Small Arms Review
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Guns & Parts
    • Suppressors
    • Optics & Thermals
    • Ammunition
    • Gear
    • News & Opinion
    • Columns
    • Museums & Factory Tours
    • ID Guides
    • Interviews
    • Event Coverage
    • Articles by Issue
      • Volume 1
        • V1N1 (Oct 1997)
        • V1N2 (Nov 1997)
        • V1N3 (Dec 1997)
        • V1N4 (Jan 1998)
        • V1N5 (Feb 1998)
        • V1N6 (Mar 1998)
        • V1N7 (Apr 1998)
        • V1N8 (May 1998)
        • V1N9 (Jun 1998)
        • V1N10 (Jul 1998)
        • V1N11 (Aug 1998)
        • V1N12 (Sep 1998)
      • Volume 2
        • V2N1 (Oct 1998)
        • V2N2 (Nov 1998)
        • V2N3 (Dec 1998)
        • V2N4 (Jan 1999)
        • V2N5 (Feb 1999)
        • V2N6 (Mar 1999)
        • V2N7 (Apr 1999)
        • V2N8 (May 1999)
        • V2N9 (Jun 1999)
        • V2N10 (Jul 1999)
        • V2N11 (Aug 1999)
        • V2N12 (Sep 1999)
      • Volume 3
        • V3N1 (Oct 1999)
        • V3N2 (Nov 1999)
        • V3N3 (Dec 1999)
        • V3N4 (Jan 2000)
        • V3N5 (Feb 2000)
        • V3N6 (Mar 2000)
        • V3N7 (Apr 2000)
        • V3N8 (May 2000)
        • V3N9 (Jun 2000)
        • V3N10 (Jul 2000)
        • V3N11 (Aug 2000)
        • V3N12 (Sep 2000)
      • Volume 4
        • V4N1 (Oct 2000)
        • V4N2 (Nov 2000)
        • V4N3 (Dec 2000)
        • V4N4 (Jan 2001)
        • V4N5 (Feb 2001)
        • V4N6 (Mar 2001)
        • V4N7 (Apr 2001)
        • V4N8 (May 2001)
        • V4N9 (Jun 2001)
        • V4N10 (Jul 2001)
        • V4N11 (Aug 2001)
        • V4N12 (Sep 2001)
      • Volume 5
        • V5N1 (Oct 2001)
        • V5N2 (Nov 2001)
        • V5N3 (Dec 2001)
        • V5N4 (Jan 2002)
        • V5N5 (Feb 2002)
        • V5N6 (Mar 2002)
        • V5N7 (Apr 2002)
        • V5N8 (May 2002)
        • V5N9 (Jun 2002)
        • V5N10 (Jul 2002)
        • V5N11 (Aug 2002)
        • V5N12 (Sep 2002)
      • Volume 6
        • V6N1 (Oct 2002)
        • V6N2 (Nov 2002)
        • V6N3 (Dec 2002)
        • V6N4 (Jan 2003)
        • V6N5 (Feb 2003)
        • V6N6 (Mar 2003)
        • V6N7 (Apr 2003)
        • V6N8 (May 2003)
        • V6N9 (Jun 2003)
        • V6N10 (Jul 2003)
        • V6N11 (Aug 2003)
        • V6N12 (Sep 2003)
      • Volume 7
        • V7N1 (Oct 2003)
        • V7N2 (Nov 2003)
        • V7N3 (Dec 2003)
        • V7N4 (Jan 2004)
        • V7N5 (Feb 2004)
        • V7N6 (Mar 2004)
        • V7N7 (Apr 2004)
        • V7N8 (May 2004)
        • V7N9 (Jun 2004)
        • V7N10 (Jul 2004)
        • V7N11 (Aug 2004)
        • V7N12 (Sep 2004)
      • Volume 8
        • V8N1 (Oct 2004)
        • V8N2 (Nov 2004)
        • V8N3 (Dec 2004)
        • V8N4 (Jan 2005)
        • V8N5 (Feb 2005)
        • V8N6 (Mar 2005)
        • V8N7 (Apr 2005)
        • V8N8 (May 2005)
        • V8N9 (Jun 2005)
        • V8N10 (Jul 2005)
        • V8N11 (Aug 2005)
        • V8N12 (Sep 2005)
      • Volume 9
        • V9N1 (Oct 2005)
        • V9N2 (Nov 2005)
        • V9N3 (Dec 2005)
        • V9N4 (Jan 2006)
        • V9N5 (Feb 2006)
        • V9N6 (Mar 2006)
        • V9N7 (Apr 2006)
        • V9N8 (May 2006)
        • V9N9 (Jun 2006)
        • V9N10 (Jul 2006)
        • V9N11 (Aug 2006)
        • V9N12 (Sep 2006)
      • Volume 10
        • V10N1 (Oct 2006)
        • V10N2 (Nov 2006)
        • V10N3 (Dec 2006)
        • V10N4 (Jan 2007)
        • V10N5 (Feb 2007)
        • V10N6 (Mar 2007)
        • V10N7 (Apr 2007)
        • V10N8 (May 2007)
        • V10N9 (Jun 2007)
        • V10N10 (Jul 2007)
        • V10N11 (Aug 2007)
        • V10N12 (Sep 2007)
      • Volume 11
        • V11N1 (Oct 2007)
        • V11N2 (Nov 2007)
        • V11N3 (Dec 2007)
        • V11N4 (Jan 2008)
        • V11N5 (Feb 2008)
        • V11N6 (Mar 2008)
        • V11N7 (Apr 2008)
        • V11N8 (May 2008)
        • V11N9 (Jun 2008)
        • V11N10 (Jul 2008)
