Chiappa Rhino

About the Chiappa Rhino

The Chiappa Rhino is a modern Italian double-action/single-action revolver that broke with more than a century of revolver orthodoxy by firing from the bottom chamber of its six-round cylinder rather than the top. Designed by Emilio Ghisoni - the engineer previously responsible for the unusual Mateba 2006M Autorevolver - the Rhino places the bore directly in line with the shooter's wrist, dramatically lowering the bore axis and redirecting recoil rearward into the hand instead of upward, producing markedly less muzzle flip than any conventional revolver of comparable power. Its distinctive hexagonal (rather than round) cylinder profile reflects Ghisoni's signature engineering approach and keeps the overall package narrow and flat for holster carry. Built on an aluminum alloy frame with a steel barrel and polymer grip panels, the Rhino is offered in 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-inch barrel lengths (20DS through 60DS), chambered primarily in .357 Magnum but also available in .38 Special, 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .44 Magnum, and .454 Casull. An external lever forward of the cylinder serves as a cocking indicator and thumb-cock control; what appears to be a conventional hammer spur is a decoy, since the actual hammer sits internal and low. The Rhino has developed a strong cult following among competitive revolver shooters in IDPA and USPSA revolver divisions, concealed-carry practitioners, and collectors drawn to its polarizing, unmistakable silhouette.

The Rhino is the only modern production revolver that fires from the bottom chamber of the cylinder instead of the top - an idea its designer, Emilio Ghisoni, first explored in the 1980s with the Mateba Autorevolver. By aligning the bore with the shooter's wrist, the Rhino converts the upward muzzle flip that plagues conventional revolvers into rearward recoil, and the prominent spur on the rear of the frame that every shooter instinctively reaches for is a decoy - the real hammer is hidden internally, and cocking for single-action is done via a small lever forward of the cylinder.

Chiappa Rhino specifications

The Rhino's single most distinctive engineering feature is that it fires from the 6-o'clock (bottom) chamber of the cylinder rather than the 12-o'clock (top) chamber used by virtually every other revolver since the mid-19th century. The hexagonal cylinder exterior profile is a signature Ghisoni design element shared with the earlier Mateba 2006M Autorevolver.