The Chinn Award
The Chinn Award is presented annually to honor a government or industry individual who, in the opinion of the Small Arms Committee Executive Board, has made significant contributions to the field of small arms and/or infantry weapons systems. A significant contribution is considered to be a creative invention, new design or innovative concept in small arms weapons, ammunition or ancillary equipment that provides an advancement in the state-of-the art or capability enhancement that clearly benefits the warfighting or general military capability of the U.S. The Chinn Award may also be conferred as recognition to an individual who has performed sustained superior service in a career field of science, engineering, test and evaluation, manufacturing program management, academic study and research, publishing or maintenance relating to military small arms or infantry weapons.
The Chinn Award is named in honor of LtCol George M. Chinn, USMC, a career Marine who dedicated his life to the study, development and refinement of machine gun mechanisms. LtCol Chinn is remembered for his work as a gun designer and for having compiled a five volume reference work entitled, “The Machine Gun.”
Chinn Award Winners
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2023 | CAPT William Shepherd, USN (Ret) |
| 2022 | Mark McFadden |
| 2021 | Not awarded, COVID year |
| 2020 | Ralph Mazeski |
| 2019 | Thomas B. Nelson |
| 2018 | Richard D. Jones |
| 2017 | E. Daniel Shea |
| 2016 | Phil "Doc" Dater |
| 2015 | Jim Schatz |
| 2014 | George Niewenhous |
| 2013 | Rudy Nedelka |
| 2012 | Dan Haywood |
| 2011 | Charles Buxton |
| 2010 | Frank P. Puzycki |
| 2009 | Joel Goldman |
| 2008 | Troy Smith |
| 2007 | Bill Dittrich |
| 2006 | Richard Swan |
| 2005 | Rich Audette |
| 2004 | Ronnie Barrett |
| 2003 | Phil Baker & Georges Chauveheid |
| 2002 | Ernst Mauch |
| 2001 | L. James Sullivan |
| 2000 | Salvatore A. Fanelli |
| 1999 | Vernon E. Shisler |
| 1998 | George E. Kontis |
| 1997 | Robert A. Trifiletti |
| 1996 | C. Reed Knight, Jr. |
| 1995 | Joseph Unterkofler |
| 1994 | Richard E. Brown |
| 1993 | Edward C. Ezell |
| 1992 | Not Awarded |
| 1991 | Roderic A. Spies |
| 1990 | John S. Wood, Jr. |
| 1989 | James Ackley |
| 1988 | Thomas E. Cosgrove |