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They could never get past 1/9 twist rates. They developed several oddball chamberings for AR-15's that simply drew too many customers. Their barrels were very accurate and considered some of the best on the market back in the 1980's and 1990's. They never would go with faster twist barrels despite the fact that everyone encouraged them to do so.
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I saved their serial number reference page as a pdf and uploaded it to mediafire.com. You can download it here:
Olympic Arms Serial Numbers Once on that page click the DOWNLOAD button. |
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Olympic Arms seems to have been very much a part of the reason why cheap, Chicom, steel-core 7.62x39 ammo got prohibited from being imported into the US.
OLY and Chicom Ammo |
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Olympic folded because they refused to listen to what the large market customers wanted and they dumped endless amounts of money into R&D pet projects that appeal to very small markets. They refused to offer the basic demands i.e. mil spec parts, chrome lined 7 twist 4150 CMV steel barrels, and mid length gas systems to name a few.
They offered 8 twist barrels in the SUM line and special runs with their buttoned barrels, but they often ridiculed people and other companies for owning/offering chrome lined barrels with faster twist rates, with an attitude of "we know better, those guys are stupid." Stupid or not, that is what the market wanted. Good riddance, Oly. |
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back in the very early 80s it was colt or sgw. and for lowers-alone and some parts, it was sgw only. i built a lot of them. somewhere around '82-83, my buddy bill (in baker oregon) and i got tired of high-handle-mounted scopes, so we cut the carry handle off of one, screwed/expoxied a long weaver "gunsmith" rail to it, cut a few slots where needed, added a set of weaver see-thru rings, and were off to the races (bill still has it in his closet). we then showed it to robert up in oly WA and asked if he could make us a couple more. he liked the idea so made us a few and then started to offer them to the general public. for his version he changed our design slightly. we argued that his use of two shorter weaver rails wasn't as stable as our more-expensive single-rail, but he wanted to offer it as inexpensively as possible (IRCC, weaver rails ran about a buck each at the time, retail). so to make his two rail system stronger, he machined "ears" up out of the handle that came up thru holes he cut in his rails and were then cross pinned. kinda fugly but they did work. apparently other folks liked the concept of our flattop. they improved the design, added cuts the entire rail length, and had the whole things forged as a single piece. and here we are today... View Quote I feel like that prototype should be in a museum somewhere. |
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If I'm not mistaken they also got a govt contract to supply training rifles to the USAF View Quote Correct, NON-FUNCTIONING M-16A2 rifles that are classified as Non-Guns. You could purchase a fake M-16A2 from them for $575.00 Here is a link to a 4 page thread on their fake M-16's LINK |
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In a way I'm sad to see them go. But they never improved their QA/QC, their barrels were always tack drivers but their other AR parts left a LOT to be desired. For those of you who don't know, they were the FIRST to offer aftermarket (other than Colt) lowers. They initially produced billet lowers under contract for B&H Service (Old Sarge), they later began selling forged lowers. View Quote I hear you, Pursuit, on that piece of history. They were in front of the game with those first lowers, then QA/QC was not upgraded to match. The SUM I still have, 1994 manufacture, is the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. Consistent .5 MOA +/- with the right handloads (Speer 52 gr BTHP). Unbelievable. I have no idea if their current barrels will do that. RIP Oly Arms! And Thank You for your contribution to AR development. |
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Damn I looked on there page for a hat and all are out of stock. If someone would part with one please PM me.
