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PERFORMANCE
CHIAPPA FIREARMS
RHINO
Load
Accuracy
.38 Special
Remington 110 JHP+P 1.25
Hornady 110 Critical
2.00
Defence + P
.357 Mag
Federal 125 JHP
1.50
Winchester 158 JHP
2.00
Bullet weight measured in grains and
accuracy in inches for 5-shot groups from
50 feet.
The flat-sided cylinder adds not only to
its concealability but also to its unique
appearance.
The Rhino fires the bottom-most chamber in
the cylinder, making for a very low bore axis
and more controllability during firing.
RANGE TIME
mode, a red indicator (plunger) will
appear in the upper rear corner of the
frame warning the user that the hammer
is cocked. Of course we should all keep
in mind that “safety” is a function of the
brain and not a mechanical device. The
“Flawless Four” of firearms safety should
always be followed, especially keeping your
finger off the trigger unless you intend to
shoot and always keeping any gun pointed
in a safe direction. No internal device
will ever replace a focused shooter that is
concentrating fully on the gun they are
working with at any given moment. It
only takes a quick second for tragedy to
happen, so whenever any firearm is being
handled, complete attention should be
given to it…period. The all-black finish of
my test revolver gave the Rhino a very no
nonsense appearance, which I happen to
like. I also like the location of the cylinder
release latch, which is well above the grip
at the back of the frame. The latch is easy
to manipulate by merely pushing down
on the ample shelf and rolling the cylinder
out of the left side. The cylinder crane
is robust and solid as is the ejection rod
and star. However, Ron Norton told me
that they have been looking at bolstering
both of these to make sure that both
work as intended. Apparently in early
testing, the ejector star was able to “jump
over” expended cases in the cylinder and
Chiappa wants to make sure that this never
happens in the field or on the street. Ron
is a retired police officer so he understands
what is needed in a combative handgun
and he wants to make sure that the Rhino
is all that it can be.
While the Rhino is certainly not
the most handsome handgun I have
ever tested, it did turn out to be one of
the most satisfying. I instantly liked the
way the Rhino felt in my hand. The
grip allowed for a solid hold even when
my hands started to sweat. I started my
test by shooting various styles of ammo,
off-hand at 50 feet on Birchwood Casey
“Dirty Bird” targets. While I could have
benched the gun, this is not what a snubbie
is intended for and being able to get a feel
for the trigger while holding the gun on
target is essential. While I was very satisfied
with the accuracy of the Rhino, it deserves
a bit of explanation.
While the .38’s were easy to shoot
well, the .357 Mag rounds proved to be
quite challenging. My first grouping was
over 4 inches, but I quickly realized that
it was not the Rhino but me trying to
get over the initial concussion. My next
group hovered around 3 inches with the
third group being 1.5 inches. When I
first started shooting, I used the thumbs-
forward grip that I usually use when
shooting a pistol and it worked quite well
with the unique design of the Rhino.
When I changed over to the magnum
rounds, it got a bit more exciting.
When shooting the Rhino it is wise
to remember that the cylinder to barrel gap
is just above the lower frame and if any of
your fingers are forward of this gap you will
be reminded that this is not a good idea
quickly as hot gasses are expelled from this
region. I mentioned this to Ron Norton
and he advised that he was also aware
of this and Chiappa is currently looking
at equipping the Rhino with a shield
(modifying the frame to redirect gasses
forward and upward) that will protect the
fingers from escaping gases.
I hope they move forward with this
idea, as I really like the idea of being able
to grasp my pistols and revolvers in the
same fashion without having to relocate
my thumbs.
FINAL NOTES
I ended up shooting 300 rounds of
various .38 Special and .357 Mag loads
through the Rhino without a problem.
The 2-inch model will come with a leather
pancakestyle holster made in Italy so that
the gun can be carried by the end user