armoury
CHIAPPA RHINO opinions with me . In his words ( and I paraphrase ):
“ My personal choice , or should I say my favourite handgun , is the revolver but I would only consider a revolver as an emergency back-up and not something I would carry as my first choice . Revolvers manufactured today are a popular choice amongst many of us , but you should know which type of handgun is best for the right application and also why . The semi-auto can accommodate more BBs than that of the revolver and is easier to reload with speed . So , if semi-automatics hold more BBs and are easier and faster to reload , why are revolvers still a valuable model to consider ?
“ The Revolver is basically a “ load , point and shoot ” or a “ fire and forget ” tool . There is no safety device or complex procedure to get a revolver up and running once the rounds are loaded in the cylinder . Semi-automatics , on the other hand , require several procedures to get them into action and this can lead to some mistakes being made on the part of the operator .
“ Revolvers also have very few exposed moving parts and rarely need to be stripped down for cleaning and maintenance . Semi-automatics have to be disassembled for cleaning , which can be difficult and there is always a risk of losing or breaking components in the field . One of the more common fails with semi-autos is turning up at the range or site and finding that you have left your magazines at home , something that will never happen with a revolver !”
Although I have personally owned ( and still own ) a number of airsoft revolvers , I ’ ve always found them a little uninspiring , apart from the ASG “ Dan Wessons ”, which are a great handgun in fairness . Most though work right enough , although they have generally been either seriously overpowered for skirmish use , or underpowered enough so as to make them relatively useless ! The overall construction generally left them with a very poor feel in the hand and poor plastic moulded imitation wood grips didn ’ t really set my world alight either , as you couldn ’ t change them much as the gas storage was usually tucked away inside the pistol grip . I was also wary about trying to holster them hard and fast as they felt fragile ; things of beauty to look at but far from practical .
Recently ( and thankfully ) though , that has changed with the Chiappa Rhino . Most famously and obviously used by Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale in the remake of “ Total Recall ” and not so obviously by Linda Hamilton in “ Terminator : Dark Fate ” ( one of the redeeming features of the movie for me if I ’ m honest !) the Rhino has gripped many an airsofter as “ the wheelgun of the future ” already and , as an eminently usable airsoft pistol , it ’ s endeared itself to me as well .
A MIGHTY BIG HANDFUL !
I ’ ll get this out of the way straight off … the airsoft Rhino is one big , sweet handful of pistol ! At just over a kilo this is absolutely no lightweight but the unusual design , carried over from the “ real deal ”, actually lets you handle it like a far smaller handgun . As with the real firearm , lowering the barrel results in it not sitting in the traditional position and having a BB fire from the “ top ” of the cylinder , but instead the Rhino fires from the bottom . This change in overall design transfers the weight and balance and lets the Rhino sit much lower in your hand and you don ’ t experience as much of a “ height over bore ” issue as other , more “ traditional ”, revolvers either . In the real thing this also helps with recoil mitigation as the barrel sits much lower , making the transfer of rearward force straight back into the arm of the shooter . In practical terms this design also allows the pistol to have a beaver tail at the rear of the grip , allowing the shooter to have a relatively high grip for a revolver .
As you might expect , the Rhino is all metal , in this case a nice quality alloy which adds to the overall feel . Everything is very sweetly put together and finished , with zero “ shake , rattle or roll ” apparent anywhere , even when it comes to the cylinder fit . With many airsoft revolvers the cylinder feels quite rattly but there ’ s none of that with the Rhino , and this leads to a superb seal between the barrel and chamber , which ( with the fixed hop ) means that you can use virtually any weight of BB within reason and get great performance in relation to accuracy .
There ’ s the double-action trigger that you would expect , so that you can cock the pistol using the hammer , or jut pull the trigger in single action as you desire . One strange feature to note here , is that cocking using the hammer actually actuates an internal mechanism ( again like the real thing ) and , in principle , this should make the trigger more
“ I ’ LL GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY STRAIGHT OFF … THE AIRSOFT RHINO IS ONE BIG , SWEET HANDFUL OF PISTOL ! AT JUST OVER A KILO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NO LIGHTWEIGHT BUT THE UNUSUAL DESIGN , CARRIED OVER FROM THE “ REAL DEAL ”, ACTUALLY LETS YOU HANDLE IT LIKE A FAR SMALLER HANDGUN .” www . airsoftaction . net 49