        • V11N11 (Aug 2008)
        • V11N12 (Sep 2008)
      • Volume 12
        • V12N1 (Oct 2008)
        • V12N2 (Nov 2008)
        • V12N3 (Dec 2008)
        • V12N4 (Jan 2009)
        • V12N5 (Feb 2009)
        • V12N6 (Mar 2009)
        • V12N7 (Apr 2009)
        • V12N8 (May 2009)
        • V12N9 (Jun 2009)
        • V12N10 (Jul 2009)
        • V12N11 (Aug 2009)
        • V12N12 (Sep 2009)
      • Volume 13
        • V13N1 (Oct 2009)
        • V13N2 (Nov 2009)
        • V13N3 (Dec 2009)
        • V13N4 (Jan 2010)
        • V13N5 (Feb 2010)
        • V13N6 (Mar 2010)
        • V13N7 (Apr 2010)
        • V13N8 (May 2010)
        • V13N9 (Jun 2010)
        • V13N10 (Jul 2010)
        • V13N11 (Aug 2010)
        • V13N12 (Sep 2010)
      • Volume 14
        • V14N1 (Oct 2010)
        • V14N2 (Nov 2010)
        • V14N3 (Dec 2010)
          • Ammunition
        • V14N4 (Jan 2011)
        • V14N5 (Feb 2011)
        • V14N6 (Mar 2011)
        • V14N7 (Apr 2011)
        • V14N8 (May 2011)
        • V14N9 (Jun 2011)
        • V14N10 (Jul 2011)
        • V14N11 (Aug 2011)
        • V14N12 (Sep 2011)
      • Volume 15
        • V15N1 (Oct 2011)
        • V15N2 (Nov 2011)
        • V15N4 (Jan 2012)
        • V15N5 (Feb 2012)
      • Volume 16
        • V16N1 (1st Quarter 2012)
        • V16N2 (2nd Quarter 2012)
        • V16N3 (3rd Quarter 2012)
        • V16N4 (4th Quarter 2012)
      • Volume 17
        • V17N1 (1st Quarter 2013)
        • V17N2 (2nd Quarter 2013)
        • V17N3 (3rd Quarter 2013)
        • V17N4 (4th Quarter 2013)
      • Volume 18
        • V18N1 (Jan Feb 2014)
        • V18N2 (Mar Apr 2014)
        • V18N3 (May Jun 2014)
        • V18N4 (Jul Aug 2014)
        • V18N5 (Sep Oct 2014)
        • V18N6 (Nov Dec 2014)
      • Volume 19
        • V19N1 (Jan 2015)
        • V19N2 (Feb Mar 2015)
        • V19N3 (Apr 2015)
        • V19N4 (May 2015)
        • V19N5 (Jun 2015)
        • V19N6 (Jul 2015)
        • V19N7 (Aug Sep 2015)
        • V19N8 (Oct 2015)
        • V19N9 (Nov 2015)
        • V19N10 (Dec 2015)
      • Volume 20
        • V20N1 (Jan 2016)
        • V20N2 (Feb Mar 2016)
        • V20N3 (Apr 2016)
        • V20N4 (May 2016)
        • V20N5 (Jun 2016)
        • V20N6 (Jul 2016)
        • V20N7 (Aug Sep 2016)
        • V20N8 (Oct 2016)
        • V20N9 (Nov 2016)
        • V20N10 (Dec 2016)
      • Volume 21
        • V21N1 (Jan 2017)
        • V21N2 (Feb Mar 2017)
        • V21N3 (Apr 2017)
        • V21N4 (May 2017)
        • V21N5 (Jun 2017)
        • V21N6 (Jul 2017)
        • V21N7 (Aug Sep 2017)
        • V21N8 (Oct 2017)
        • V21N9 (Nov 2017)
        • V21N10 (Dec 2017)
      • Volume 22
        • V22N1 (Jan 2018)
        • V22N2 (Feb 2018)
        • V22N3 (March 2018)
        • V22N4 (Apr 2018)
        • V22N5 (May 2018)
        • V22N6 (Jun Jul 2018)
        • V22N7 (Aug Sep 2018)
        • V22N8 (Oct 2018)
        • V22N9 (Nov 2018)
        • V22N10 (Dec 2018)
      • Volume 23
        • V23N1 (Jan 2019)
        • V23N2 (Feb 2019)
        • V23N3 (Mar 2019)
        • V23N4 (Apr 2019)
        • V23N5 (May 2019)
        • V23N6 (Jun Jul 2019)
        • V23N7 (Aug Sep 2019)
        • V23N8 (Oct 2019)
        • V23N9 (Nov 2019)
        • V23N10 (Dec 2019)
      • Volume 24
        • V24N1 (Jan 2020)
        • V24N2 (Feb 2020)
        • V24N3 (Mar 2020)
        • V24N4 (Apr 2020)
        • V24N5 (May 2020)
        • V24N6 (Jun Jul 2020)
        • V24N7 (Aug Sep 2020)
        • V24N8 (Oct 2020)
        • V24N9 (Nov 2020)
        • V24N10 (Dec 2020)
  • The Archive
    • Search The Archive
  • Store
    • Books
    • Back Issues
    • Merchandise
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • FrankenGun Challenge
  • About
    • About Small Arms Review
    • About Chipotle Publishing
    • Contact Us
    • Other Publications
      • Small Arms Defense Journal
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Guns & Parts
