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What do you guys think about the Chiappa Rhino 40DS?


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I don't know. It looks interesting, but not really something that I would consider using in competition. It looks like a solid revolver, but with all of the interworkings it might not hold up well to the demands of USPSA, IDPA, ICORE, or Steel Challenge.

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Looks like they handle .357 magnum well...do they operate in some funky manner though? I noticed on one of the videos, the shooter goes to put the gun in single action and the hammer remains forward but a safety-selector style dot was available to show the gun was in "single action mode".

Edit: Nevermind, found it on another forum.

"The trigger setup is unusual as it features fully concealed hammer which is located inside the frame. To provide "Single Action" firing mode with manual hammer cocking before each shot, Rhino revolver is fitted with cocking lever ("false hammer"), which is placed at the top rear of the frame, where traditional hammer is usually located on conventional revolvers. This cocking piece / "false hammer" is connected to the concealed hammer via push link. To cock the hammer in the Single Action mode, operator must pull the spur on the cocking piece / "false hammer" back as far as it will go, and then release it. This movement will cock the concealed hammer via internal linkage, but the cocking piece / "false hammer" will return to the forward position once it is released."

Edited by Cd662
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Daniele mentioned that one of the guys shooting the ICORE Postal match used a Chiappa. Maybe he will share some knowledge. later rdd

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Grant Cunningham spent a lot of time with the gun and blogged about it. VERY interesting.

http://grantcunningh...o.revolver.html

Grant was also on the Proarms podcast episode about the Rhino:

http://proarmspodcast.com/2010/11/18/063-rhino-why-yes/

Cliff Notes Version:

The double action trigger pull is horrendous and cocking the gun into single action mode is almost impossible. I wouldn't be surprised if they either fixed the trigger or the guns in the video had been worked over. I did notice it looked like a couple of the shooters were flinching.

IMG_7694.jpg

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Grant was also on the Proarms podcast episode about the Rhino:

http://proarmspodcast.com/2010/11/18/063-rhino-why-yes/

......IMG_7694.jpg

Hey it looks like a great Swiss Watch... Way to many parts for me Thanx for that Pic Blind Bat. late rdd

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Grant was also on the Proarms podcast episode about the Rhino:

http://proarmspodcast.com/2010/11/18/063-rhino-why-yes/

......IMG_7694.jpg

Hey it looks like a great Swiss Watch... Way to many parts for me Thanx for that Pic Blind Bat. late rdd

Maybe if the gun gets popular enough, ICORE could create "Metro Division"

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I'd like to get one just for the "different" factor. I think they are kind of cool looking. Word has it that they announced at SHOT some sort of factory trigger upgrade that eases the DA pull quite a bit.

I'm still not sure if the complicated internals would hold up to the rigors of our sport though. Not to mention, a reloading error could likely cost you a finger or two :surprise:

Edited by KyroWebs
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I'll stick with my K frames. A lot less moving parts and not as ugly. :sight:

With IDPA SSR power floor down to 105 there isn't any problem with recoil management anyway. :roflol:

+1 my N frame custom 25-5 pinnacle custom

sw25-5.jpg

Edited by usmc1974
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  • 2 weeks later...

I handled several of them at the SHOT Show and Media Day. Got a chance to shoot them as well. I was really impressed with it. The triggers on all of them that I shot were a lot better than anything from the Smith factory I've received. There is a spring kit they sell that you can reduce the trigger from the original factory. Not sure if the ones I shot had that kit in it or not. I shot the 2", 4" and 6" versions, with .38s and .357 Mag. Very little recoil and next to no muzzle flip. I shot a handful of the .357 before I realized it was .357. And that was only because it was pointed out to me. Rob Leatham was next to me on the line and said it shot great as well.

I'm not sure if the gun will hold up to a steady diet of magnum rounds. It's an aluminum frame gun. It's already cut for moonclips, although I'm not sure which ones it uses. I'm trying to talk Robin Taylor into letting me get one to shoot the piss out of for Front Sight. I'm really curious to see if a stock revolver, shooting moonclipped .357 mag. could be a viable option for USPSA. The 6" is light and points very well. The cylinder latch was a bit sticky but might smooth out or might have just been dirty.

I talked to the guys at the Chiappa booth and there are no plans on a Steel frame or .45 cal frame. But I'd love to see one.

Edited by Chuck Anderson
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It seems a bit silly to build a gun to fire from the bottom of the cylinder so as to lower the recoil impulse in your hand and then put a beavertail looking grip on it that forces your hand lower than what it could be. :sight:

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Competition shooters drive their guns hard. If you get a S&W revolver, you KNOW you will be able to get parts for many decades to come and factory service if necessary.

Thr Rhino is an interesting concept but, unlike a 1911 clone, the chances of being able to get parts (other than leftover inventory picked up by some place like Numrich) if the manufacturer goes out of business are pretty close to nil. If the Rhino does not succeed in the long term getting a critical part for repair might be like trying to track down a component for a Medusa revolver.

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It seems a bit silly to build a gun to fire from the bottom of the cylinder so as to lower the recoil impulse in your hand and then put a beavertail looking grip on it that forces your hand lower than what it could be. :sight:

you're right! They should just get rid of that silly useless hammer on the top, raise the beavertail to the very top and let you put your web of the hand right up there.

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I handled a couple at the Shot show, found them kind of intriguing. While I would get a lot more excited about something in the S&W classic series, it's nice to see something new in revo world for a change. I cant see these breaking into ICORE in a big way, but could see them to maybe start poping up in IDPA SSR as the design does lend it self to CCW with the flats on the cylinder.

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It seems a bit silly to build a gun to fire from the bottom of the cylinder so as to lower the recoil impulse in your hand and then put a beavertail looking grip on it that forces your hand lower than what it could be. :sight:

you're right! They should just get rid of that silly useless hammer on the top, raise the beavertail to the very top and let you put your web of the hand right up there.

Lower the recoil impulse too much and you will just create muzzle flip in the opposite direction. You're really looking to shorten the flip arm....distance from the center of the bore to the center of the hand.

No reason to put your hand higher on the gun. No muzzle flip as it is. Gun just comes straight back. Yes, parts may be an issue, but the same could be said of any new gun.

Parts will be an issue for some time think of how long it took S&W's to have aftermarket parts. I would be interested to see a DAO version come out in say 40 or 45 with a bull barrel in 4".

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