Rizzini USA · Double Rifles
Rhino ExpressTwo barrels. Two seconds.
At fifteen yards, a bolt gun asks you to work the action. The Rhino Express asks you to move your finger. Built in Marcheno, regulated by hand, chambered for the three cartridges that have settled Africa's arguments for a century.
- .416 Rigby
- .470 Nitro Express
- .500 Nitro Express
- Action
- Break-Open Double, Boxlock
- Calibers
- .416 Rigby / .470 NE / .500 NE
- Barrels
- 23" Hand Regulated
- Weight
- 9–10 lbs
- Sights
- Express, Flip-Up Leaf
The use case
Built for the last thirty yards
A double rifle is not a long-range tool and was never pretending to be. It exists for the last thirty yards of a track — thick jesse, wet grass, a wounded animal that has decided the argument is over and the fight has started.
Break-open geometry puts two loaded chambers under your finger with nothing between them but a trigger pull. No bolt lift, no feed cycle, no ejection port to jam with dust or grass. Point, fire, fire again — then reload two and close. That is the entire mechanical argument, and it has never been improved on.
The second shot is the only shot that matters, and you get it without moving anything but your hand.
- 01Buffalo in the thick stuffTracking into cover where shots come inside twenty yards and a second barrel is insurance, not luxury.
- 02Elephant follow-upBrain shot, then the insurance shot. Nothing is faster than a rifle that is already loaded twice.
- 03Lion and leopard bait sitesLow light, fast angles, close range. Express sights find the shoulder faster than glass does.
- 04Professional backupThe rifle a PH carries when a client's shot goes wrong. It has to work wet, dirty, and right now.
From the field
Owner John Mogle, on elephant with a Rhino Express
We do not sell rifles we have not used. Rizzini USA owner John Mogle took this bull in the field with a Rhino Express — same action, same regulation, same sights you will pick up at your dealer. Watch what close range actually looks like, then decide how many chambers you want loaded.
John Mogle · Owner, Rizzini USA
Three chamberings
The Rhino Express, three ways
All three are the same hand-regulated Rhino Express action and all three will stop what they are aimed at. The difference is trajectory, recoil, and how close you intend to be when it happens.
Flattest shooting
.416 Rigby
Buffalo · Plains game · All-round safari
The one rifle answer if your safari is mixed bag. Enough trajectory to take an eland across an opening, enough bullet to walk into cover after buffalo. The most forgiving of the three on the bench and at the shoulder.
- Bullet
- 400 gr
- Velocity
- ≈2,400 fps
- Energy
- ≈5,100 ft-lbs
- Best inside
- 150 yds
The classic · Most requested
.470 Nitro Express
Buffalo · Elephant · Big Five
The cartridge the double rifle was built around, and still the benchmark every safari outfitter knows. Ammunition is available anywhere dangerous game is hunted, and a century of professional hunters have staked their lives on it. If you buy one double, buy this one.
- Bullet
- 500 gr
- Velocity
- ≈2,150 fps
- Energy
- ≈5,140 ft-lbs
- Best inside
- 100 yds
Maximum stopping power
.500 Nitro Express
Elephant · Hippo · Close-quarters backup
Chosen by men who expect the shot to be measured in feet. The heaviest bullet and the widest hole in the lineup — the round you carry when your job is to end a charge, not start a stalk. Shoot it enough to trust it.
- Bullet
- 570 gr
- Velocity
- ≈2,150 fps
- Energy
- ≈5,850 ft-lbs
- Best inside
- 75 yds
Figures reflect typical factory loads and are shown for comparison only; verify against your chosen ammunition. Every Rhino Express is regulated at 50 yards with the load specified on your order.
The legacy
The valley behind the Rhino Express
The Rizzini name belongs to Val Trompia, the Italian gunmaking valley that has been turning out barrels and locks for four hundred years. The double rifle is the oldest problem in that trade: two barrels that must print to the same point of aim, under a cartridge that generates more than two and a half tons of energy per shot.