    • Suppressors
    • Optics & Thermals
    • Ammunition
    • Gear
    • News & Opinion
    • Columns
    • Museums & Factory Tours
    • ID Guides
    • Interviews
    • Event Coverage
    • Articles by Issue
      • Volume 1
        • V1N1 (Oct 1997)
        • V1N2 (Nov 1997)
        • V1N3 (Dec 1997)
        • V1N4 (Jan 1998)
        • V1N5 (Feb 1998)
        • V1N6 (Mar 1998)
        • V1N7 (Apr 1998)
        • V1N8 (May 1998)
        • V1N9 (Jun 1998)
        • V1N10 (Jul 1998)
        • V1N11 (Aug 1998)
        • V1N12 (Sep 1998)
      • Volume 2
        • V2N1 (Oct 1998)
        • V2N2 (Nov 1998)
        • V2N3 (Dec 1998)
        • V2N4 (Jan 1999)
        • V2N5 (Feb 1999)
        • V2N6 (Mar 1999)
        • V2N7 (Apr 1999)
        • V2N8 (May 1999)
        • V2N9 (Jun 1999)
        • V2N10 (Jul 1999)
        • V2N11 (Aug 1999)
        • V2N12 (Sep 1999)
      • Volume 3
        • V3N1 (Oct 1999)
        • V3N2 (Nov 1999)
        • V3N3 (Dec 1999)
        • V3N4 (Jan 2000)
        • V3N5 (Feb 2000)
        • V3N6 (Mar 2000)
        • V3N7 (Apr 2000)
        • V3N8 (May 2000)
        • V3N9 (Jun 2000)
        • V3N10 (Jul 2000)
        • V3N11 (Aug 2000)
        • V3N12 (Sep 2000)
      • Volume 4
        • V4N1 (Oct 2000)
        • V4N2 (Nov 2000)
        • V4N3 (Dec 2000)
        • V4N4 (Jan 2001)
        • V4N5 (Feb 2001)
        • V4N6 (Mar 2001)
        • V4N7 (Apr 2001)
        • V4N8 (May 2001)
        • V4N9 (Jun 2001)
        • V4N10 (Jul 2001)
        • V4N11 (Aug 2001)
        • V4N12 (Sep 2001)
      • Volume 5
        • V5N1 (Oct 2001)
        • V5N2 (Nov 2001)
        • V5N3 (Dec 2001)
        • V5N4 (Jan 2002)
        • V5N5 (Feb 2002)
        • V5N6 (Mar 2002)
        • V5N7 (Apr 2002)
        • V5N8 (May 2002)
        • V5N9 (Jun 2002)
        • V5N10 (Jul 2002)
        • V5N11 (Aug 2002)
        • V5N12 (Sep 2002)
      • Volume 6
        • V6N1 (Oct 2002)
        • V6N2 (Nov 2002)
        • V6N3 (Dec 2002)
        • V6N4 (Jan 2003)
        • V6N5 (Feb 2003)
        • V6N6 (Mar 2003)
        • V6N7 (Apr 2003)
        • V6N8 (May 2003)
        • V6N9 (Jun 2003)
        • V6N10 (Jul 2003)
        • V6N11 (Aug 2003)
        • V6N12 (Sep 2003)
      • Volume 7
        • V7N1 (Oct 2003)
        • V7N2 (Nov 2003)
        • V7N3 (Dec 2003)
        • V7N4 (Jan 2004)
        • V7N5 (Feb 2004)
        • V7N6 (Mar 2004)
        • V7N7 (Apr 2004)
        • V7N8 (May 2004)
        • V7N9 (Jun 2004)
        • V7N10 (Jul 2004)
        • V7N11 (Aug 2004)
        • V7N12 (Sep 2004)
      • Volume 8
        • V8N1 (Oct 2004)
        • V8N2 (Nov 2004)
        • V8N3 (Dec 2004)
        • V8N4 (Jan 2005)
        • V8N5 (Feb 2005)
        • V8N6 (Mar 2005)
        • V8N7 (Apr 2005)
        • V8N8 (May 2005)
        • V8N9 (Jun 2005)
        • V8N10 (Jul 2005)
        • V8N11 (Aug 2005)
        • V8N12 (Sep 2005)
      • Volume 9
        • V9N1 (Oct 2005)
        • V9N2 (Nov 2005)
        • V9N3 (Dec 2005)
        • V9N4 (Jan 2006)
        • V9N5 (Feb 2006)
        • V9N6 (Mar 2006)
        • V9N7 (Apr 2006)
        • V9N8 (May 2006)
        • V9N9 (Jun 2006)
        • V9N10 (Jul 2006)
        • V9N11 (Aug 2006)
        • V9N12 (Sep 2006)
      • Volume 10
        • V10N1 (Oct 2006)
        • V10N2 (Nov 2006)
        • V10N3 (Dec 2006)
        • V10N4 (Jan 2007)
        • V10N5 (Feb 2007)
        • V10N6 (Mar 2007)
        • V10N7 (Apr 2007)
        • V10N8 (May 2007)
        • V10N9 (Jun 2007)
        • V10N10 (Jul 2007)
        • V10N11 (Aug 2007)
        • V10N12 (Sep 2007)
      • Volume 11
        • V11N1 (Oct 2007)
        • V11N2 (Nov 2007)
        • V11N3 (Dec 2007)
        • V11N4 (Jan 2008)
        • V11N5 (Feb 2008)
        • V11N6 (Mar 2008)
        • V11N7 (Apr 2008)
        • V11N8 (May 2008)
        • V11N9 (Jun 2008)
        • V11N10 (Jul 2008)
        • V11N11 (Aug 2008)
        • V11N12 (Sep 2008)
