View Full Version : Olympic Arms closing doors
Looks like they're done. With PSA and all these other budget AR companies booming, it isn't a surprise.
From their Facebook page:
------
After more than 40 years of business, it is with great sorrow that we announce that February 28th, 2017 will be the last day of operation for Olympic Arms, Inc.
The Schuetz family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all their friends, associates, and partners that have been a part of the Olympic Arms experience. Most of all we would like to thank our loyal customers and patrons who have been with us all this time.
In the course of closing, we are announcing the following changes in policy effective immediately:
All sales are final.
No refunds or returns will be accepted after 1-25-2017.
On-line Shopping Cart will be active and effective while supplies last.
All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned.
New orders will only be taken for inventory currently in stock, or that can be built from remaining inventory.
All inventory will be liquidated.
ALL SALES will cease at close of business 28 February, 2017
Thank you for your patronage.
I am not really surprised at this. Even in the market of budget makers they were pretty bad.
"All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned"
I don't think so. As long as they have assets and someone has a warranty they are responsible for honoring it.
Maaan.....I didn't know they were still around.
I knew a guy with an SGW CAR-15 in the day. It worked I guess.
Their guns were kinda lame but they had a wild ride. I still want that OA98 pistol just so I can keep it with face grease and an ERDL jacket should I need to get muh John Clark on
Great, just great, now I'll be dealing with guys trying to sell or trade me their rare and now Collectible oly AR which is the same model Delta used to kill Bin Laden for my BCM. Great.
On the plus side I need to go collect $20, I said crappy companies wouldn't be able to make it with Trump elected.
Great, just great, now I'll be dealing with guys trying to sell or trade me their rare and now Collectible oly AR which is the same model Delta used to kill Bin Laden for my BCM. Great.
On the plus side I need to go collect $20, I said crappy companies wouldn't be able to make it with Trump elected.
Dude, I haven't seen an Oly since like 2000
Dude, I haven't seen an Oly since like 2000
I've seen them pop up here and there locally. Yes new, last I marked seeing new ones in my mind was in stores and at shows in Late 14. Now where near the numbers of Bushy, Whinham, and a shit load of others, but I have seen Oly rifles in stores. But even the fudds, most at least, say they are junk. Not for the reasons most here will, but still.
Did Oly ever produce non-crap pieces during their early years? Just curious...seems like 40 years is a long time to stay afloat producing garbage.
No tears from me. I had one that I sold back in 2003. The mag well was weird and would only take some magazines. I called them and they said if it took ANY magazine then I should just stick with THAT one...... WTF?
Did Oly ever produce non-crap pieces during their early years? Just curious...seems like 40 years is a long time to stay afloat producing garbage.
I was just wondering the same thing. 40 years? I've never heard anything good about them from anyone who has an opinion that I respect.
I've seen them pop up here and there locally. Yes new, last I marked seeing new ones in my mind was in stores and at shows in Late 14. Now where near the numbers of Bushy, Whinham, and a shit load of others, but I have seen Oly rifles in stores. But even the fudds, most at least, say they are junk. Not for the reasons most here will, but still.
Must be a regional thing.
Also didn't they use cast receivers for a while?
FlyingHunter
01-25-17, 19:30
I had one back in the day and the AR upper and lower fit was so loose...like Madonna.
"All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned"
I don't think so. As long as they have assets and someone has a warranty they are responsible for honoring it.
I didn't know this dog shit operation was still even around. These ass wipes regularly did NOT honor their "warranty" on the garbage they made.
I HOPE LWRCI is next on the bottom feeder doom list!!
Must be a regional thing.
Also didn't they use cast receivers for a while?
Honest. Could be that. Have seen a few things that you see more of in some areas. But was down in your AO for a while, and did remembering seeing a couple of their pussy boxes at gun shows in the Metro Altanta area. But again, they were a lot fewer than most other brands. And honestly I gave it barely a passing glance. Either way I am not really sad to see them go.
