Olympic Arms - What kind of Quality do they offer? - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Olympic Arms - What kind of Quality do they offer? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:31:35 AM EDT

Hi,
I was wondering how good of quality that Olympic Arms rifles are. I haven't heard much about them, but I have noticed that they are significantly cheaper than some others.

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:35:16 AM EDT

[#1]

There is a reason why they are significantly cheaper.... they are cheap. You get what you pay for. Save the exrtra money and buy quality, it will pay off in the end.

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:41:09 AM EDT

[#2]

Oh man....this is gonna get good...for the 4th time this week.

I may be back shortly if you haven't already met markm

Well in an attempt to save some effort

Here ya go!

Quoted:
It's like this, Son!...

Quoted:

I USED TO SELL OLYMPICS.

I also stock Colts, BM, RRA, and AR.
Wanna know what the #1 most repaired AR15 in my shop is? OLYMPIC.
I don't sell them anymore.
Wanna know what the most repaired AR15 in my store is now? Still the OLYMPIC.
Wanna know what I've had to send Olys back for? You name it.
Wanna know how hard it is to get repair parts/replacement parts/financial reimbursement for shipping NEW guns back to OLY for warranty work as a gun dealer? IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

Several distributors have even stopped carrying Olympic rifles because of the high reject rate once they get to the dealers.

They might, sometimes, take care of the individual owner, but as a dealer, I believe that they have a black list, and if you're on it, you're screwed.

I've actually had OLY on the phone with a customer in my shop, and they have actually told the guy that there was nothing wrong, and if he shipped it back, they would not fix it. The rifle had a broken bolt. Sheared off 2 lugs, broke at the cam pin hole, and damaged the bolt carrier.

I fixed it, with BM parts that were available to me at the time. I sent the bill to OLY, never got a response. Sold the debt off to a collection agency, along with all the other repairs that I had to do on OLY guns. Now, if an OLY comes in for repair, I advise the individual that it will cost them an open ended amount and get them to sign the estimate before I'll even touch it.

SHOT show 2002 I took them a box of the parts that I had replaced from their guns that I could not get reimbursement for.

I'll guarntee I've owned/handled/shot more OLYs since 1999 than you ever will, unless you work at Oly or a gun store.

There is, at best 15% profit in retail guns. Olys eat up my 15% on repair parts/shipping/gunsmith time almost as soon as they get unpacked. No more!

Now, about their issues, still "Pretty sure they have been resolved by now" ?????

Or is my post worthless, too?

Tom

And….

Quoted:
...With my Oly lower, that jerk blamed the magazines even though my cast Oly lower was so out of spec that the back of an inserted magazine hits the bolt and keeps the bolt from closing. This was after trying about 30 different magazines at a gun show. None of them worked. Tom called me lazy since I was unwilling to modify all of the magazines I own rather than asking for an RMA #. I modified a couple of magazines anyway, but while shooting they'd still work their way upward to block the bolt. I've had that piece of junk for over five years, and I have never gotten anywhere towards getting them to honor their warranty. They just don't give a damn.z

and..

Quoted:

WEeused to be a Oly dealer used to be the operative word

We had to send probably 25% of the cast plinkers we sold back for repair and probably 10% of the regular Olys

had about the same luck with DPMS

probably sold about 50 plinkers

The failure rate of the other better ( A ,B ,C ,RRA) brands is probably about 1% in my experence

and the notorious MACE Hardware..

Quoted:
My first AR was a CAR15 Oly kit. The bolt carrier was tight in the upper until I honed the upper. I figured it was a kit so I should not be upset about some fitting.

And..

Quoted:
I bought an Oly Arms 15 years ago and after using it on 5 different occasions the bolt catch broke. The part looked like broken pot metal. Any way, Mine was bought 15 years ago at a gun show, perhaps the newer modles are of better quality forged uppers and lowers, where mine is clearly cast. My next one might be a stag, but not sure.

My Oly arms looks great and shoots very well, but I often wonder what is the next part that is going to bust.

And my good man, Hellhound…

Quoted:
I bought a NEW FACTORY 16" Oly CAR back in 1993-1994, with a non-chrome barrel---I bought their marketing BS....

The barrel was shit.

Would jam (feeding and extraction) about 5 rounds into a mag and then jam about every 2.

