Chippa Fire Arms ?

[tomtex]

You can find its site here. http://www.chiappafirearms.com have the members here use their Lever Guns or Rhino Hand Guns? They have a lot of products ,that seem to be imported, the Rhine hand guns looks like a Move hero ,type gun used to shoot zombies, but I wonder why it's not chambered for big game hunting cartridge, other than the 357m, it is suppose to reduce recoil by 30%?

[Pete44ru]

Chiappa was formerly the infamous Armi San Marcos, maker of mostly black powder clones - and not all that good ones, either.

Although YMMV, IMO they are struggling with metallic cartridge arms, but are sure to give their products plenty of bling (eye appeal) to draw buyers & (maybe) fix probs later.

I have zero attraction for any of their products, including clones of the Winchester 71, 1886, & 1892 leverguns.
For me, the Rhino is (besides a curiosity/magnet) the answer to a question that never needed to be asked.
\
I'm sure someone will come along that loves their product(s) - so be patient..............................

.

[AJMD429]

Others here have commented on the other Chiappa guns, good and bad, but regarding the 'Rhino' revolvers - I'd really love to see a write-up or range-report from someone who actually SHOT one, vs. just saw the advertisement and 'reacted' to it... They seem like a LOGICAL development, and yet I do admit the grips look strange. Even if they aren't good to shoot, I'd like to see what would happen if a person replaced the grips with a more 'normal' set.

Anyway, I think gun-makers really have courage to try to please current gun-owners - we disrespect anything that isn't "traditional", yet complain that there's nothing new; we gripe about high prices (which relative to inflation are still modest), yet gripe more about low levels of hand-fitting and finish.

Gun owners evidently cannot be pleased unless you produce a hand-fitted, custom-made, innovative-yet-traditional, firearm, costing less than a week's worth of ammo...

[Hobie]

Ask and ye shall receive... Grant Cunningham has several articles on the Rhino and how it works.

[harry]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/1 ... rms-rhino/

[tomtex]

I just saw some videos of the Rhino 2 1/2 inch barrel,shooting 357 Rem and S&W 40 with no recoil, They needed to come out with a 44 Rem mag ,and a 45/454 hand gun?

[olyinaz]

Well, I don't "love their products", I simply have one and it's worked fine for me. It's finished well too. I got it as sort of a fluke and it's been a happy turn of events. That aint a sales pitch, it's simple facts.

YMMV.

Oly

[soon 2 retire]

FYI, I was reading Gary's Gun Notes for Feb. At the Reeder Custom Guns website and he says that he won't carry Chiappa firearms in his store because Chiappa puts a tracking chip in each one to "help law enforcement recover stolen guns". Yeah, like there's no possibility of governmental abuse with that.

As far as the Rhino goes, life's too short to have an ugly gun. I know "eye of the beholder" and all that; but my eye beholds it to be ugly.

Bob in Friday Harbor

[Martini450]

Chiappa was formerly the infamous Armi San Marcos, maker of mostly black powder clones - and not all that good ones, either.

Although YMMV, IMO they are struggling with metallic cartridge arms, but are sure to give their products plenty of bling (eye appeal) to draw buyers & (maybe) fix probs later.

I have zero attraction for any of their products, including clones of the Winchester 71, 1886, & 1892 leverguns.
For me, the Rhino is (besides a curiosity/magnet) the answer to a question that never needed to be asked.
\
I'm sure someone will come along that loves their product(s) - so be patient..............................

.

Chiappa was and is Armi Sport, not Armi San Marcos; they took over the 1892 levergun production from ASM a few years back. For what its worth, I have one of the Chiappa/Armi Sport '92 copies in 44-40, and it is a nicely made and accurate rifle.

[gak]

All I know is that they seem to go to great lengths at least cosmetically to be nicely finished as suggested and--in the case of the 92s for instance--to be configured very close to the original Wins. IIRC '92 master tunesmith Steve Young, aka Nate Kiowa Jones, was approached by Chiappa to give input on their 1886 during development. It'd be interesting to know whether his input "took" and whether they solicited his review (long after production had already begun) of the '92 as well, re fixing some of his early misgivings on some small internal parts we wasn't enamored with on at least early examples.

[Charles]

Armi San Marcos had such a bad reputation, they changed the name to Chiappa so they could sell guns.

[Martini450]

Armi San Marcos had such a bad reputation, they changed the name to Chiappa so they could sell guns.

This seems to be a fairly common point of confusion, but they are not the same company. Chiappa has the Armi Sport line, which has been around for decades (since 1958). They make the Spencer replicas, for instance. Armi San Marcos was also in business for quite some time, though I'm not certain if they still are.

http://www.chiappafirearms.com/company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiappa_Firearms

I'm not making a statement either way about Chiappa/Armi Sport quality, although I'm happy enough with mine, but I think its important not to confuse the two companies. I've also seen people confuse Chiappa with Chaparral because the names are similar.