As far as the cast receivers, I have heard that, I am not knowledgeable enough to say one way or the other though. But, that was also one of the reasons I had heard gunstore fudds trash them in favor of a bushy.
FromMyColdDeadHand
01-25-17, 20:09
No tears from me. I had one that I sold back in 2003. The mag well was weird and would only take some magazines. I called them and they said if it took ANY magazine then I should just stick with THAT one...... WTF?
Nothing a file couldn't fix. My first AR back in the 90s. Upper kit and a stripped lower.
Swallow your drink before continuing. I sent my Oly 20 inch upper to Compass Lake for them to put free float tube on it. Surprised they didn't send a note back saying "No.". Considering it was an Oly upper and I used 55 FMJ ammo, it actually worked pretty well for High-Power Rifle Matches. I did put a Jewel Trigger in it. What a Dog's Breakfast that rifle was.
It was the 90s. Thread bare 20rounders, feed lips as skinny as Orange County Wife's revitalized V-J-J.
IIRC, Oly was big into alternative cartridges all the ?SSMs and such.
SeriousStudent
01-25-17, 20:11
Must be a regional thing.
Also didn't they use cast receivers for a while?
Yes, they did.
Must be a regional thing.
Also didn't they use cast receivers for a while?
I have one. First purchase oh so long ago. I keep it as a reminder that you get what you pay for.
Mine is still intact, but the cast receivers would fail at the takedown pins, and at the receiver extension threads.
Nothing a file couldn't fix. My first AR back in the 90s. Upper kit and a stripped lower.
Swallow your drink before continuing. I sent my Oly 20 inch upper to Compass Lake for them to put free float tube on it. Surprised they didn't send a note back saying "No.". Considering it was an Oly upper and I used 55 FMJ ammo, it actually worked pretty well for High-Power Rifle Matches. I did put a Jewel Trigger in it. What a Dog's Breakfast that rifle was.
It was the 90s. Thread bare 20rounders, feed lips as skinny as Orange County Wife's revitalized V-J-J.
IIRC, Oly was big into alternative cartridges all the ?SSMs and such.
WOW.... Thanks for the warning.. ;) I can't believe they did just call you up and laugh at you. :jester:
I know what you mean. My Oly was a PreBan... that is the ONLY reason that I kept it. I sold it to some poor Bastard in occupied territory and told him up front about the issues. I thought that I was doing a great thing back then when I ditched the Oly upper and get a new RRA one.....worst part is that it was a huge improvement.
I purchased an Olympics Arms carbine in 1989 and sold it the following year. It was reliable, but accuracy was terrible. It fired patterns, not groups, at 100 yards and generally fired in the same zip code at 200 yards.
This is just a cover up... they can't product for civilians and the delta-seals. Too much demand.
Say what you will about Olympic Arms/SGW, they registered a ton of transferable M16s. I am very thankful for their foresight in doing so.
Doc Safari
01-25-17, 23:21
No tears from me. I had one that I sold back in 2003. The mag well was weird and would only take some magazines. I called them and they said if it took ANY magazine then I should just stick with THAT one...... WTF?
LOL! "As long as it takes one magazine, sir, it should be good to go!" :sarcastic:
I remember back in the day the people with Bushmasters looked down on the people with Olympics and felt sorry for them.
THAT is what you call "sad."
GOOD. RIDDANCE.
I have a buddy who is a Thurston Co. WA Sheriff's Deputy. His issued rifle is an Olympic Arms. I offered to buy him a Colt or DD when I found that out.
Per their own Facebook page yesterday they were accepting new applications to be part of their dealer network. I wonder what happened within 24 hours to make them close up shop.
Per their own Facebook page yesterday they were accepting new applications to be part of their dealer network. I wonder what happened within 24 hours to make them close up shop.
Been there done that.