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You're new.... Nope, before when Obama was in and Hillary was a possible... everybody was buying parts as fast as possible. Lowers, etc. Trying to buy and build as many cheap rifles or acquire cheap parts as possible lead to a dip in innovation. Less war money didn't help either. And that the mil squared most everything away by 2010 for small arms. The only innovation has been with free floated handguards. Lightest, coolest looking, and new QD mounting styles. Lol. Spending $300 for a handguard and then $60 for an upper, $80 for a BCG or $150 for a nickel BCG for style, then a $100 barrel. This is what builds/buys have been looking like. I hate it. So now with Trump in, I think we'll see the little or crap quality ones die off. Big manufacturers have cheap rifles down, thanks to the crap quality companies. As for Oly, just one of the crap ones to go. Everyone knows that they make good barrels, crap guns. I'd bet they let a 'diverse' work force turn them into a committee style company. Can't think of why else they would be so slow to adapt. View Quote Hey Cav, good to hear from you. I have a different perspective from a different position. Oly Arms has been on my radar since the early 90s. My take is that it is not a committee type process but rather a very closely held family company with no new blood, or interest or money for innovation. No reason to change so why change? Same net outcome. I will miss them. I appreciate what they offered when it was either Colt or nothing. I have one of the first flattops they offered when pony boys were not selling to civilians because of the at the time concerns about being portrayed as anti .gov regulations. Colt folded to .gov which is where their bread was buttered, I understand that. But Oly Arms would sell to civilians. Fast forward to now and they have not kept up with overall industry trends, or developed their own brand with a boutique appeal, or gone retro, or anything else to distinguish themselves in this current market. I attribute that to a mom and pop approach that has run its course, and now it's time to close the tent. I appreciate that. Prediction is that we will see at least 2 or 3 Oly Arms Journeymen start their own shops and, perhaps, make an impact. RIP |
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Kinda sad...I've had old & new OLY stuff & never had any issues. As stated previously they were one of the first decent companies to get stuff from Sucks when you see this, but the market is so big now & they are way up in the NW. I'm considering a purchase or 2 just for the sake of it. God Bless the folks whom this will really effect! View Quote Way up in the NW? What about Rainer Arms, Aero Precision, and MEGA I see them mentioned all the time on here. |
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They could never get past 1/9 twist rates. They developed several oddball chamberings for AR-15's that simply drew too many customers. Their barrels were very accurate and considered some of the best on the market back in the 1980's and 1990's. They never would go with faster twist barrels despite the fact that everyone encouraged them to do so. View Quote The 1/9 twist was the reason I bought their K8 Target Match w/20" Bull Barrel. Accurate even with xm193 ball. Never any malfunctions. |
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1/9 twist was and still is a great option for most civilian shooters. Olympic also put a postban product on the market as soon as the industry realized "postban" ARs were actually possible. They couldn't keep up with what consumers wanted, but they were there for the community during the dark days of the AWB.
The closings/consolidation will continue. |
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Olympic folded because they refused to listen to what the large market customers wanted and they dumped endless amounts of money into R&D pet projects that appeal to very small markets. They refused to offer the basic demands i.e. mil spec parts, chrome lined 7 twist 4150 CMV steel barrels, and mid length gas systems to name a few. They offered 8 twist barrels in the SUM line and special runs with their buttoned barrels, but they often ridiculed people and other companies for owning/offering chrome lined barrels with faster twist rates, with an attitude of "we know better, those guys are stupid." Stupid or not, that is what the market wanted. Good riddance, Oly. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Olympic folded because they refused to listen to what the large market customers wanted and they dumped endless amounts of money into R&D pet projects that appeal to very small markets. They refused to offer the basic demands i.e. mil spec parts, chrome lined 7 twist 4150 CMV steel barrels, and mid length gas systems to name a few. They offered 8 twist barrels in the SUM line and special runs with their buttoned barrels, but they often ridiculed people and other companies for owning/offering chrome lined barrels with faster twist rates, with an attitude of "we know better, those guys are stupid." Stupid or not, that is what the market wanted. Good riddance, Oly. Quoted:
Hey Cav, good to hear from you. I have a different perspective from a different position. Oly Arms has been on my radar since the early 90s. My take is that it is not a committee type process but rather a very closely held family company with no new blood, or interest or money for innovation. No reason to change so why change? Same net outcome. As I read thru this thread that is kind of what I suspected too. I have worked for enough smaller companies to know how the "this is always how we have done it, this is always how we are going to do it and you if you don't like it there is the door" speech goes. |
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Have a 9mm upper, any parts I should grab before they're gone?