      • Volume 12
        • V12N1 (Oct 2008)
        • V12N2 (Nov 2008)
        • V12N3 (Dec 2008)
        • V12N4 (Jan 2009)
        • V12N5 (Feb 2009)
        • V12N6 (Mar 2009)
        • V12N7 (Apr 2009)
        • V12N8 (May 2009)
        • V12N9 (Jun 2009)
        • V12N10 (Jul 2009)
        • V12N11 (Aug 2009)
        • V12N12 (Sep 2009)
      • Volume 13
        • V13N1 (Oct 2009)
        • V13N2 (Nov 2009)
        • V13N3 (Dec 2009)
        • V13N4 (Jan 2010)
        • V13N5 (Feb 2010)
        • V13N6 (Mar 2010)
        • V13N7 (Apr 2010)
        • V13N8 (May 2010)
        • V13N9 (Jun 2010)
        • V13N10 (Jul 2010)
        • V13N11 (Aug 2010)
        • V13N12 (Sep 2010)
      • Volume 14
        • V14N1 (Oct 2010)
        • V14N2 (Nov 2010)
        • V14N3 (Dec 2010)
          • Ammunition
        • V14N4 (Jan 2011)
        • V14N5 (Feb 2011)
        • V14N6 (Mar 2011)
        • V14N7 (Apr 2011)
        • V14N8 (May 2011)
        • V14N9 (Jun 2011)
        • V14N10 (Jul 2011)
        • V14N11 (Aug 2011)
        • V14N12 (Sep 2011)
      • Volume 15
        • V15N1 (Oct 2011)
        • V15N2 (Nov 2011)
        • V15N4 (Jan 2012)
        • V15N5 (Feb 2012)
      • Volume 16
        • V16N1 (1st Quarter 2012)
        • V16N2 (2nd Quarter 2012)
        • V16N3 (3rd Quarter 2012)
        • V16N4 (4th Quarter 2012)
      • Volume 17
        • V17N1 (1st Quarter 2013)
        • V17N2 (2nd Quarter 2013)
        • V17N3 (3rd Quarter 2013)
        • V17N4 (4th Quarter 2013)
      • Volume 18
        • V18N1 (Jan Feb 2014)
        • V18N2 (Mar Apr 2014)
        • V18N3 (May Jun 2014)
        • V18N4 (Jul Aug 2014)
        • V18N5 (Sep Oct 2014)
        • V18N6 (Nov Dec 2014)
      • Volume 19
        • V19N1 (Jan 2015)
        • V19N2 (Feb Mar 2015)
        • V19N3 (Apr 2015)
        • V19N4 (May 2015)
        • V19N5 (Jun 2015)
        • V19N6 (Jul 2015)
        • V19N7 (Aug Sep 2015)
        • V19N8 (Oct 2015)
        • V19N9 (Nov 2015)
        • V19N10 (Dec 2015)
      • Volume 20
        • V20N1 (Jan 2016)
        • V20N2 (Feb Mar 2016)
        • V20N3 (Apr 2016)
        • V20N4 (May 2016)
        • V20N5 (Jun 2016)
        • V20N6 (Jul 2016)
        • V20N7 (Aug Sep 2016)
        • V20N8 (Oct 2016)
        • V20N9 (Nov 2016)
        • V20N10 (Dec 2016)
      • Volume 21
        • V21N1 (Jan 2017)
        • V21N2 (Feb Mar 2017)
        • V21N3 (Apr 2017)
        • V21N4 (May 2017)
        • V21N5 (Jun 2017)
        • V21N6 (Jul 2017)
        • V21N7 (Aug Sep 2017)
        • V21N8 (Oct 2017)
        • V21N9 (Nov 2017)
        • V21N10 (Dec 2017)
      • Volume 22
        • V22N1 (Jan 2018)
        • V22N2 (Feb 2018)
        • V22N3 (March 2018)
        • V22N4 (Apr 2018)
        • V22N5 (May 2018)
        • V22N6 (Jun Jul 2018)
        • V22N7 (Aug Sep 2018)
        • V22N8 (Oct 2018)
        • V22N9 (Nov 2018)
        • V22N10 (Dec 2018)
      • Volume 23
        • V23N1 (Jan 2019)
        • V23N2 (Feb 2019)
        • V23N3 (Mar 2019)
        • V23N4 (Apr 2019)
        • V23N5 (May 2019)
        • V23N6 (Jun Jul 2019)
        • V23N7 (Aug Sep 2019)
        • V23N8 (Oct 2019)
        • V23N9 (Nov 2019)
        • V23N10 (Dec 2019)
      • Volume 24
        • V24N1 (Jan 2020)
        • V24N2 (Feb 2020)
        • V24N3 (Mar 2020)
        • V24N4 (Apr 2020)
        • V24N5 (May 2020)
        • V24N6 (Jun Jul 2020)
        • V24N7 (Aug Sep 2020)
        • V24N8 (Oct 2020)
        • V24N9 (Nov 2020)
        • V24N10 (Dec 2020)
  • The Archive
    • Search The Archive
  • Store
    • Books
    • Back Issues
    • Merchandise
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • FrankenGun Challenge
  • About
    • About Small Arms Review
    • About Chipotle Publishing
    • Contact Us
    • Other Publications
      • Small Arms Defense Journal
No Result
View All Result
Small Arms Review
No Result
View All Result
Home Articles