Went through new springs for the extractor, the little o ring thingie, chamber brushing, new mags (USGI), everything imaginable....

I sold the barrel to someone who was going to use it for a .22 conversion, great idea for them.

I bought a chrome-lined RRA middie barrel, installed it on my Oly and have had 0 problems.

The other components of the gun are just fine, no problems there.

Spend a little more money and get a better barrel, it will save you a lot of aggravation.

Please don't make the same mistake I made.

On the lighter side...

Quoted:
I loved them so much I made an active effort to get rid of mine.

Like a relationship with a crazy woman, I could tolerate the flaws at first. Mostly because I got the results I was looking for, then the flaws became un-freaking-bearable.

I found out I could do a lot better... Oly got kicked to the curb.

And this is just how I pictured the operation!...

Quoted:
I used to live in Olympia WA...and after calling Oly Arms, drove out to check out their facility.

When I got there, a few things became rather clear.

1) Their "factory" looked like the set of Sanford & Son. (Absolutely NOT kidding)

2) Despite being told "Sure, come on down!" on the phone, when I got there, I was dealt with like I was Diane Feinstein by EVERYONE. One guy was pleasant and answered my questions...so not a total disaster, but the rest were pricks in general.

3) There was nothing and I mean NOTHING about their "facility" that looked suitable for manufacturing dog toys, let alone firearms.

If you never get a 2nd chance to make 1st impressions, Oly lost me COMPLETELY with that one.

As to their rifles being hit or miss, I never owned one, but have known several people who have. It's about a 50/50 mix of "Mine works great" to "Total piece of shit".

That ratio is NOWHERE near good enough for me and combined with a 1st person view of the source of their rifles, that was more than enough to never look back.

There was a rather protracted issue with Oly and ARFCOM a few years ago. Can't remember the details but I do remember that they created a forum of their own and used it as a spring board to bash either ARFCOM/the Avilas/other AR makers....can't recall the details but it was HIGHLY unprofessional on their part....and Tom Spitballer, Spithaller...something like that, who owns/represents OlyArms was a douche of the highest order.

Oly (and Hesse)are the Yugo of the AR world IMO.

This is cute!...

Quoted:
That's about it. I looked at one their guns a while back and almost cried...the selector pointed 8o'clock for safe, 2o'clock for fire. Plus the "finish" seriously looked like Testors model-car paint.

And…

Quoted:
I've been teaching carbine courses for over 15 years. 100-200 people per year for 2-5 day courses. Olympic Arms guns suck. I've touched then, shot them, and watched them be shot (or attempt to be shot) the fact that some of them run means nothing. The fact that yours runs means nothing except to you. They are the most unreliable ARs made on average. On average Colts work better than all the others. BM, LMT, RR all seem to be pretty damn good guns. Every year all the others get even closer to the Colt for reliability. They may even be equal now

If your Oly Arms gun works great, good for you. Keep it, it's a collectors item!

But if you are going to pick a gun up out of the box and bet either money or your life it will work, pick something else.

My opinions come from a very, very large set of data points, not individual occurrences.

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:44:55 AM EDT

[#3]

.

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:01:38 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Hi,
I was wondering how good of quality that Olympic Arms rifles are. I haven't heard much about them, but I have noticed that they are significantly cheaper than some others.

It depends on what you want it for.

for plinking and even deer hunting mine works just fine

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:02:34 AM EDT

[#5]

LOL.

Ummm, so you would suggest buying one, eh? HA!

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:27:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Before listening to a bunch of guys here who have never owned an Oly, you ought to go here:

http://www.oa2.org/forums/index.php?sid=8c02888172ca79e2949f17496a8026ab

For the record, I don't own one and have no dog in this hunt. I like my Bushmaster myself, but the friends I've got who've had them haven't had problems and like them just fine, FWIW.

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:28:27 AM EDT

[#7]

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:31:29 AM EDT

[#8]

IBMM

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:36:31 AM EDT

[#9]

So, it armalite any good?

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:38:14 AM EDT

[#10]

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:42:25 AM EDT

[#11]

I've got an Oly K3B-Mil4 and I love it. I've ran a bunch of rounds through it and never had a problem. The fit and finish is great, and I can't tell any difference between it and my friends RRA's and Bushy's. With my reloads I can get 5/8" groups at 100yds from a bench....I think that's pretty good.

