot loads is greatly reduced thanks to the bottom chamber firing position. It just Works! And people who have shot it are amazed by the glass smooth action of this revolver.
Italian firearms manufacturer Armi Chiappa have developed a very cool looking .357 Magnum snubnosed revolver called the Chiappa Rhino Revolver.
It sure does resemble its namesake
Its angular design and the fact that it fires from the bottom chamber, unlike most other revolvers, gives it an appearance that closely resembled the legendary Mateba Autorevolver. Having a barrel fire from the lower chamber is supposed to help tame recoil and reduce muzzle flip.
| Specifications |
|
| Caliber |
357 Mag. |
| Capacity |
6 rounds |
| Barrel |
2" |
| Rate of twist |
1:18.5" |
| Weight |
24 ounces |
Gun Holsters and Gear spoke to the company and found out that they may be available stateside at the end of the year.
Mateba Model 6 Unica autorevolver. Production of this pistol has ceased.
UPDATE: Daniel points out below in the comments that the Rhino and Mateba were both designed by the same person, Mr Emilio Ghisoni.
