info on Chiappa White Rhino 357

[Doc Holliday 1950]

I was on another site and posed the question I asked the other day about getting a great quality new /used revolver.
Someone recommended the Chiappa White Rhino 4" 357 mag revolver. I went on their site and was quite impressed. But, that's what a sales site is supposed to do.
Does anyone have any experience with the brand? If so how does it compare to the S&W 66 or 686 357 or Ruger 100 same mag? This is getting to be quite an illuminating experience. Jump in everyone.

[Snyper]

If so how does it compare to the S&W 66 or 686 357 or Ruger 100 same mag?

There is no comparison

Read the thread about the Chiappa with the busted recoil shield, then go buy a Smith or Ruger

[Ricklin]

Cool design, poor execution.

[James K]

An idea that sounds great; muzzle rise is minimized and ... and ... Well, muzzle rise is minimized. And, in the no free lunch department, that advantage is achieved at the cost of complexity of the internal parts, awkward handling, and a layout that is strange to most users. Not to mention that holsters have to be larger and the whole gun is bigger in size but with no gain for that increase except that muzzle rise is minimized... or did I mention that?

Yes, I read about the damaged one, but we know little about that situation or whether it is a common occurrence or a fluke. Either way, the recoil shield can be strengthened; if the gun has enough advantages to attract buyers, one or a few cases of failure will not matter in the long run.

Jim

[Doc Holliday 1950]

Okay everyone.
Thanks for the info. I don't think I need anymore on this, but if you fell that everyone else is wrong, then let me know.

Doc

[lee n. field]

Revolversmith Grant Cunningham did a detailed series on the Rhino, back in September, October and November of 2010. Worth a look. Unfortunately I'm not finding a good index of them, so you'll have to dig.

Start here.

[Model12Win]

I shot one at the local range and it was just... just awful.

Now it was a range gun, it could have had upteen gagillion rounds through it, but the one I used had a poor trigger to say the least, I hate the SA cocking "button", and everything about the gun just felt off.

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I think I'll stick with my GP100.

[Motownstan]

I had the 2 inch White Rhino, it was a great shooting accurate piece. I agree with others the "faux hammer" was complete waste as the DA trigger was nice and cocking the "hammer" wasn't easy. Having only a one year warranty made me nervous so I sold it and bought a S&W 627, no regrets here.

[Panoply]

Hello,

Let me impart some wisdom another person blessed me with. First, on sights like this, if you don't have a top of the line firearm in question, 99% of posters will disparage it. Second, i's all abou holding the gun and seeing if it's right for you. Some guns will be terrible & expensive headaches to one guy, and the best thing since brass bullets to others.
If you can't find a place that sells them, you're in a bit of a bind. No one in greater Baton Rouge doesnd we're a fairly large city (500k or so), so that's a definite possibility. Go with your gut, and maybe try to find a Chiappa forum.

[jimbob86]

If the idea is sound, the market will eventually reward it, all else being equal.

I'll reserve judgment on this ...... if it is still a thing in 5 years, maybe ......

[Sevens]

First, on sights like this, if you don't have a top of the line firearm in question, 99% of posters will disparage it.

Wisdom?!
You don't know SQUAT about this site. And it drips frim your post.

And fully 92.44% of all statistics are in fact, made up on a whim.

99%, sheesh. That post ought to come with a handle for flushing.

[g.willikers]

62.08% of the Buckeyes on this site seem to be getting more irritable.
Must be due to the long, cold, nasty winter weather they're having.

[Motownstan]

Having to live in Ohio will make one nasty however I agree with sevens.

[Sevens]

Feel free to assess my mood but the quoted text is a direct insult on this forum by some new guy, sharing "wisdom" that was passed to him.

Yeah, when I "pass" similar wisdom, it usually makes my stomach feel better and nobody goes near the toilet until the green haze has softened.

[James K]

IMHO, most of the comments on guns made here are based on knowledge, experience, or both. The Chiappa line is fairly new and they don't seem to be getting guns into stores. Further, the gun is "different" and most gun folks tend to be conservative, accepting change slowly.

To the idea that guns that are not "top of the line" are disparaged, that may be prejudice, but I see no reason to pretend that an RG-10 is equal in quality to a Colt Python just to appear unbiased.