On the other had, I've heard some people saying that they are all junk. I think it really depends on who you talk to. If I were you, I would just go find some at your local gun dealer and check them out. See what you think. You may like them, you may not.

If I was going to get another AR15, would I buy an Oly and save several hundred dollars??....YES.

Here are a few pics of my Oly.

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:43:59 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Before listening to a bunch of guys here who have never owned an Oly, you ought to go here:

http://www.oa2.org/forums/index.php?sid=8c02888172ca79e2949f17496a8026ab

Yeah!! Nevermind all of those replies above from guys who DID make the OLY MISTAKE!

Why can I present testimonials from several different members here, but it doesn't count cuz I never owned on of the pieces of shit?

People will whine from time to time that I beat the anti OLY drum too much. But I only reply when someone asks... (which has happened a lot lately)

Someone once saved me from making the OLY MISTAKE, And I try to pass that huge favor on to anyone wise enough to listen.

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:05:37 AM EDT

[#13]

Oly lower with KNS pins!

Everyone needs 87 of them or something!

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:17:08 AM EDT

[#14]

imq707's, Thanks for the pics. I do notice a difference in the finsh your pics show, vs. the rifles I own, and have owned. The biggest diff, seem to be the finish. Is your Oly painted or something? Looks like a more textured finish than what I have seen.

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:20:36 AM EDT

[#15]

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:22:43 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
imq707's, Thanks for the pics. I do notice a difference in the finsh your pics show, vs. the rifles I own, and have owned. The biggest diff, seem to be the finish. Is your Oly painted or something? Looks like a more textured finish than what I have seen.

I've handled a lot of new Oly and all of them had that "sand paper style" finish

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:26:27 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Before listening to a bunch of guys here who have never owned an Oly, you ought to go here:

http://www.oa2.org/forums/index.php?sid=8c02888172ca79e2949f17496a8026ab

Yeah!! Nevermind all of those replies above from guys who DID make the OLY MISTAKE!

Why can I present testimonials from several different members here, but it doesn't count cuz I never owned on of the pieces of shit?

People will whine from time to time that I beat the anti OLY drum too much. But I only reply when someone asks... (which has happened a lot lately)

Someone once saved me from making the OLY MISTAKE, And I try to pass that huge favor on to anyone wise enough to listen.

Mark the majority of the ppl who whine about ppl knocking Oly are because:

1) They have an Oly

2) They only use it to plink

3) They haven't experience anything else

Kinda like the guy that loves his Aimpoint clone and defends it to the death...probably b/c he hasn't experience a real Aimpoint nor does he actually need a real Aimpoint. W/ that said even if I'm not an Army SEAL spec op space shuttle door gunner....I still wouldn't buy an Oly for the mere fact that it would contaminate my safe.

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:45:16 AM EDT

[#18]

I buy my AR15`s for Protection

It took me 3 weeks to get my NERVE up and buy a BUSHMASTER back in 2000
It did prove itself and RAN 100% and could shoot MK262

Just because My Old Bushmaster shorty Ran 100%

DOESNT mean all of them DO

Colt and LMT have BETTER Q.C. and TESTING

and never seen a more accurate M4 Barrel like LMT makes

You couldnt get me to buy a OLY no Matter How much MONEY I saved!

I Rather wait and save up for a Colt or LMT

Now a OLY LOWER with a LMT M4 upper and LMT LPK I would think about

Posted: 5/2/2007 11:05:18 AM EDT

[#19]

If you do insist on getting an OLY! Get one of their CHROME LINED models!!!

(those are the only good ones)

Posted: 5/2/2007 11:17:06 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
If you do insist on getting an OLY! Get one of their CHROME LINED models!!!

Yep, because we all know you can't punch paper or enjoy shooting an AR without chrome lining, M4 feedramps, F marked FSB's, parkerizing under the FSB, MP tested bolts, etc. etc.

(here is where you're supposed to reply about how I don't know what I'm talking about because Oly doesn't have chrome lined barrels...)

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Posted: 5/2/2007 11:28:09 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
If you do insist on getting an OLY! Get one of their CHROME LINED models!!!

Yep, because we all know you can't punch paper or enjoy shooting an AR without chrome lining, M4 feedramps, F marked FSB's, parkerizing under the FSB, MP tested bolts, etc. etc.

