Background
Chiappa has never crossed my mind as a brand I’d consider. I’ve seen Rhinos in the past, and they just looked odd to me. They had weird lines and looked gimmicky, like they were trying too hard to be different.
This revolver ditches the elegant, rounded lines and curves of wheel guns that top my list like the Colt Python, S&W 19, or the Ruger GP100. The space-age boxy outline, rails, and sharp corners look more at home in “Halo” or “Blade Runner” than on the hips of modern cowboys and concealed carriers. I’m on board with the recent optics-ready boon of six guns, but the top rail here screams more Desert Eagle than serious carry piece.
The wild departure from your prototypical revolver is only the beginning. The gun was designed by Emilio Ghisoni and Antonio Cudazzo in Italy and bears a bit of a resemblance to its namesake. The entire frame is made from Ergal, an aluminum alloy, and turns the typical revolver design upside down – almost literally.
Features
The barrel is on the bottom of the hexagonal “cylinder” and thus has a little more height over bore for the sights. With this, the hammer is internal and uses a “linkage handle” as a cocking mechanism in place. This configuration is supposed to push recoil directly into the shooter’s wrist rather than above it.
Typically, we’d see weights, or lights, below the barrel on rails to help with muzzle flip. The ribbing reduces some weight on the overall frame, but keeps more mass above the barrel, which calms recoil further.
A set of fiber optic green fixed rear with red front looks good and has been easy to use on this gun, as well as others. The Rhino features a Picatinny rail across the top of the barrel rib for optics and below for lights, lasers, or whatever else you’d like.
The revolver is a double and single action. Cocking the linkage handle reminds me of any other hammer, except it falls back to its resting position once cocked. This pulls the trigger back almost to the rear of the trigger guard. The trigger pull is incredibly short and stands out as one of the best triggers I’ve felt. Period.
A little red plunger pops up as a visual cue that the cylinder release is depressed and the trigger is blocked. In a way, it also acts as a safety. The cylinder is easily swung out with your trigger finger and functions like any other revolver. Pushing the ejector rod smoothly expels the spent casings. In single action, the gun can be de-cocked manually by pulling the linkage handle rearward and depressing the trigger, slowly walking the trigger forward.
Specs
This Chiappa 60DS features a 6-inch barrel with hexagonal cylinder, and while the edges look sharp, they’ve all been rounded to aid in concealed carry applications. I’m not sure that a 6-inch gun is ideal for that, but there are variations ranging from 2 to 12-inch barrels. These are denoted by 20, 30, 50, 60, etc., in the Rhino line’s naming conventions.
This version looked like black PVD but is anodized aluminum with a blued cylinder that changes colors a bit when it heats up. This 60DS comes with walnut grips, while other versions are available with G10 grips, electroless nickel, multi-color PVD, gold PVD, green Cerakote, and even full stainless steel.
Here’s a quick list of specs for the 60DS:
- Barrel Length: 6 inches
- Height: 5.6 inches
- Weight: 2.06 pounds
- Overall Length: 10.5 inches
- Twist: 1:19
- Capacity: 6 rounds
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Caliber: .357 Magnum and .38 Special (other versions in 9mm, 10mm, .40 S&W)
Range Time
This is one of those times that your preconceived notions are proven completely wrong. Personally, I thought the steampunk vibe was a bit of a novelty. After all, we don’t really see any other guns with a barrel at the bottom. There likely are some downsides to that, with all the parts and pieces being internal, but I had no issues at the range.
Instead, I had one of the most surprisingly pleasant experiences shooting in recent memory. I typically favor .38 Special for revolvers, only occasionally switching to magnums to condition myself to the extra power and have some fun, so what happened next blew my mind.
My first shot landed dead center, maybe about half an inch lower than my point of aim. I had wondered how the height over bore would print on the target. My second shot broke, and I didn’t see a second hole because it went through the first. Third shot, same thing, just slightly off to one side. I pushed the fourth slightly down, and the next two were again nearly touching.
Now, these were all fired though the buttery double-action trigger. I barely noticed any stacking, and it’s hard to describe how smooth this action is.
Surprising Accuracy
Admittedly, I struggle with revolver shooting. To me, it’s not practical since I don’t carry a revolver, yet its unforgiving practice will make you a better shooter. I loaded some .357 Colt National Match 125-grain and shot my next six-shot group.
At 7 yards, it’s not that incredible to be precise, but my next group was three in the same hole, one push, and two more within an inch. Surely this was a fluke.
Next, I loaded a few rounds of snake shot. It was my first experience with this, as we don’t really have a need, but at 5 yards, the spray was basically the entire target. This made me chuckle a bit, and it felt a bit anemic. Switching to 140-grain DoubleTap Lead Free at 1,375 fps, the explosion was almost surreal. The noise and concussion basically went around me, instead of through my hands.
The Rhino design is not contrived. It is quite effective at distributing the recoil in a manner that doesn’t hurt or even feel a bit uncomfortable. It was a bit like .22 WMR on a larger scale: a bright flash, the feeling of additional energy, but comfortable.
I shot a few magnum Bill Drills as well. My rounds landed within an acceptable area while firing nearly as fast as I do with a semi-automatic. I was shooting so well and having so much fun, I forgot to use single action for a group. The Rhino took me by complete surprise and is by far the best I’ve shot with a wheel gun.
Final thoughts
If you can’t tell, this gun grew on me. Perhaps the most amazing realization is that an aluminum frame can mitigate recoil. The ergonomics and complete redesign of a “normal” gun has a meaningful impact. I will still gravitate towards the timeless look of classic guns, but something about the Rhino draws me in visually and totally engulfed me from a shooting experience.
I had minimal time with this one, so I can’t speak to the drawbacks of so many internal (steel) parts, or what consistent high-power magnum shooting will do to these over the long haul. But I did a complete 180 from the biased opinion I held before shooting this gun.
The Chiappa Rhino 60DS is a unique-looking firearm with an incredible trigger and a light, well balanced frame. The ability to add lights and optics out of the box is a perk, but the shooting experience is what stood out to me.