"Hey Kevin we are looking to hire another Sales person. Put together an Ad and get it ready to post. Also don"t forget the VP is coming in tomorrow for a meeting."
Next day VP cut half the office.
Moose-Knuckle
01-26-17, 03:43
Say what you will about Olympic Arms/SGW, they registered a ton of transferable M16s. I am very thankful for their foresight in doing so.
Were they not the same ones who first put out an AR pistol that led to AP ammo ban?
Combat_Diver
01-26-17, 06:56
Sad to see one of the long time AR and 1911 pistol builders shutting down and loss of jobs. They've tried to innoviate but I guess their products just weren't up to par. My first & third AR was built using a older SGW/Stop Sign lower of theirs (Schuetz Gun Works/logo was a stop sign/87',04') Those lowers won't take plastic mags (early thermolds/Pmags) ok as I had enough USGI mags. My only 1:9 bbl came from them back in 04' tack driver on ammo it liked. Could never get over their metal finger rests on their 1911s however.
CD
Bought one of their retro Whitney Wolverine .22 pistols about ten years ago. A complete POS; on its best day it couldn't get through one mag with any ammo. In place of any meaningful warranty all I got was attitude. Unloaded it for half what I paid for it and lucky to get that.
Singlestack Wonder
01-26-17, 10:51
At least we won't see new, "I just purchased an olympic arms ar and it has issues" posts...
LowSpeed_HighDrag
01-26-17, 10:55
I had an Airsoft M16 10-15 years ago with an Oly roll mark on the lower. That's the only time I've ever seen that logo in the wild.
Were they not the same ones who first put out an AR pistol that led to AP ammo ban?
Yep - that was the OA-89.
It was legal wording/technicality issue. Because 5.56 steel-core ammo is made to defeat armor, the fact that this was now in a pistol meant that it fired armor piercing handgun ammo. And that put surplus 5.56 steel-core on the ban list.
See how that circle goes round and round?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned"
I don't think so. As long as they have assets and someone has a warranty they are responsible for honoring it.
When I was getting into ARs I had the local idiot gun store owner try to sell me an Oly, he swore by them. His sales line "It has a lifetime warranty, you don't need an expensive Colt or Armalite. Oly will fix anything that breaks."
Lol, this fool only owned Oly himself.
http://www.olyarms.com/
"After more than 40 years of business, it is with great sorrow that we announce that February 28th, 2017 will be the last day of operation for Olympic Arms, Inc.
The Schuetz family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all their friends, associates, and partners that have been a part of the Olympic Arms experience. Most of all we would like to thank our loyal customers and patrons who have been with us all this time.
In the course of closing, we are announcing the following changes in policy effective immediately:
1.All sales are final.
2.No refunds or returns will be accepted after 1-25-2017.
3.On-line Shopping Cart will be active and effective while supplies last.
4.All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned.
5.New orders will only be taken for inventory currently in stock, or that can be built from remaining inventory.
6.All inventory will be liquidated.
7.ALL SALES will cease at close of business 28 February, 2017
Thank you for your patronage."
I hate it that folks are losing their jobs, but they brought it on themselves.
A little late to the party.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?193143-Olympic-Arms-closing-doors
Oh man, I assumed that it would be in the AR general discussion.
I purchased an Olympics Arms carbine in 1989 and sold it the following year. It was reliable, but accuracy was terrible. It fired patterns, not groups, at 100 yards and generally fired in the same zip code at 200 yards.
An Oly HBAR work rifle was the most accurate stock AR I've ever fired across the course. Not meaning that I've fired every one made.
RobertTheTexan
01-26-17, 15:13
Great, just great, now I'll be dealing with guys trying to sell or trade me their rare and now Collectible oly AR which is the same model Delta used to kill Bin Laden for my BCM. Great.
On the plus side I need to go collect $20, I said crappy companies wouldn't be able to make it with Trump elected.