There is no machine shortcut for that. A craftsman shoots the rifle, reads the pair, adjusts the wedge and the solder, and shoots it again — as many rounds as it takes until both barrels agree. What you receive is not a production run with your serial on it. It is one rifle, proved by hand, with the regulation target that proves it.
Wood is hand-selected Turkish walnut, upgraded to #3 grade and oil finished. The receiver carries our “Big Five” big-game scene, hand finished. Ejectors or extractors, your call. Express sights with flip-up leafs and an orange front bead, because at ten yards you are not looking through anything.
- Built in
- Marcheno, Val Trompia, Italy
- Regulation
- Hand regulated at 50 yards
- Engraving
- “Big Five” scene, hand finished
- Stock
- #3 grade Turkish walnut, oil
Details
What you are actually holding
Every Rhino Express leaves Italy with its regulation target and the engraver's hand still visible on the steel.
Specifications
| Model | Rhino Express |
| Action | Break-open double rifle, boxlock |
| Calibers | .416 Rigby · .470 NE · .500 NE |
| Barrel length | 23" |
| Regulation | Hand regulated at 50 yards |
| Sights | Express, flip-up leafs, orange front bead |
| Ejection | Ejectors or extractors |
| Stock | #3 grade Turkish walnut, oil finish |
| Engraving | “Big Five” big-game scene, hand finished |
| Weight | 9 – 10 lbs |
| MSRP | Contact your authorized dealer |
Specifications vary by caliber and configuration. Custom orders — barrel length, stock dimensions, engraving upgrades — are handled through your dealer and our custom shop.
Features
- Rhino Express break-open double action — two chambers under the trigger, always
- Barrel pair hand regulated and proved with your specified load
- Ejectors or extractors, specified at order
- Express sights with flip-up leafs and a visible orange front bead
- Hand-selected #3 grade Turkish walnut, oil finished
- “Big Five” big-game scene engraving, hand finished on the receiver
- Regulation target supplied with the rifle
Common questions
What buyers ask us first
Which caliber should I buy for a first dangerous-game safari?
If your safari is mixed bag — plains game plus buffalo — the .416 Rigby is the most versatile of the three and the easiest to shoot well. If the trip is built around buffalo or elephant, the .470 Nitro Express is the classic answer and ammunition is available at every safari destination. The .500 Nitro Express is for hunters who want maximum stopping power at very close range.
What does “hand regulated” actually mean?
Both barrels of a double rifle have to print to the same point of aim. A craftsman shoots the rifle, reads where each barrel groups, adjusts the wedge and solder between them, and shoots it again until the pair agrees. Every Rhino Express is regulated at 50 yards with the load specified on the order and ships with its regulation target.
Why choose a double rifle over a bolt action?
Speed of the second shot. A double keeps two loaded chambers under your trigger finger with no action to cycle, which is why professional hunters carry them as backup guns. Inside forty yards on dangerous game, that second barrel is the entire point.
How much does a Rizzini double rifle cost?
MSRP varies by caliber, engraving and stock configuration, and pricing is quoted through an authorized Rizzini USA dealer. Use the dealer locator to find your nearest dealer and request current pricing and availability.
Can I order custom stock dimensions or engraving?
Yes. Barrel length, stock dimensions, ejectors or extractors, and engraving upgrades are all specified at order through your dealer and our custom shop. Expect a build time — these are hand-finished rifles, not inventory.
Where can I handle one before buying?
Authorized Rizzini USA dealers stock and demonstrate the Rhino Express. A double rifle is bought with your cheek and your hands, so find a dealer near you, shoulder one, and see where the barrels point before you commit.
Shoulder a Rhino Express
A double rifle is bought with your cheek, not a spec sheet. Find an authorized Rizzini USA dealer, pick up a Rhino Express, close it, and see where the barrels point. You will know in about four seconds.
Authorized dealers only · Custom orders welcome