(here is where you're supposed to reply about how I don't know what I'm talking about because Oly doesn't have chrome lined barrels...)
Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

(Here is the part where you're gonna look stupid b/c you couldn't read between the lines w/ markm's post....the only good Oly is a CL'd one...Oly doesn't have CL'd rifles...meaning anything but an Oly is gtg...somewhat

)

Posted: 5/2/2007 11:30:23 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Hi,
I was wondering how good of quality that Olympic Arms rifles are. I haven't heard much about them, but I have noticed that they are significantly cheaper than some others.

BUY A AMEETEC ARMS WELL PRICED GREAT QUALITY !!!!

Posted: 5/2/2007 11:49:17 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

(Here is the part where you're gonna look stupid b/c you couldn't read between the lines w/ markm's post....the only good Oly is a CL'd one...Oly doesn't have CL'd rifles...meaning anything but an Oly is gtg...somewhat

)

Here's the part where you're gonna look stupid, because you didn't read between the lines when I wrote .............. trailing off after I pointed out Oly doesn't have CL barrels.

Quoted:W/ that said even if I'm not an Army SEAL spec op space shuttle door gunner....I still wouldn't buy an Oly for the mere fact that it would contaminate my safe.

Which I'm sure is overflowing with the latest in ACOG/Colt/LaRue technology, obviously making you the resident expert on Oly AR's.

Posted: 5/2/2007 12:18:52 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Translation:

Go to OA arms forum and cuddle with the other dopes who need reassurance that their junk will hold up over the long haul.

Of course Tom Spithaler would have anyone stating that they have bad guns and bad Customer service banned from posting.... So you won't get a fair representation of REALITY!!

Your recommendation is about as dumb as it can get. Go do research where you'll only hear from guys who have functioning OLYs!!! BRILLIANT!!

WTF DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY COLLECTION OF REAL OLY OWNERS with REAL OLY NIGHTMARES, JETHRO??? BECAUSE I SAVED OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES... THEY'RE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY NOT TRUE??? ARE YOU CALLING OUR MEMBERSHIP A BUNCH OF LIARS???

Why do I let imbeciles piss me off??

Posted: 5/2/2007 12:28:27 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Translation:

Go to OA arms forum and cuddle with the other dopes who need reassurance that their junk will hold up over the long haul.

Of course Tom Spithaler would have anyone stating that they have bad guns and bad Customer service banned from posting.... So you won't get a fair representation of REALITY!!

Your recommendation is about as dumb as it can get. Go do research where you'll only hear from guys who have functioning OLYs!!! BRILLIANT!!

WTF DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY COLLECTION OF REAL OLY OWNERS with REAL OLY NIGHTMARES, JETHRO??? BECAUSE I SAVED OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES... THEY'RE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY NOT TRUE???

Why do I let imbeciles piss me off??

drift411.com/forums/style_avatars/Smiley_Avatars/retard.gif

Careful, markm, if you have a heart attack who will warn the others who ask about Olympic ARs

Posted: 5/2/2007 1:15:15 PM EDT

[#26]

claybreaker12gauge: Its better to spend an extra 100-250 dollars or so and get a quality AR-15.

I have about $925 in my AR-15 which is an LMT upper on Stag lower.

My wife's AR-15 is about the same amount which is a Colt 6520 upper on a Stag Lower

Heck, you can get a complete Colt M16A1 upper and a lower for about $600 and have a damn good AR-15 for less cost than an Oly.

Most Olys I've seen are about $700, and your quality is going to be questionable at best. Some Olys are good, but they will NEVER be better than LMT, Colt, Bushmaster, Stag, RRA, BCM or CMMG.

Check out the Equipment Exchange for really good deals. You can get the best prices and service off the EE than most any gun shop.

Posted: 5/2/2007 1:25:31 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

Quoted:

(Here is the part where you're gonna look stupid b/c you couldn't read between the lines w/ markm's post....the only good Oly is a CL'd one...Oly doesn't have CL'd rifles...meaning anything but an Oly is gtg...somewhat

)

Here's the part where you're gonna look stupid, because you didn't read between the lines when I wrote .............. trailing off after I pointed out Oly doesn't have CL barrels.

Quoted:W/ that said even if I'm not an Army SEAL spec op space shuttle door gunner....I still wouldn't buy an Oly for the mere fact that it would contaminate my safe.