INTERVIEW WITH BUDDY HOWELLS, GRANDSON OF COL GEORGE M. CHINN, AUTHOR OF THE MACHINE GUN

Scott Barbour by Scott Barbour
August 3, 2022
in Articles, Articles by Issue, Interviews, Search by Issue, V14N2 (Nov 2010), Volume 14
INTERVIEW WITH BUDDY HOWELLS, GRANDSON OF COL GEORGE M. CHINN, AUTHOR OF THE MACHINE GUN
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Graduation from USMC Aviation School, 1943. George Chinn is front and center. (G.M. Chinn collection)

On April 11, 2010, I traveled to Harrodsburg, KY where I met with my good friend, Howard “Buddy” Howells. Buddy is the only grandson of the famous Col. George M. Chinn, author of the five-volume series entitled The Machine Gun. The last time I was in Harrodsburg was in 1985 when I met with Col. Chinn and Buddy at their office. I was working for FN and went there to discuss the Mk19 and to get Chinn’s opinion on the maturity of the design and the producibility of the weapon using the drawing package developed by the Navy.

George Kontis and Buddy Howells visit Cave House in 2010. (George Kontis)

George Chinn had accumulated a wealth of firearm information through the years and was inspiration to many of us in firearm design. The Colonel made great contributions to firearm design and usage, and his historical reference book series is a classic of the last century. Buddy worked with his grandfather on some firearm designs and has an amazing memory of historical facts.

Buddy suggests we begin our meeting in the office used by George M. Chinn. Upon entering I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Chinn’s favorite pictures, letters, commendations, and other memorabilia still adorn the walls. Pencils, Rolodex, pads of paper and reference material are out on his desk. It was if the old master would return at any moment. Unable to resist the urge, I sit in the Colonel’s chair. Now was a good time to begin the interview.

George: Before we talk about George M. Chinn, could you give me a little insight into the Chinn family history.

Buddy: The Chinn’s are an old pioneer family with roots in Mercer county Kentucky. I know you remember my grandfather joking about being Chinese, but our ancestry is French. George’s Grandfather Jack was into horse racing and even owned a Kentucky Derby winner. Politics, farming, and Calcite mining were also family businesses.

George: So, as pioneers and frontiersmen, the Chinn family must have been around guns all the time.

Buddy: Actually, they were familiar with both ends of a gun. Back in 1900 Kentucky elected William Goebel as Governor. Just one day before his inauguration, Goebel was standing on the capitol steps between his two bodyguards, one of them Chinn’s Grandfather Jack, when a shot rang out. A sniper shot Goebel, fatally wounding him. Following his passing and true to the Kentucky sense of fairness, for the first time in U.S. history, a dead man was sworn into office. George: What about George Chinn? Did he have an interest in firearms when he was a youngster?

Buddy: Chinn’s father was the warden of the prison in Frankfort, Kentucky. This gave George many opportunities to disassemble guns from prison assets. Chinn had access to explosives too, from the family’s calcite mine. He led a charmed childhood and like most kids of that era, he enjoyed target shooting and plinking.

George: Tell me about George Chinn’s early education and his career plans.

Buddy: George went to a Millersburg Military Institute, a boarding high school where he was a member of the “Saturday Afternoon Tea Club.” That’s what they jokingly called the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program. He graduated in 1920 in a class of nine. Since he was in ROTC at the close of WWI, he received a WWI victory medal even though he was never in theater.

George: I read where Chinn graduated from Centre College where he claimed to have majored in “football and penmanship.” What can you tell me about his football career?

Centre’s star freshman lineman, George M. Chinn. (G.M. Chinn collection)

Buddy: As a freshman George played lineman on the Centre team that won what would today be recognized as the national championship in 1921 after beating Harvard 6-0. It was a huge upset. The Centre team was coached by two of the greats in football history, Charlie Moran and Robert Myers. These men greatly influenced George. Their coaching style and football experience itself made a huge impact on his life. Also significant was the relationship he developed with Albert. B. “Happy” Chandler, a guy who was a kind of team “groupy.” Happy rode along on the football trips and in later life became Governor of Kentucky – twice. He also served as a U.S. Senator, giving George an important political connection during much of his adult life.

George: What did Chinn do after college?

Buddy: He coached football; assistant coach at Bucknell and head coach at Catawba. His coaching experience was very valuable throughout his career. He refined his coach’s instinct and he knew how to prepare a team for an “operation” by making sure his players knew what to do, how to do it, and had the right equipment and training to get the job done right. This mentality served him well in later years when he helped Naval aviators and Marines with the operation, repair, and maintenance of automatic weapons.

George: But he didn’t stay in coaching – what happened?

Buddy: While he was vacationing in North Carolina he had an opportunity to visit a tourist attraction there called the Bat Cave. The sight of all those tourists buying food, drinks, and souvenirs got him thinking. He owned a piece of property alongside the road near the Brooklyn Bridge that crossed the Kentucky River. So near this scenic river, George knew it would be a good place for a tourist stop except that the property was a sheer cliff: almost all rock, and nearly 150 feet high. Chinn had the perfect spot and all he needed was a cave. That part wasn’t any problem at all as he knew an explosives expert named “Tunnel” Smith and had him blast a hole at the base of the cliff. The tunnel went straight in about 20 feet and then veered to the left about 100 feet. At the front entrance he built a grill with a snack bar counter on the left and directly across from it was the bar. Chinn designed the bar in a particular way that discouraged people from hanging around it. George wanted customers to buy drinks, but he didn’t want to make a hangout for potential troublemakers. Out in front were tables for people to sit after they’d gotten their food and drink. Through the years there were several modifications, including a pair of columns that were made from the same stone as Chinn’s house.

George: This had to be during the depression. There couldn’t have been the same level of tourist traffic that Bat Cave had in those years, did he make any money?

