Chiappa Rhino

S

softouch

Inactive
Research done, used search, firewall prevents looking at some sites, but this is a real nice forum. Thanks all for what The Firing Line Forums have taught me!

For me, I want a revolver, and am gravitating toward Chiappa's 2" Rhino...
  • Versatility of .357 Magnum
  • Less percieved re-coil due to design
  • Easier controlled muzzle flip with .357
  • Different from others
Some of the cons that I have seen...
  • Cartridge case bulge (read one report)
  • Extractor not removing all spent brass (read one report)

The positives have really out-numbered the negatives regarding this gun. This will be a concealed carry. I like S&W's .357 snubbies also, but the recoil/flip, as mentioned elsewhere, may limit practice with full powered .357's, & if I aint gonna practice I aint gonna get it.

Any latest info on the Rhino from those who have had one for awhile?
 
I can confirm all of your pros. I can shoot my rhinomcomfortably for extended periods. As for your cons I can confirm case bulging but only with Hornady leverevolution ammo.
 
Thanks!

Not afraid of "ugly" - no magazine will be doing a photo layout of me.
I do plan on trying a couple of other .357's before I make any purchase. This will be done as part of training courses too.
 
I do like my 4". The design does help on the hotter loads. It was my intent to get around 100 rounds through mine before I thought about getting the 2" for a carry gun. The complexity of the lockworks has me concerned. But if I can put 1000 rounds through it without a problem I thought it might just work. As it is I still only have a hundred or so through it but I started to look at the 2" model and don't see how it is going to work in my pocket. It might but I'm not there yet.

Overall I like it. Ugly....well it's no prom queen.
 
Love my 4". I carry it. Have put hundreds through it. I haven't seen either of the "cons" you mentioned.

Biggest Con is finding a damn holster.
 
Looks very similar to the Medusa (if I spelled it right) revolver. Really neat idea, but somehow didnt have any succsess.

They are kinda ugly but ugly is a visual prefrence. I think the glocks and ak are ugly as sin to, kinda hard to care with reliability like that though.

My question would be practical accuracy, with a handgun being a close range affair, and sigjts so high off the bore axis does it complicate things?
 
I have wanted to try a 6 inch model for several month. The 6 inch white rhino is on my to buy list but it has several guns in-front of it.
 
A few other things to consider:

Accessories like speed loaders, holsters, grips, etc. will be few and far between and likely not cheap.

Gunsmiths familiar with the weapon will also be few and far between and likely not cheap

The gun itself is fairly expensive (the last one I saw for sale locally was about $900).
 
One more con, and to me the main one. Overly complicated lock works. the hammer isn't even the hammer, but rather a cocking devise. the internals look like a mechanical engineering student's experiment. Way too many parts to possibly malfunction.
Not to mention the increased price because of all the intricate mechanism parts, and fitting. Just not worth the price for what it is.
That's just my opinion, and as to the only advantage I see being reduced recoil, that is something that has never bothered me.
Plus it's just plain UGLY!!! Looks like what a Hi-Point revolver would look like!
 
@ WebelyMkV:

Speedloaders aren't too bad; $22 each from 5 star. They are a bit more than HKS ones but they are much much nicer.

Chiappa has a pretty good selection of grips in many sizes. The stockers worked really well for me though.

Holsters are a pain. There are a few options readiliy available for the 2" model. Virtually none for the other ones. I ended up having a Shark-tac kydex holster made at a gunshow and I'm pretty happy with it. Custom is pretty much how you'd have to go for now. Chiappa keeps saying that other holsters are just a few weeks away . . . . we'll see.
 
@ Cheapshooter: I can't really argue the expense (although Smiths are getting up there in price too). I know plenty of O/U shotguns with equally complicated clockwork that reliably go tens of thousands of rounds. Not sure if complex automatically = "not reliable". If I ever have a malfunction of any kind with my Rhino I'll make sure to post about it.
 
softouch said:
Some of the cons that I have seen...
Cartridge case bulge (read one report)
Extractor not removing all spent brass (read one report)
Click to expand...
Those problems are just as likely (if not more likely) to be ammunition-related, than the firearm. Plus... S&W extractors skip rims on occasion, too.


Cheapshooter said:
One more con, and to me the main one. Overly complicated lock works. the hammer isn't even the hammer, but rather a cocking devise. the internals look like a mechanical engineering student's experiment. Way too many parts to possibly malfunction.
Click to expand...
I REALLY wanted a 5" or 6" Rhino, as soon as I saw some of the pre-production prototype photos (what, 4 years ago?). I was finally able to handle one late last year. Knowing how complicated the internals were was a bit of a concern, but it was the ergonomics that got me.

Holding the Rhino is just unnatural. On top of that, cocking or firing the thing is like driving a mid-'90s Cadillac: You know the road is under you somewhere, and that the steering wheel will eventually turn the wheels; but you have absolutely no feel for what the car (Rhino) is doing...

For a carry piece, I would look for an older S&W, or pick up a Ruger SP101. ;)
A Charter Arms revolver would get the job done, but you have to keep an eye on some of the pins that hold the works together. :rolleyes:
 
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