Chiappa Rhino
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 680 g
- Introduced
- 2009
About
What it is, and why it matters
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.
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.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Chiappa Firearms
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2009
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 216 mm
- Height
- 130 mm
- Width
- 40 mm
- Weight, empty
- 680 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action single action
- Trigger pull
- 20.0 N
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Black anodized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 440 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 784 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Maximum range
- 100 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Bottom chamber firing
Low bore axis
Hexagonal cylinder
Swing out cylinder
Cocking indicator lever
False hammer spur- Reduced muzzle flip
Fiber optic front sight
Adjustable rear sight
Integral accessory rail
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 680 g | 1.10 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 50 .357 Magnum revolvers | 216 mm | 245 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 102 mm | 107 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 6 | 6 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Chiappa Rhino
How much does the Chiappa Rhino weigh?
The Chiappa Rhino weighs 680 g (1.50 lb) empty. It is the 5th lightest of 53 .357 Magnum revolvers in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Chiappa Rhino?
The Chiappa Rhino is chambered in .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .40 S&W, .44 Remington Magnum, .454 Casull, and 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Chiappa Rhino hold?
The Chiappa Rhino holds 6 rounds, fed from a revolving cylinder.
How long is the Chiappa Rhino?
The Chiappa Rhino is 216 mm (8.50 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Chiappa Rhino?
The Chiappa Rhino is made by Chiappa Firearms (Italy). It was designed by Emilio Ghisoni.
When was the Chiappa Rhino introduced?
The Chiappa Rhino was introduced in 2009.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/chiappa-rhino' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "chiappa-rhino", "name": "Chiappa Rhino", "manufacturer": { "id": "chiappa", "name": "Chiappa Firearms", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1958, "website": "https://www.chiappafirearms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "b5644da07f2f4b4de93bfa27f8e035f00665c529b649361ca02741b3bc080468" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 2009, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 680, "action_type": null}