LOL. If we ever decide to have a standup comedy show I'm totally voting for you emcee it. Your sarcasm is one finely tuned machine of hilariousness. And stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
RobertTheTexan
01-26-17, 15:15
I purchased an Olympics Arms carbine in 1989 and sold it the following year. It was reliable, but accuracy was terrible. It fired patterns, not groups, at 100 yards and generally fired in the same zip code at 200 yards.
Wonders if that was marketed as a feature....hmmm...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Doc Safari
01-26-17, 15:15
Oly was one of the first AR brands I was ever warned to steer clear of.
A friend of mine told me he accidentally dropped the hammer with the receivers open on his Oly and it broke the bold catch in two.
Unless I'm mistaken that wouldn't happen unless the part was made from inferior materials and/or processes. Never heard of that happening with a Colt.
That they stayed in business this long is actually kind of surprising.
RobertTheTexan
01-26-17, 15:18
I talked to a guy who had been there for 22 years... How do you do that for 22 years?
"I have become a master of mediocrity."
If that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
SomeOtherGuy
01-26-17, 15:23
At least we won't see new, "I just purchased an olympic arms ar and it has issues" posts...
You're way too optimistic. With the current glut it will take years for every last "new" OA rifle to get sold from gun shops. Yes, many of them will be sold as "collectibles". Actually I'm eagerly watching email to see what the various Texas liquidators will be doing...
I have a buddy who is a Thurston Co. WA Sheriff's Deputy. His issued rifle is an Olympic Arms. I offered to buy him a Colt or DD when I found that out.
Per their own Facebook page yesterday they were accepting new applications to be part of their dealer network. I wonder what happened within 24 hours to make them close up shop.
Liquidity issues I'd imagine. Banks calling in loans or similar. Business credit is harsh.
Nate
NAAH Tool Works
Naahtoolworks@gmail.com
Say what you will about Olympic Arms/SGW, they registered a ton of transferable M16s. I am very thankful for their foresight in doing so.
I shot a class with an Arfcom dude who owned one of those pieces of shit. I forget exactly what fuXored up functional defect was on his gun... (this was many years ago), but it was something ridiculous.
Outlander Systems
01-26-17, 17:33
I need to pick one up, strip it to the bone, slap a match barrel on it and run hand loads just to eff with haters.
Only sad to see it happen since it is a local company.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I bought a heavy match stainless 16" barrel for my first build in the 80's....it was a very accurate barrel...I don't think I ever did it justice...a friend of mine(accuracy snob) still owns it today and the rest of his barrels are WOA-
LOL. If we ever decide to have a standup comedy show I'm totally voting for you emcee it. Your sarcasm is one finely tuned machine of hilariousness. And stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Why thank good my good sir. I occasionally have my moments. Though if we are going with an M4C stand up, would the attire for the MC be dress, or tactical? I ask because I don't own a tuxedo, but I do own a platecarrier a ball cap, and oakleys.
Should be here anyways since that is more AR based.
RobertTheTexan
01-26-17, 18:33
Why thank good my good sir. I occasionally have my moments. Though if we are going with an M4C stand up, would the attire for the MC be dress, or tactical? I ask because I don't own a tuxedo, but I do own a platecarrier a ball cap, and oakleys.
Sounds like the makings of the M4C Tactical Tuxedo to me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I shot a class with an Arfcom dude who owned one of those pieces of shit. I forget exactly what fuXored up functional defect was on his gun... (this was many years ago), but it was something ridiculous.
All of the issues with those transferable SGWs can be fixed. I would not want to own one of the billet SGW lowers, as they look fugly and are rumored to be soft. But the SGW converted Sendras are good to go once an expert like M60Joe or US Anodizing works their magic. Commonly the top deck is out of spec (too high) and the lower requires "fitted" uppers. Also the magwell may require some work. Victor at US Anodizing does a beautiful job bringing the lower into spec and re-anodizing it. I would personally have no problem buying a full auto SGW converted Sendra - it would immediately head to Victor.