Buddy: George did very well there. My grandmother made delicious sandwiches for what could be called a “giveaway” price. These were prohibition years; the real money was made from liquor and slot machines.

Last remaining slot machine from Chinn’s Cave House. (George Kontis)

George: Slot machines?

Buddy: He had penny and nickel slots in the back part of the cave. Chinn was doing great until the law caught up with him. He was charged with running “a game of chance” at Chinn’s Cave House. In typical self-assured Chinn fashion, he defended himself and was able to convince the court that “you didn’t have a chance” when you gambled at Chinn’s.

George: It sounds like George has led a charmed life. Did this magic continue?

Original postcard from Chinn’s Cave House. (Author’s collection)

Buddy: Well, no. A life-changing event happened at The Cave House near the end of its operation. George got into an argument with the owner of the business across the road. Somehow it escalated to the point of violence when the neighbor entered the Cave House and shot George in the leg. George was wearing his .38 revolver at the time but he didn’t want this thing to escalate so he didn’t go for his gun. George’s wife, Cotton, however, tried to get Chinn’s gun away from him. It was all George could do to keep his wife away from that revolver. My grandmother was a crack shot and George was certain she would have killed the guy. Accompanied by his wife and daughter, Ann, Chinn went immediately to the hospital to get his wound cared for. My mother Ann, who was quite young at the time, recalled she had never seen so much blood in her life. Chinn got patched up and carried that slug in his leg for the rest of his life.

The Cave House today. (George Kontis)

George: What did Chinn do after the Cave House?

Buddy: George was a pretty tough guy in his youth. His friend “Happy” Chandler described Chinn as, “That tough little river rat from Murdy’s Landing,” and hired him to be his bodyguard during his first term as Governor of Kentucky. Chinn also served as Sergeant-at-arms of the Kentucky legislature. You know, he had a flair for the unusual. Instead of buying a house in Frankfort, he bought an old ferry boat and converted it to a houseboat. George picked up other odd jobs too, like serving as Jack Dempsey’s bodyguard whenever he was in the area. (On the wall is an autographed picture of a young, rugged George Chinn standing with a group of men, one of them is Jack Dempsey. Jack’s inscription thanks him for his service.)

George: With a few exceptions, he seems to have led a charmed life to this point.

Buddy: George always said “I have lived my life in reverse.” He was too young for the First World War and lived a carefree life between the two wars, even though it was during the depression. In the late 1930s when our allies were looking to us to supply them equipment to fight the Germans with, Chinn took a job with the U.S. Government, as an inspector at Frigidaire in Dayton Ohio. He worked in the weapon section where the .50 cal. aircraft machine gun was in production. Through the years, Chinn had become even more interested in guns and collaborated on a book with his cousin, Bayliss Harden. (Buddy points to a framed letter from J. Edgar Hoover thanking George for the book, the Encyclopedia of American Hand Arms, he had received from Chinn.)

George: George was pretty old when the U.S. entered WW II. Did he try to enlist?

Buddy: He did. Prior to the war, a military recruiting train came through Harrodsburg taking applications and collecting résumés, and George submitted his, but he was already 37 years old. He knew he was not likely to be called up, and he wasn’t.

George: So, how did he get into the U.S. Marine Corps?

Buddy: He called in a political favor. His buddy “Happy” Chandler had moved on to become a U.S. Senator. Happy was not at all in favor of Chinn entering the military at his age. Chandler told him: “George, you are too big and too old to get into the military now. You’re going to get somebody hurt.” But Chinn insisted, and with Chandler’s help he enlisted into the Marine Corps, graduating from Aviation Ordnance School in 1943. (Buddy motions me over to a photograph on Chinn’s wall. It’s George’s graduation photograph from Aviation Ordnance School with our star graduate obviously older and substantially heavier than the other grads.) You know, George thought the whole thing about his weight and age was all very funny. Almost monthly, a Navy doctor would notice him on base and order him to come in for a physical exam. You see, any Marine perceived to be out of shape was a reflection on the competency of the Navy medical corps.

George: So it’s World War II, Chinn is an Aviation School graduate. Where is he assigned and what does he do?

Buddy: Most of the time he’s at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, but he was on something akin to a permanent TDY (temporary duty). He traveled around to various military installations checking out problems with guns and seeing if he could help with a solution. Whether it was a tool, a muzzle device, an operation or maintenance issue, or a design change, George was on the spot to help. His work was obviously appreciated as he received a number of commendations and promotions as a result. Chinn had a priority card that let him take flights and bump other people whenever there was a gun problem he was called in to review. Others had cards with higher priority but he told me he used that card for many years and only got bumped once; by the Manhattan Project Oppenheimer’s people.

George: After the War, Chinn is still in the military, and Korea starts up. What does he do then?

Buddy: Again he served as a troubleshooter for field problems. He traveled a lot, solving field problems, developing gages, tools, and helping with designs changes. He was called in to help with an engine flameout problem on the F7U aircraft caused by the ingestion of gun gas. The test pilot was none other than John Glenn. Chinn designed a muzzle device that solved the problem and was ultimately patented. Chinn is remembered in John Glenn’s memoirs for this brilliant and expedient solution. George had befriended John Glenn and baseball great, Ted Williams, as well, as they were both fighter pilots during the Korean War. (Buddy digs through a box of parts and retrieves a sample muzzle brake and shows me a copy of a patent that is framed and hanging on the wall.) It was also during the Korean War years that the Navy Department got George started writing The Machine Gun book series.

Author is presented with autographed Volume 5 by Col. Chinn in 1985.