Which I'm sure is overflowing with the latest in ACOG/Colt/LaRue technology, obviously making you the resident expert on Oly AR's.

I've been had!!!!111!!!!one!!!eleven

Posted: 5/2/2007 1:26:45 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Translation:

Go to OA arms forum and cuddle with the other dopes who need reassurance that their junk will hold up over the long haul.

Of course Tom Spithaler would have anyone stating that they have bad guns and bad Customer service banned from posting.... So you won't get a fair representation of REALITY!!

Your recommendation is about as dumb as it can get. Go do research where you'll only hear from guys who have functioning OLYs!!! BRILLIANT!!

WTF DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY COLLECTION OF REAL OLY OWNERS with REAL OLY NIGHTMARES, JETHRO??? BECAUSE I SAVED OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES... THEY'RE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY NOT TRUE??? ARE YOU CALLING OUR MEMBERSHIP A BUNCH OF LIARS???

Why do I let imbeciles piss me off??

drift411.com/forums/style_avatars/Smiley_Avatars/retard.gif

AWESOME

Posted: 5/2/2007 2:35:33 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Translation:

Go to OA arms forum and cuddle with the other dopes who need reassurance that their junk will hold up over the long haul.

Of course Tom Spithaler would have anyone stating that they have bad guns and bad Customer service banned from posting.... So you won't get a fair representation of REALITY!!

Your recommendation is about as dumb as it can get. Go do research where you'll only hear from guys who have functioning OLYs!!! BRILLIANT!!

WTF DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY COLLECTION OF REAL OLY OWNERS with REAL OLY NIGHTMARES, JETHRO??? BECAUSE I SAVED OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES... THEY'RE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY NOT TRUE??? ARE YOU CALLING OUR MEMBERSHIP A BUNCH OF LIARS???

Why do I let imbeciles piss me off??

drift411.com/forums/style_avatars/Smiley_Avatars/retard.gif

So let's recap:

1. You don't own any Olys.
2. You have a collection of negative posts you retrieved off of the errornet and paste them into every Oly thread you find
3. You believe that your collection of postings are "real oly owners" with "real oly nightmares". Let me guess, you don't collect all the positive posts about Oly on this forum (and they're there, heck, in this very thread) and paste them into Oly threads. Are the positive responses by members in this thread all lies? You're calling your own membership a bunch of liars if they post postive feedback about Oly?

Who exactly is the Jethro here?

Claybreaker, if this doesn't teach you to take everything here with a grain of serious salt, nothing will.

Posted: 5/2/2007 3:01:30 PM EDT

[#30]

i agree with lonestar, too many "experts/wannaBgunsmiths here, not enough indians. i have owned 2 plinkers, the "cheapest" they make, sold one to a bud, kept the other, and any asshole that wants to come down here and do a function/accuracy test is more than welcome, WE HOLD OUR OWN. come on down. a plinker is not a colt, for half the price it's at least 80% the gun. the colt premium is on the logo, not the parts. and i can speak of colt quality because i did own one... for 20 years, it was o.k., but not as great as some on these boards want you to think. if you want to shoot, have fun, and are on a budget, get an olympic, if you are not satisfied, i really believe you can sell it and not lose a dime, try that with a colt.

Posted: 5/2/2007 3:08:24 PM EDT

[#31]

back in 99 or so I had a bushmaster and a buddy had a Olympic arms, took them to the range and both worked well,

took them home and cleaned and compared we both agree'd the Olympic was not as well made, but it was cheaper, only detail I still remember was the buffer was cracked at the roll pin was still holding together and worked who knows for how long though. he later sold it so no long term info.

Posted: 5/2/2007 3:25:11 PM EDT

[#32]

Check this out boys.....I never disparage people's individual choices so, here's my personal experience with both brands.

I have a Colt AND an OLY!

.

Only reason is this:

I bought the Oly before I knew anything about AR's manufacture or quality among brands....about 23 years ago. It was a XM 177. It functioned OK for the first year, and then parts started to fail in the lower and bolt. The gas key sheared off b/c it wasn't staked right, and the collapsible stock finally came apart. however, the upper was OK, and the barrel AMAZINGLY accurate. I sold the lower and kept the upper. I have about 3000 rounds through it, and it is still shooting 3/4 MOA. I actually love that upper, but the forward assist finally broke, so I sent it to Bushmaster for a new flattop upper receiver, as I didn't want to part with that barrel. The only thing left in it that is OA is the barrel, gas tube and FS.