I need to pick one up, strip it to the bone, slap a match barrel on it and run hand loads just to eff with haters.
Actually... I think those fukktards sourced/made a few barrels that shot well. Everything else appeared to be made on Harbor freight drill presses with gargantuan runout.
SomeOtherGuy
01-26-17, 20:40
Why thank good my good sir. I occasionally have my moments. Though if we are going with an M4C stand up, would the attire for the MC be dress, or tactical? I ask because I don't own a tuxedo, but I do own a platecarrier a ball cap, and oakleys.
Sounds like the makings of the M4C Tactical Tuxedo to me.
If your plate carrier is denim or red flannel, you have a Canadian Tactical Tuxedo.
Yep - that was the OA-89.
It was legal wording/technicality issue. Because 5.56 steel-core ammo is made to defeat armor, the fact that this was now in a pistol meant that it fired armor piercing handgun ammo. And that put surplus 5.56 steel-core on the ban list.
See how that circle goes round and round?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
OA93 came out in 1993 and the 7.62x39 version was the justification for banning importer steel core 7.62x39, not 5.56.
http://www.thegunzone.com/762x39.html
The real source of steel core bans came about 7 years earlier. Unfortunately for our people(gun owners), that habit that formed that source is harder to kick than heroin is for a typical junkie. Details here:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=37785
Oly was one of the first AR brands I was ever warned to steer clear of.
A friend of mine told me he accidentally dropped the hammer with the receivers open on his Oly and it broke the bold catch in two.
Unless I'm mistaken that wouldn't happen unless the part was made from inferior materials and/or processes. Never heard of that happening with a Colt.
That they stayed in business this long is actually kind of surprising.
From everything I have read dropping the hammer with the upper removed will likely crack any bolt catch sooner or later.
If your plate carrier is denim or red flannel, you have a Canadian Tactical Tuxedo.
Yeah, that's a negative. It coyote tan, with OD pouches, not the multicam or whatever the fashion flavor of the month is. I would be willing to wear multicam boxers though, or whatever the camo of the month is. At least then I can wipe my ass on it.
The sad part is I really ought to be writing some of the ideas in my head for this stuff down, some of it could be gold.
On topic. I would think that most of the bottom have to get their barrels from somewhere half decent. I mean they can't just drill out a tube of steel, though I am not by any means giving them any ideas. I have a Bushy, that with all it's issues still groups well. It just a bushy, and well, lets be honest, the devil is in the details, so I guess my bushy is an angel and my BCM a demon.
OA93 came out in 1993 and the 7.62x39 version was the justification for banning importer steel core 7.62x39, not 5.56.
http://www.thegunzone.com/762x39.html
The real source of steel core bans came about 7 years earlier. Unfortunately for our people(gun owners), that habit that formed that source is harder to kick than heroin is for a typical junkie. Details here:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=37785
I knew I'd mis-recall or mix up the details. Thanks for straightening me out.
Interesting about Reagan banning ammo. THAT I did not remember at all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
556BlackRifle
01-27-17, 00:05
Part of me is a little sad to see them go. I've never owned (nor would I own) one of their weapons. They have a well earned reputation as a sub par manufacturer. But on the other hand, they were a PNW company and were part of the local economy. They were a member of the firearms community and supported our God given rights.
I knew I'd mis-recall or mix up the details. Thanks for straightening me out.
Interesting about Reagan banning ammo. THAT I did not remember at all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Likely because there are so many groups and individuals working diligently to make it seem a conservative wouldn't do such a thing when the fact remains that him and the Bushes successfully attacked self loading firearms on their own while also maintaining and implementing liberal gun control.
I don't like the loss of jobs. The only OLY I have any experience with is a 9mm carbine with a cast lower. I believe it is all OLY, not an OLY lower with some other upper. One of the guys that shoots at the range I am a member of has one. He has had it for years. Always works and as far as I know he has never had a problem with it. And he could break an anvil! That said I would not own one.