George: Let’s talk about The Machine Gun book series for a moment. I’ve always wondered how Chinn was able to get so much design information on all of those weapons – especially the foreign ones. It was before the information age and there was no internet to help him.

Buddy: Chinn made extensive use of the U.S. Patent Office. Patents on various guns, components, and feed mechanisms gave him a wealth of information about the theory and the design approach because that’s what patents do. It turns out that foreign patents were filed in the U.S. Patent Office as well so the foreigners could protect their concepts in the U.S. Chinn had a whole team under his direction researching patents. During their research they ran into some patents they believed could affect national security and should have been assigned a security classification, like Top Secret, or at least Secret. Chinn, a Major at the time, reported their findings and was told by his commanding officer: “If what you are saying turns out to not be true, it will be your last day in the Marine Corps.” This had Chinn worried for a while, but he trusted his own judgment and that of his team. Sure enough they were correct and the security leak was plugged.

Flash director that solved flameout problem on John Glenn’s F7U.

George: After he left the USMC what did he do?

Buddy: He was called back into the Marine Corps and went to work at the Naval Ordnance Station in Louisville. Bill Schnatter, Walt Cashen and George made up the design team that was awarded a patent on the Mk19 mechanism. He developed the 20mm/30mm Mk22 canon there too.

George: And after that?

Buddy: In later years, Chinn was like a guru for guns. People would come from all around to check out their designs with Chinn. Even the U.S. Government ran new designs by him to get his opinion on their viability.

George: Did Chinn ever get involved with hand-held small arms?

Buddy: Because of his vast experience, the U.S. Army JSSAP (Joint Service Small Arms Program) tried to get him to work on a new military rifle. Chinn wasn’t real excited about the idea but the JSSAP people kept after him, even sending down representatives from the Navy at Crane and their top gun guy in Washington DC. I guess they figured if the Navy asked, Chinn might work on it. All of his life Chinn had worked on bigger guns and there is a difference between guns fired from hard mounts and guns fired from the shoulder. He finally conceded, going along for a little while to see where it would lead. In considering the new rifle, George decided to use recoil operating cycle rather than a gas drive. George knew that recoil operated weapons didn’t have the guns gas residue and erosion problem and plus you could fool with the operating cycle and maybe even reduce the recoil. For his prototype he started with an old Remington Model 8 recoil operated rifle originally chambered for .35 Remington. First we converted it to fire 7.62mm and made some other modifications. When we had the design completed, we went over to Ft. Knox to demonstrate it. Due to time constraints and our limited manufacturing resources, we decided against converting our sample to fire full auto. Instead, we bought one of those inexpensive BMF activators – you know, one of those hand crank devices that attaches to the trigger guard and pulls the trigger multiple times for every rotation of the crank. We went out to the range and unexpectedly found our friend Bill Schnatter. He was there demonstrating the Mk19 and we were requested to share the range to demonstrate our rifle. We shot it semi-auto for a while and the gun worked perfectly. Then we decided to show the “full auto” capability, even though the rifle only had a five-round magazine. We spun up that BMF and cranked off a 5 round burst. Bill Schnatter looked up from his test site and yelled out: “Looks like the Colonel has done it again.”

Col. Chinn shows off his favorite Browning trophy to FN’s Skip Kitchen.

George: Buddy, as you think back on your grandfather’s long association with machine guns, who did he admire most?

Buddy: Without a doubt, he most admired John M. Browning. He had met members of the Browning family and was presented with a medallion from Val Browning, John’s son. This plaque was one of his most cherished possessions. Chinn was more than dismayed by the lack of progress made in gun design since Browning and was often heard to say: “We ought to dig up John M. Browning and see if he might have left us another gun design in his vest pocket.”

Buddy Howells and George Kontis in 1985.

George: I seem to recall a similar comment he made about German machine guns.

Buddy: Yes, it’s in one of the books in The Machine Gun series where he compared our development programs to the German’s. He said: “True to the German military tradition, they sought to build tomorrow’s weapons today. In contrast, it has always been our custom to build yesterday’s weapons soon.”

George: George M. Chinn is remembered for his wisdom and sage remarks. Can you recall some examples so we can get a better insight into the man?

Buddy: That’s a tall order, but I’ll try. Even though George Chinn was not above calling in a political favor from time to time, he actually had no use for politics. He was incensed when politics affected the gun business and he’d say that it had no business there. Chinn’s success was characterized by a man who had a keen insight into knowing when to quit. Whether it was a business venture, horse racing, drinking whiskey, or pursuing a design approach, knowing when to pull up stakes and move on was a human character trait that served him well through the years – like his decision to give up drinking whiskey. Chinn believed that the proof of any good design was to put it into practice. He was known to remark: “I’ve never had a malfunction on paper.” That being said, he and his co-workers would make every effort to make their designs fool proof, but were always confounded by users who would still find a way to cause a failure or a malfunction. This led to one of his favorite expressions, though not original: “You can make something foolproof, but not damn fool proof.” George Chinn had a lot going for him but he never let it go to his head. He would jokingly say, “I am thought of highly in low places.” Of course, this was much earlier than the country tune with the same theme.

On our way to lunch, Buddy took me past some other buildings with Chinn connections. The old family house is possibly one of the oldest in Harrodsburg and was built from two log cabins that were merged into a single house where parents live. Buddy and his father have been working together restoring the house, room by room, starting with the living room where Chinn and his wife Cotton were married. Around town, construction sites mark the landscape of this historic city. A historic marker, near the war memorial, memorializes George M. Chinn for his contributions to the field of small arms.