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My prediction is that we will see numerous companies that primarily manufacture/assemble AR15's go out of business in the near future. The market is beyond "soft".
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Been trying to call them for 2 days. Keep getting a recording 'You are calling outside of business hours'. Even while calling during the day. I guess they are done. Too bad, I like their lefty-reversable FCG. Part # AR82L I wish they had inventory !!!!! View Quote I was able to get through yesterday around 10:00 am PST. |
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I am surprised they stayed in business this long considering some of the crap they have sold over the years.
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I had one of their PCR 9MM carbines.
It had occasional feeding issues but then again it used Sten mags. Wish I had hung on to it. One of two guns I regret selling. |
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The one thing I regret not buying from them..,.
YEARS AGO they offered a 9mm conversion that used Sterling magazines |
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My first AR in the early '90s was an Oly clone of the XM-177.
It initially had nothing but problems: buttstock coming loose, bolt catch snapped off, bad ejector, FCG that let the rifle go randomly full auto, etc. However, once these faults were resolved, this little rifle ran.. and ran.. and ran.. and continued to run. Thousands upon thousands of rounds fired. I ended up selling this rifle to a friend who had the hots for it far more than I. This was about 15 to 16 years or so ago. Last I heard from him, ( several years ago ) he still had that same rifle and continued to run the shit out of it without issue. The only other Oly product I've purchased is one of their extended Hi Power barrels in .357 SIG. I'm looking forward to eventually trying it out in my .40 Hi Power. Being a born and raised Washingtonian, I am a little bummed that they're closing down. |
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FWIW, Olympic Arms told me via Facebook:
"Our current ownership group is out as of Feb. 28, but there are interested parties to keep it up and running. Keep an eye on Social Media for announcements." |
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I ordered a few spring ejectors and one ejector kit. I was contemplating ordering a bolt as well, but I figure if that goes tits up, I'm just going to dump the whole thing and go to a Colt system. View Quote Add an extractor or three to the list, I've broken more of them than ejectors. Spare bolt might be wise, I think the carrier itself will hold up fine. I have a 24" SUM barrel that is awesome and a 10/22 barrel that shoots great as well. Yup Ima miss 'em. |
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I can't imagine who would want an Oly now.
You get no factory support, no warranty, etc. |
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Quoted: http://www.olyarms.com/
ETA I fixed your spelling.......... View Quote God bless you, sir. It's been bugging more than there closing down. |
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The loss of their bolts for larger head cases have hurt the wildcatting of several calibers for the AR15.
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Sad? About time, lots of folks screwed out of their hard earned money for junk oly tried to pass of as an AR. Good riddance.
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FWIW, Olympic Arms told me via Facebook: "Our current ownership group is out as of Feb. 28, but there are interested parties to keep it up and running. Keep an eye on Social Media for announcements." View Quote I can't figure out why anybody buys a shitty name? Like kahr bouht auto ordnance. Auto ordnance had an absolutely terrible reputation. Seems like anybody could do better just starting from scratch. |
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Quoted: I can't figure out why anybody buys a shitty name? Like kahr bouht auto ordnance. Auto ordnance had an absolutely terrible reputation. Seems like anybody could do better just starting from scratch. View Quote Auto Ordnance had the Tommy Gun. Olympic has the Whitney Wolverine, the .22"-250 AR, .40" & 10mm ARs, and an ersatz Colt LE901. I'd say Auto Ordnance was the better deal. |
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Olympic Arms seems to have been very much a part of the reason why cheap, Chicom, steel-core 7.62x39 ammo got prohibited from being imported into the US. OLY and Chicom Ammo View Quote This right here. |
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This right here. View Quote To be honest, Olympic Arms blunder with that pistol may have only delayed the inevitable because the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless. In theory they could have done it before Olympics Pistol because there already was an AK based pistol out by MARS International before Olympic's one came out. |