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...
RetiredGuns
01-27-17, 18:46
My poor Dad bought an Oly AR and a Highpoint carbine in the same month. I told him he couldn't go to the range with me (semi-jokingly). I convinced him to sell the pair and buy a decent rifle. I believe it was around 2008-ish and ARs were kind of expensive. He got $1k for the pair and picked up a S&W Sport with extra mags, case and a bunch of ammo with still some leftover cash. The Sport is not as nice as my M4, but likely better than that Oly.
"All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned"
I don't think so. As long as they have assets and someone has a warranty they are responsible for honoring it.
When Fehrman got out of the knife game they tried this too.
The_War_Wagon
01-27-17, 19:09
I owned a pre-ban Oly in the early '90's, back when there WEREN'T a lot of options, and Oly was one of the better ones at the time. It gave good service, and I made a killing off of it when I sold it in 2001.
I wish their overall quality & craftsmanship had come up after the ban sunset, but they just couldn't compete with BCM, Noveske, & the other great AR makers that have come along in the last decade plus. Consequently, they're going the way of Packard & DeSoto. Maybe it'll be a wake-up call for Rock River, CMMG, and Bushmaster, before THEY go the way of the AMC Pacer, Gremlin, & Ambassador!
I've talked to several ffl's over the years that had bad things to say about them for warranty work and other issues. I was under the impression that the quality had gone up though. I knew like one or two ffl's that were selling them and seemed to have good luck(I think it was mostly the pistol caliber ones). Personally with so many options on the market I just didn't see the point to trust them again. I look at them like century arms, I don't care if people say they have gotten better, their history makes me not want to go near them.
With the market going soft after multiple fear rushes I can easily see more companies going under.
The bad thing is I know a lot of people that at least respected Olympic. They were making clones before most everyone else and were not afraid to try new things. I've read that people liked their pistol barrels as well but I don't know if I've even seen one in person. I'm too young. When I got into ar's you had smith and wesson, stag, bushmasher, and others on the low end(this was before sw started to really make good ones). All of them were far better options over the olympic and even if I wanted one I think they had burned the bridges with a lot of the local shops.
Did Oly ever produce non-crap pieces during their early years? Just curious...seems like 40 years is a long time to stay afloat producing garbage.
They were cheaper than a lot of options. Many will buy an ar(or any gun really) and shoot a magazine out of it from time to time and thats it. The gun might see 100 rounds a year.
For what its worth most of their guns I'm guessing were fine. They just had a much higher failure rate. A lot of people seemed to really like their match barrels too. I remember people on varmit hunter forums speaking highly of them.
In most cases you pay more for the quality. Hell look outside of the gun market. You have companies like harbor freight selling the absolute cheapest shit they can get from china. Some of it works fine, other stuff will work for a job if you are lucky. Still a lot of people love it because it is cheap. I personally avoid them as I don't care to gamble on what is going to be ok and what isn't. Yet they are growing if anything.
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...
Thanks for sharing that; very cool.
theorangecat
01-28-17, 09:53
back in the very early 80s it was colt or sgw.
That is how I remember it. Olympic Arms/SGW (and Eagle Arms, IIRC) were out there and getting some good press in a few of the rags and the Gun Digest, but "AR" basically meant "Colt."
I was satisfied with a Mini-14 in those days, but a good friend who had been in the Army had to have an AR-15 and we hit the dealers and gun shows to find him a deal. The choices were pretty much a Colt or another Colt… or Olympic Arms. The demand for ARs was finally taking off but the supply was idiosyncratic at best. He did end up with a Colt, and it wasn't cheap by the standards of the day. Later on in this neck of the woods, Bushmasters began to suck the oxygen out of that particular niche and the Olys began to get scarce on the gun show tables.
