The external cocking lever is not actually a hammer, as on most revolvers. The Rhino is a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) revolver, but it doesn’t operate like a typical wheelgun in this regard. A red indicator rises when the revolver is cocked. What appears to be a hammer is really a hammer-cocking device. RELATED STORY: Revolvers – The 11 Best Models from ‘Combat Handguns’ in 2016.The frame itself is made of Ergal, an aluminum alloy, while the barrel, cylinder and other vital parts are made from steel. Wood and neoprene grips are available for the Rhino, and they’re both designed to allow for a steady grasp, even if the shooter’s hands are wet. Also, the cylinder release on the Rhino is designed to allow a shooter to open the cylinder easily with one hand. That’s why it has a hexagonal cylinder instead of a more traditional round one. Unique Features Regardless of barrel length, each Rhino uses a flat-sided cylinder that makes for sleeker, 21st century looks, and the bottom chamber aligns with the barrel for firing-not the top chamber like a traditional revolver.īesides the unique barrel/cylinder interface, the Rhino also features a slimmer profile than revolvers in the same caliber and class. The end result is that the shooter can get back on target quicker than ever before without having to adjust their grip on the gun. But compared to other revolvers, the Rhino’s innovative design and grip shape reduces these recoil forces by about 60 percent. Powerful calibers usually cause handguns to rotate up and backward after firing, and this movement is proportional to the lever angle created by the high position of the barrel and consequent angle of the wrist. Not only does this design maximize “pointability,” but it also drastically reduces recoil and muzzle flip compared to other revolvers. This means the barrel of the Rhino is about 1.2 inches lower than a standard revolver’s, which translates to a lower bore axis. The Rhino’s most distinctive feature is the barrel, which lines up with the bottom chamber in the cylinder-not the top chamber like most other revolvers. It borrows its basic design from the Mateba Autorevolver that Emilio Ghisoni designed in 1997. Emilio Ghisoni and Antonio Cudazzo designed the Chiappa Rhino back in 2009. The Rhino is a revolver produced by Chiappa Firearms of Italy that can shoot both.