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To be honest, Olympic Arms blunder with that pistol may have only delayed the inevitable because the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless. In theory they could have done it before Olympics Pistol because there already was an AK based pistol out by MARS International before Olympic's one came out. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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This right here. To be honest, Olympic Arms blunder with that pistol may have only delayed the inevitable because the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless. In theory they could have done it before Olympics Pistol because there already was an AK based pistol out by MARS International before Olympic's one came out. Even if true, the author of the article cited by myself above seems to feel that OLY precipitated the ban by deliberately proceeding in a foolish and some might say, negligent manner. Please re-read the article, and you will see what I mean. Regardless of other prototypes or alleged similar guns for sale (apparently none were actually sold), it remains a fact that the ban was precipitated by OLY having samples on view at SHOT Show, and also stating that they were ready for sale in a contemporary issue of Shotgun News. |
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I would like to see the documentation for your statement that "the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless". Even if true, the author of the article cited by myself above seems to feel that OLY precipitated the ban by deliberately proceeding in a foolish and some might say, negligent manner. Please re-read the article, and you will see what I mean. Regardless of other prototypes or alleged similar guns for sale (apparently none were actually sold), it remains a fact that the ban was precipitated by OLY having samples on view at SHOT Show, and also stating that they were ready for sale in a contemporary issue of Shotgun News. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
I would like to see the documentation for your statement that "the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless". Even if true, the author of the article cited by myself above seems to feel that OLY precipitated the ban by deliberately proceeding in a foolish and some might say, negligent manner. Please re-read the article, and you will see what I mean. Regardless of other prototypes or alleged similar guns for sale (apparently none were actually sold), it remains a fact that the ban was precipitated by OLY having samples on view at SHOT Show, and also stating that they were ready for sale in a contemporary issue of Shotgun News. Sure, let me check my records vault on that documentation for you............................ You missed the point, while Olympic rightly gets credit for the ban, the ATF had reason to move on it sooner because of the MARS International AK pistols out in the market before Olympic. http://www.thegunzone.com/bwest.html What remains unanswered today, as it did in March of 1994 when the Chief of ATF's Firearms and Explosives Division Terry L. Cates was pointedly questioned about it, is why Olympic Arms' OA-93 triggered his memo recommending the proscription of any further importation of steel core 7.62 X 39mm ammunition, when there had already been the B-West/Mars handguns in that chambering. |
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Sure, let me check my records vault on that documentation for you............................ You missed the point, while Olympic rightly gets credit for the ban, the ATF had reason to move on it sooner because of the MARS International AK pistols out in the market before Olympic. http://www.thegunzone.com/bwest.html View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I would like to see the documentation for your statement that "the ATF was gunning to ban the Chinese Steel core regardless". Even if true, the author of the article cited by myself above seems to feel that OLY precipitated the ban by deliberately proceeding in a foolish and some might say, negligent manner. Please re-read the article, and you will see what I mean. Regardless of other prototypes or alleged similar guns for sale (apparently none were actually sold), it remains a fact that the ban was precipitated by OLY having samples on view at SHOT Show, and also stating that they were ready for sale in a contemporary issue of Shotgun News. Sure, let me check my records vault on that documentation for you............................ You missed the point, while Olympic rightly gets credit for the ban, the ATF had reason to move on it sooner because of the MARS International AK pistols out in the market before Olympic. http://www.thegunzone.com/bwest.html What remains unanswered today, as it did in March of 1994 when the Chief of ATF's Firearms and Explosives Division Terry L. Cates was pointedly questioned about it, is why Olympic Arms' OA-93 triggered his memo recommending the proscription of any further importation of steel core 7.62 X 39mm ammunition, when there had already been the B-West/Mars handguns in that chambering. |
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Wonder how their blowback 45ACP uppers will fair after they are gone, as in price , guess we will see soon enough.