Jim

[Wishoot]

Let me impart some wisdom another person blessed me with. First, on sights like this, if you don't have a top of the line firearm in question, 99% of posters will disparage it.

Not sure who that other person was, but they sure didn't impart you with wisdom.

This is one of the better, non-judgmental forums IMO.

[MadDawg]

I'm mixed on my 6 inch Rhino. Less muzzle rise- true. It's got an awkward angle that you hold it at, it forces you to angle your wrist forward - which lines up the barrel with your forearm. It shoots well. It's large. It comes with medium grips, which might be fine for those with smaller hands; I had to change the grips out with the large that they sell. That helped to a degree.

Do I like shooting it ? Yes. And it's quite accurate. The wrist angle does make it a bit odd. It works well for normal .357 loads; but hot ones still bite. A rubber grip would help possibly.. I will give you that I prefer my GP100's for the most part over the Chiappa - under most circumstances. I do love the looks of the Rhino; it makes it look like a much larger gun. It is not heavy. The trigger is more than fine enough for target shooting/plinking, etc. But I don't like the old cowboy action styled guns, especially their handling; I'd take the Rhino with its oddities over them any day. The GP-100's point better..

[Andy Blozinski]

Check my post on the other thread. Mine have worked great. I pack my 40DS every day as concealed carry in a shoulder holster. Strangely, I feel the wooden handle actually worked better for recoil than the rubber handle. It fires .38s or .357s just fine. The larger wooden handle fills my hand better.

[Deja vu]

I shot a blue (black) 5 inch rhino a few months back. I liked it just fine. Its on my "may be some day" list. The grip is a little odd but nothing that one could not get use to fairly quickly.

[CajunBass]

I realize that 99% of what I say is 50% opposite of what I said 48% of the 27% I said last time....

BUT...I handled one one time. I wasn't impressed. I doubt it was impressed by me either.

I say get a major brand. They're major brands for a reason.

[godot]

I got the 357 snub and while it's tricky to learn to shoot at 6 o clock, the recoil is nothing. Mine seems very well made & I don't see it falling apart soon. I find the trigger smooth & have no complaints. Mine came with rubber grips and a great holster. While I respect others opinions, I'm happy with mine.

[Andy Blozinski]

The first one I got was the 200D hammerless. I was having a lot more trouble dealing with the lack of rear sight than I expected. A buddy of mine pulls it up for the first time and plants the whole cylinder inside 2", gives me a funny look, says it works fine and asks me what my problem is. He thought it felt and worked great. Neither of us are pistol guys, by the way.
I got the 4" barrel model because it has a rear sight. I had read that the rubber grip worked better to absorb recoil. This makes sense, so I fully expected to swap the grips off my 200D to it. The fuller wooden grip just felt so darn nice I decided to try it out. I expected more felt recoil, but figured it might be worth it. Unexpectedly, I didn't perceive any more felt recoil. John thought the rubber grip was great, I preferred the wooden. We're not all the same. You just have to try stuff out and see what works for you as an individual.

The recoil is really just push back. The low barrel pretty much eliminates muzzle flip, but the laws of physics don't change. Fortunately the force is really channeled nicely straight back and isn't a hand hurter. Whenever there are discussions of .38 and .357s, people always make comments about the downsides of the .357 with lack of recovery and control and stuff. You get to ignore those comments with a Rhino. You certainly get a firmer push from a .357 in a Rhino, but its recovery is better than my Walther PPS 9mm or my wife's Sig P238 .380.

[corsica]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry-VQereHP0 my English is not perfect but in my opinion the title has to be muzzle jump and not recoil
I participate to the patent and I'm at your disposal for any information
About the recoil, it's evident that cannot be changed because the bullet give the same effort in any revolver with the same lenght of barrell, but is part of the patent that it is distributed on the maximum area it is possible to use. The first thing is that when you shoot the effort is on all the hand because the handle contact the hand in the all point, you can control it taking the revolver in the hand, evidently unloaded, and having someone that shake it taking from the barrell. In the other hand the shoot of the Rhino is in line so you use all the wrist to compensate the recoil, when normally the revolver doesn't shoot in line. To finish the trigger permit to work in line too and all this things permit to have less sensation about the recoil