In Memoriam: Mack Gwinn, Jr.

Captain Mack W. Gwinn, Jr., U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and founder of Gwinn Arms, which later became Bushmaster Firearms, passed away on March 11, 2024. He was 79.

Born in Quincy, Fla., to a military family, Gwinn spent part of his childhood in Bangor, Maine, where he would later return to base his firearm company. In 1961, Gwinn joined the U.S. Army Special Forces and served until 1972, completing seven deployments to Vietnam. During his service, he was awarded four Purple Hearts and the Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star.

Following his military service, Gwinn acquired the design rights to the Colt IMP-221, a compact firearm built for a then-defunct Air Force program intended to create an aircrew-survival weapon. Gwinn took the design and developed it into what later became known as the Bushmaster Arm Pistol. Gwinn ultimately took out nine patents for firearm design, including the M2HB .50-cal. Quick Change Barrel, MWG 90-round drum magazine and the modular Hydra carbine.

Gwinn is survived by Crystal, his wife of 59 years, four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.