Late in the afternoon, Buddy and I drive a winding road that leads to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cave House. As we near the river, the road hugs a sheer cliff on the left that faces a lush riverbank on the right. A chain link fence marks off the grounds and prevents intruders from entering the remains of the cave house. It is evident that the roots from a number of large trees have lost their grip on the thin soil in the cliff above and have come crashing down into the Cave House compound. Buddy and his son have been clearing them out. Even in its present condition the Cave House is impressive. Buddy: (Buddy points to a large storage box at the Cave House entrance.) When Chinn was working on the Mk19 he leased the Cave House to the Navy for a dollar a year. They did their testing inside and stored their ammo in that box at night. George: (Fast moving vehicles slow to rubberneck when they see the two of us – and me with a camera – examining the Cave House.) Do you suppose they’re looking for a sandwich or a little slot action? Buddy: No, I’ll be answering a lot of questions from the locals. Around here, there is a certain mystique about George Chinn and amazing rumors have developed surrounding the Cave House and Chinn’s home. There are people who believe George had machine guns mounted on his roof and other outrageous things.

As the sun sets over the Cave House, I feel a bit guilty of taking up so much of Buddy’s day. I thank him for sharing his insight into the life of a man we have long admired.

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V14N2 (November 2010)

Author

  • SAR Staff
    SAR Staff

    View all posts

Tags: 2010Buddy HowellsGeorge E. Kontis PEGeorge M. ChinnThe InterviewV14N2
Previous Post

THE WINCHESTER .50 CAL. SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE

Next Post

SHOT SHOW LAS VEGAS 2010

Next Post
SHOT SHOW LAS VEGAS 2010

SHOT SHOW LAS VEGAS 2010

TRENDING STORIES

  • U.S. NAVY MK18 MOD O CUSTOM CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT WEAPON FOR THE SEAFARING SERVICE

    U.S. NAVY MK18 MOD O CUSTOM CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT WEAPON FOR THE SEAFARING SERVICE

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Recreational Use Of 40MM Grenade Launchers

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Customizing the Already Custom SIG P320 Spectre Comp

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Col. Rex Applegate: The Knife Designs of a Close-Combat Legend

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Evolution of the U.S. Grenade Launcher From World War II to Today’s Conflicts

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
U.S. NAVY MK18 MOD O CUSTOM CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT WEAPON FOR THE SEAFARING SERVICE

U.S. NAVY MK18 MOD O CUSTOM CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT WEAPON FOR THE SEAFARING SERVICE

Recreational Use Of 40MM Grenade Launchers

Recreational Use Of 40MM Grenade Launchers

SIG Spectre Comp with AXG Grip Module

Customizing the Already Custom SIG P320 Spectre Comp

Col. Rex Applegate: The Knife Designs of a Close-Combat Legend

Col. Rex Applegate: The Knife Designs of a Close-Combat Legend

New Review: V19N1

New Review: V23N3

SAR|Special

SAR|Special

The Grand Power Q100

The Grand Power Q100

A Fading Star: The star S135 Submachine Gun, That is

A Fading Star: The star S135 Submachine Gun, That is

The Iron Door: Soviet Russian Weapons Designers Stop the Germans in Their Tracks

The Iron Door: Soviet Russian Weapons Designers Stop the Germans in Their Tracks

The American FN FAL Rifle: In Search of the Perfect Lightweight Rifle

The American FN FAL Rifle: In Search of the Perfect Lightweight Rifle

Ahead of Its Time: British Fosbery Pump-Action Shotgun with “Stoner” Bolt

Ahead of Its Time: British Fosbery Pump-Action Shotgun with “Stoner” Bolt

The Big Bang! : Great American Fun at the 2018 Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot in Wikieup, AZ

The Big Bang! : Great American Fun at the 2018 Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot in Wikieup, AZ

QUICK LINKS

  • About Chipotle Publishing
  • About Small Arms Review
  • Advertise with Us
  • Write for Us

CONTACT DETAILS

  • Phone: +1 (702) 565-0746
  • E-mail: office@smallarmsreview.com
  • Web: www.chipotlepublishing.com
  • Chipotle Publishing, LLC 631 N. Stephanie St., No. 282, Henderson, NV 89014
Small Arms Review

FOLLOW US

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

© 2022 Chipotle Publishing | All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Guns & Parts
    • Suppressors
    • Optics & Thermals
    • Ammunition
    • Gear
    • News & Opinion
    • Columns
    • Museums & Factory Tours
    • ID Guides
    • Interviews
    • Event Coverage
    • Articles by Issue
      • Volume 1
      • Volume 2
      • Volume 3
      • Volume 4
      • Volume 5
      • Volume 6
      • Volume 7
      • Volume 8
      • Volume 9
      • Volume 10
      • Volume 11
      • Volume 12
      • Volume 13
      • Volume 14
      • Volume 15
      • Volume 16
      • Volume 17
      • Volume 18
      • Volume 19
      • Volume 20
      • Volume 21
      • Volume 22
      • Volume 23
      • Volume 24
  • The Archive
    • Search The Archive
  • Store
    • Books
    • Back Issues
    • Merchandise
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • FrankenGun Challenge
  • About
    • About Small Arms Review
    • About Chipotle Publishing
    • Contact Us
    • Other Publications
      • Small Arms Defense Journal

© 2022 Chipotle Publishing | All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

Are you in the know?
Stay up to date with the latest articles.

Facebook-f Linkedin Instagram

Redirecting to External Website

You are leaving the Small Arms Review website and will be redirected to an external link in a 5 Seconds.
VISIT NOW!