Leaked pictures of a new gun from Chiappa Firearms?
A “never sleeping” friend and shooter has routed us two pictures showing what looks like a prototype of a new weapon from Chiappa Firearms. But not the kind of sporting firearms we are used to expect from this company…
Amidst the general scarcity of truly “new” products at the 2019 edition of the NSSF SHOT Show – which may seem to indicate that this year will not bring anything radically innovative to the firearms market – the two pictures you see on this page have attracted our curiosity.
The friend who routed the pictures says the weapon is from Chiappa Firearms and they have been taken “months ago, in a shooting range in Brescia, North of Italy”. That’s all he knows about. The fact that the gun is from Chiappa Firearms is deducted by a stamping visible on the right side of the gun itself, just above what looks like the ejection port.
What caught our attention was the design of this “big pistol”, as it bears a striking similarity to the Tanfoglio TCMP sub-machinegun prototype we remember we had seen (quite hidden) at Enforce TAC 2016. This gun has been displayed again at the Indo Defence 2018 (reported by the Firearm Blog), but apart from these two apparitions, we have never heard anything more about it.
Anyway, based on the quality of the two pictures we have received, judging from the aspect/finish of the polymer frame the gun seems to be a prototype: this is just a deduction as the polymer frame looks a little bit raw, not finished.
The pistol is built around a metal upper receiver and a polymer lower receiver with a grip-housed magazine. It also features a polymer buttstock with two metal struts, a folding foregrip, flip-up sights and multiple rails for tactical accessories, as well as a cocking handle located on the left side of the upper receiver.
One of the pictures portrays a polymer magazine, with a red synthetic elevator and caliber is 9mm: not easy to see, but there is a small stamping right above the magazine floor plate. The magazine design does not seem to be a standard Glock, Beretta or whatever else pistol magazine. The magazine well at bottom of the grip is beveled for quick insertion, and the magazine release catch is “American-style”, located at thumb reach.
Other features visible on the pictures include a nowadays popular trigger safety; a lever located on the left side of the upper receiver – excluding a “select fire” lever, it could be a manual safety; a flat lever, visible on both sides of the gun, located just behind the two frontal/side accessories rails, could be a bolt stop release. From what we can guess looking at these two pictures, the basic commands seem to be reversible or ambidextrous.
One main relevant feature emerging from the two pictures is the barrel. It features a prominent cylindric muzzle brake, but what hit the attention is the barrel axis, which seems to be much lower than on most other SMGs or PDWs in the market. A low bore axis allows a higher control over muzzle climb, during fast shooting sequences.
That’s all we can see and guess from these two pictures, but interesting enough, indeed. The annual appointment with IWA, the German show in Nuremberg, is right behind the corner: and we will for sure reach straight to Chiappa Firearms booth to “investigate”, asking them directly.
EDITOR'S NOTE
This afternoon, after we have published these two pictures and our guesses, we have contacted Chiappa Firearms of Italy, in an attempt to know more about this matter, and...:
we inform you that the Company "has not denied...", inviting to wait for IWA...!
UPDATE - New Chiappa Firearms CBR-9 Black Rhino
March 1st, 2019
Confirming the leaked information we had received and told you about on this page, today a post on the Chiappa Firearms official Facebook page has announced the launch of a new weapon at IWA 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany. And now we also have a name for it: CBR-9 Black Rhino.
Today as well, GUNSweek.com (and for sure other publications also) has received a newsletter from Chiappa Firearms - same graphics used for the Facebook post, see here below - announcing exactly the presentation of the new gun at IWA 2019.
All we have to do is to go and SEE!
Chiappa Firearms CBR-9 Black Rhino IWA 2019