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Wonder how their blowback 45ACP uppers will fair after they are gone, as in price , guess we will see soon enough. View Quote OTOH, if OLY goes out of business in such a way that OLY owes a lot of money to other parties, then it goes to the courts for resolution, and where the patents wind up is subject to negotiation, and court approval. If there are any really great ideas that OLY patented, then the rights to mfr the item(s) will presumably be available for production under license. I haven't heard much from OLY in recent years, and their period of innovation was a long time ago. Might be that their patents on some or all of their items have expired at this point. 1993 + 20 = 2013. I don't know if OLY has patents on anything they've mfr'd. Time will tell if any of the OLY-mfr'd items are worth continued mfr, whether they were patented or not. Once OLY's (possible) patents have expired, then the road is wide open for any other mfr to take the original item, modify it as the new mfr sees fit, and produce it as an entirely new item. Or make the same old thing, if no improvements seem possible. NOTE: I'm not a lawyer, but the above is the result of my experience. |
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If OLY truly goes out of business--as opposed to being bought-out and under new management (a possibility, apparently)-- they can always sell licenses to mfr any of their patented products. IOW, OLY retains the Patent (and rights), and can license others to mfr the item(s)--or not, if the price isn't right. After the patent expires (14-20 years in the US), then anyone can mfr the item. OLY can also sell the rights to the patent itself, and then the new owner of the Patent can either make the item themselves, license the patent to a mfr or another party, or do nothing at all. OTOH, if OLY goes out of business in such a way that OLY owes a lot of money to other parties, then it goes to the courts for resolution, and where the patents wind up is subject to negotiation, and court approval. If there are any really great ideas that OLY patented, then the rights to mfr the item(s) will presumably be available for production under license. I haven't heard much from OLY in recent years, and their period of innovation was a long time ago. Might be that their patents on some or all of their items have expired at this point. 1993 + 20 = 2013. I don't know if OLY has patents on anything they've mfr'd. Time will tell if any of the OLY-mfr'd items are worth continued mfr, whether they were patented or not. Once OLY's (possible) patents have expired, then the road is wide open for any other mfr to take the original item, modify it as the new mfr sees fit, and produce it as an entirely new item. Or make the same old thing, if no improvements seem possible. NOTE: I'm not a lawyer, but the above is the result of my experience.Probably View Quote |
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I made several large sets of Barrel wrenches for them back in the early 90's .I used to live in Tacoma WA .WD
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I don't own anything from Olympic, but I'm sad to see one of the big names fold. I hope it's not permanent, and that someone buys them out. There's so much potential in the product lines Olympic owns, not just barrels.
Part of the hate was earned. Oly was always slow to respond to customer problems. They'd replace parts, but they wouldn't seem to "change" for a long time, and folks would get parts that were still "off" a bit for quite some time... I have no idea what kept them from being as responsive as Rock River or other companies, but it definitely "stuck" with the hobby and competition crowds. On the other hand, we're a pretty stubborn group, and a lot of the AR crowd is "once burned, always hating." You can see it in a lot of areas, not just with Olympic Arms. Several big names have had issues here and there, and you'll still find folks who refuse to even consider buying from them "because back in '97 they hosed me over on...". Gun counter commandos also keep this stuff going, programming new shooters with old, out of date "problems" that were corrected quickly. For some folks in the AR community, correcting things as soon as the manufacturer hears of the issues isn't nearly fast enough. |
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The hate was earned if you've been around the AR game long enough you know what I mean...I have to admit owning an Oly 9mm plug -n-play upper that ran like a top. Oly had the reputation of being a garage "shade tree" type operation that didn't address QC and out of spec issues that began to pile up. The market began to offer too many other competitors at their specific price point for consumers to tolerate their issues or risk getting an Oly lemon. The AR HEY DAY is past and they won't be the 1st to shutter their operations.
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My first AR was a stop-sign SGW CAR A2, best I could afford in the early 80's. Never let me down, went bang every time I pulled the trigger. in the mid 1990's I put a flat top on it, YHM handguard, ran an aimpoint, took courses with it, and again, it never failed me. Because it was a Pre-Ban gun it was in demand in certain states, so I sold it on instinct to fund another build (to be honest, it had become a safe queen, I had moved on to better and more expensive guns), but I'll admit I don't really miss it. That said, Oly has been around for along time and it's a shame to see an old school company go out of business.
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I've been keeping an eye out to see if they were going to run a sale. I've yet to see any sign of that on the website. Anyone called?
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