[DPris]

Chiappa/Armi Sport is not & never was ASM.
I have one of their Mare's Legs (Legacy Sports Bounty Hunter Model), very nicely done.
Denis

[gak]

The main purveyors of Chiappas here would be Cimarron www.cimarron-firearms.com , Taylor's www.taylorsfirearms.com , and LSI www.legacysports.com .

[tomtex]

[quote="tomtex"]You can find its site here. http://www.chiappafirearms.com have the members here use their Lever Guns or Rhino Hand Guns? They have a lot of products ,that seem to be imported, the Rhine hand guns looks like a Move hero ,type gun used to shoot zombies, but I wonder why it's not chambered for big game hunting cartridge, other than the 357m, it is suppose to reduce recoil by 30%?

[tomtex]

Chiappa was formerly the infamous Armi San Marcos, maker of mostly black powder clones - and not all that good ones, either.

Although YMMV, IMO they are struggling with metallic cartridge arms, but are sure to give their products plenty of bling (eye appeal) to draw buyers & (maybe) fix probs later.

I have zero attraction for any of their products, including clones of the Winchester 71, 1886, & 1892 leverguns.
For me, the Rhino is (besides a curiosity/magnet) the answer to a question that never needed to be asked.
\
I'm sure someone will come along that loves their product(s) - so be patient..............................

.

Was it the AK-47 that put them out of the Arms race?

[tomtex]

It's my understanding that Chiappa fire arms, is the importer of the Rhino line from Italy,and not the builder? **Well, I have found out I'm wrong, In 08 Chiappa got the patens from Mateba of Italy. If Chiappa can refined ,this hand gun it has a big future? But it's not refined yet , sale or low and costs are high. Its may be the time for Chiappa to sale its paten?

[Ji in Hawaii]

I believe Armi San Marco made the less than stellar Chaparral Arms line of 1873, and 1876 Winchester replicas.

Chiappa (Armi Sport) 1886 replica has special appeal to me.

[olyinaz]

I believe Armi San Marco made the less than stellar Chaparral Arms line of 1873, and 1876 Winchester replicas.

I've never heard that. I have heard that they were parts sourced from Italy in the gun making region where there are many "armis" making guns, but that they were assembled in the U.S. I've looked at them and they don't have the Italian proofs all over them which is interesting.

But at any rate, Chiappa was what was asked about and I agree with you that their 1886 appeals to me.

Oly

[ving-thorr]

one of the cimarron (armi sport) 92s got a real nice writeup on gunblast from Jeff Quinn

http://www.gunblast.com/Cimarron-1892.htm

[Pete44ru]

Chiappa was formerly the infamous Armi San Marcos, maker of mostly black powder clones - and not all that good ones, either.

Although YMMV, IMO they are struggling with metallic cartridge arms, but are sure to give their products plenty of bling (eye appeal) to draw buyers & (maybe) fix probs later.

I have zero attraction for any of their products, including clones of the Winchester 71, 1886, & 1892 leverguns.
For me, the Rhino is (besides a curiosity/magnet) the answer to a question that never needed to be asked.
\
I'm sure someone will come along that loves their product(s) - so be patient..............................

.

Chiappa was and is Armi Sport, not Armi San Marcos; they took over the 1892 levergun production from ASM a few years back. For what its worth, I have one of the Chiappa/Armi Sport '92 copies in 44-40, and it is a nicely made and accurate rifle.

Yeah - I MEANT Armi Sport - but azz that I am, went from memory ILO looking it up again.
Thanks for the sanity check.

Of all the things I've lost - I think I miss my memory the most...........

.

[Hillbilly]

Rumor has it that at least one IDPA shooter is running a Rhino in the stock revovler class down my way.

Saw one at a NRA basic pistol class... nice idea. Let me know if it's in time after 5,000 rounds or so and get back with me.

[tomtex]

I'm must say the Rhino ,because of its recoil reduction ,would be my chose in caliber's as the 44 Rem and 45/454 ,480.
Also in the 357 mag for self defense , when I'm sure its reliable hand gun?

[DPris]

Chaparrals were neither Armi San Marco or Armi Sport.
Denis

[tomtex]

Well, finely found Chiappa's phone number at 937-835-5000 and this new site,http://www.mkschiappa.com. I called them and talk to them, I ask them about quality control problem on the Rhino? They said they found quality in Italy ,is not the same as quality control here in the USA, and now have it under control . I ask them about the future of the Rhino line? They said the 2'' 357 Rhinos will soon ship with moon clips for the 9 mm, 38 and 357M, also a moon clip 40 cal S&W version of the 2" Rhino
Will soon ship to distributers. I ask them about chambering the Rhino for 45 ACP, 45 long and 454 as well as 44 mag? They said thats down road, because they will need to design a new frame for those calibers ,and at this time they need to fill distributers orders. Note : Chiappa is a family own business, with a good attitude and a lots of common sense.