OA's entry was timed really well, but they ended up being their own worst enemy.
toc
"All Warranty service ceases 1-25-2017. Warranty work and repairs currently in-house will be serviced and returned"
I don't think so. As long as they have assets and someone has a warranty they are responsible for honoring it.
You can't possibly try to get warranty after the company closes completely on Feb. I mean, how do you get warranty on Saturn vehicles now that that company is non-existent? Who do you even contact?
Did Oly ever produce non-crap pieces during their early years? Just curious...seems like 40 years is a long time to stay afloat producing garbage.
They flew under the radar for the most part. You hardly ever see any Oly AR's in stores, at least I didn't see them in the last decade. I saw more Bushmaster and DPMS.
That is how I remember it. Olympic Arms/SGW (and Eagle Arms, IIRC) were out there ....
IIRC, eagle arms didn't come into being until years later.
in fact, here's what i just found on Armalite's site:
Armalite History
... Armalite was sold to Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company, of the Philippines. Inventory, tooling, and machinery were dispatched from the U.S. plant to the Philippines. The process fell apart due to political events in the Philippines. The political and economic links of the government were dramatically shifted, and Elisco was unable to carry out the AR-18 production. The U.S. arm of the operation was closed in 1987. Independent of Armalite, Karl Lewis and Jim Glazier formed a company named Eagle Arms in Coal Valley Illinois in 1986. Eagle Arms initially marketed M16 and AR-15 type rifle parts. The early Stoner patents had expired, and Eagle was able to build both parts and complete rifles. In 1989, Eagle commenced production of complete rifles, with LMT serving as the major supplier.
The M-15 is introduced as direct competition with Colt’s trademarked AR-15. Mr. Mark Westrom purchases Armalite from Eagle Arms where he continued to produce the Eagle Arms EA-15 rifle....
from: https://armalite.com/about-us/history/
556BlackRifle
01-28-17, 12:21
You can't possibly try to get warranty after the company closes completely on Feb. I mean, how do you get warranty on Saturn vehicles now that that company is non-existent? Who do you even contact?
They flew under the radar for the most part. You hardly ever see any Oly AR's in stores, at least I didn't see them in the last decade. I saw more Bushmaster and DPMS.
Exactly right. One of my friends had a Saturn (company car) that had major engine troubles while under warranty. When Saturn closed it's doors, the service dept called him up and told him the car was ready to pick up. When he got there the doors were locked. He finally found someone to let him in and he got the keys. He tried to open the door the power locks didn't work. He used the key and popped the hood thinking that he needed a jump but, instead he found half the engine was missing. After that, he was assigned a new car and fleet took over. He never heard what happened after that. We wondered if GM took care of it but we'll never know.
In the case of Olympic, I doubt they would be able to honor the warranty after they shut down. I would imagine that all the money will be gone and some creditors may be left high and dry. I just hope the employees got everything they had coming to them....
Say what you want about Oly, but I have had one of their 45acp uppers that uses UZI mags, and one of the 9mm uppers that uses Sten mags. I've been shooting both of them steadily for the last 20-25 years and they both work perfectly. Tried some of their later poly mags made for the two uppers and they work perfectly, also. Granted, neither one of the uppers is mounted on an Oly lower, so I can't comment on them, but these uppers have been flawless, feeding anything I throw at them. Maybe the pistol caliber uppers don't suffer from the same problems that seem to affect their lowers, or I just got lucky.
theorangecat
01-28-17, 12:49
IIRC, eagle arms didn't come into being until years later.
I thought I had seen the Eagle Arms stuff in the mid-1980's, but I wasn't too sure. Obviously it was later.
The Olys were, however, definitely the first ARs I encountered other than the Colts.
TOC: yep, 35+ years later my recall suffers too
and right, back in early 80's it was only colt or oly/sgw
great thing about the interwebs is all the wonderful data we can re-discover :smile:
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.