So then, I bought a Colt, and my life changed forever. I became afflicted with BRD, accecerosis, idiopathic railed forearm disease, and finally nocturnal ophthalmohoplophilia. (i.e, I bought night vision)

So, you wanna' know what I am buying now?? I have 2 Colt lowers with one Colt 5.56 6920 upper, and one Model 1 sales 6.8 upper. I am getting my feet wet with the "cheaper" 6.8, but now ready to "upgrade" in quality to a Ko-Tonics upper to get the maximum performance from the load. I am in the process of buying a third Colt lower.

So, you see, Olympic arms might suit your needs while you are early in the disease.....but you might need more out of your AR's as you become severely afflicted.

Whether you eventually graduate to Colt, LMT or the others (most of whom make excellent guns) you soon see that there are reasons why the prices are different, and you soon realize that buying quality at least gives you a much better chance of owning one of those "...it has never, ever failed..." rifles.

I now own two of those. And even though the OA failed several times, I still own that barrel, and will NEVER sell it.

YMMV

Posted: 5/2/2007 3:41:10 PM EDT

[#33]

I own a couple of Oly K3B-M4's along with several other AR's from various manufacturers. Well, their not really anyone's make anymore since I have different uppers & lowers & kits built, but anyway. I'm not pushing one maker over another. However, correct me if I'm wrong. Don't most of the other so-called "tier 1, 2 & 3" makers stamp their logo on the side of a magwell & call it their own these days? I thought most of the company's buy parts & assemble this & that while making some of their own stuff. As long as the rifle functions as it should & my AR's have at least, what's the issue?

I happen to use an Oly for tac team work just cuz it happened to be one that I had set up the way I needed at the time & I've left it that way. It's never let me down & if or when it does I'll get it fixed or switch to another rig. I've used/own DPMS, Colt, BM, RRA & they have worked well too. If they didn't, however, I'm not sure I'd come here to talk crap about them. I've gotten the other AR's just as cheap as the Oly's due dealer discount because of what I do for a living, but does that make them all bad too?

Posted: 5/2/2007 3:43:47 PM EDT

[#34]

Most all the Oly's I've handled/shot had a fit/finish that was fair at best. I had an Oly 9mm A4 upper. The overall quality of it was less than impressive. It functioned OK but it blasted you in the face with gas when it ejected and the sights would not zero. I sold it and would not buy another Oly product. A few months ago a buddy bought an Oly, 16" barrel A1 upper( not sure what model it is), because it was "cheap". The rifle functions fine but the upper/lower finishes don't match, the rifle is loose and rattles, and the feed ramps look like they were dremeled by Stevie Wonder. Overall it just "looks and feels" like a POS. I definately think that when it comes to Oly, you get what you pay for.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:03:14 PM EDT

[#35]

Is it possible that only imbeciles let other imbeciles piss them off? What is it they say about arguing with stupid? I have more productive things to do than argue with stupid.

Have a nice day.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:14:12 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
I've got an Oly K3B-Mil4 and I love it. I've ran a bunch of rounds through it and never had a problem. The fit and finish is great, and I can't tell any difference between it and my friends RRA's and Bushy's. With my reloads I can get 5/8" groups at 100yds from a bench....I think that's pretty good.

On the other had, I've heard some people saying that they are all junk. I think it really depends on who you talk to. If I were you, I would just go find some at your local gun dealer and check them out. See what you think. You may like them, you may not.

If I was going to get another AR15, would I buy an Oly and save several hundred dollars??....YES.

Here are a few pics of my Oly.

img477.imageshack.us/img477/899/1000076sgv1.jpg

img174.imageshack.us/img174/9141/1000095sic8.jpg

img174.imageshack.us/img174/7734/1000090snr3.jpg

img84.imageshack.us/img84/1139/1000279skm5.jpg

I have some bondo that we can cover up that lion with.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:32:08 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
It's like this, Son!...

Quoted:

I USED TO SELL OLYMPICS.

I also stock Colts, BM, RRA, and AR.
Wanna know what the #1 most repaired AR15 in my shop is? OLYMPIC.
I don't sell them anymore.
Wanna know what the most repaired AR15 in my store is now? Still the OLYMPIC.
Wanna know what I've had to send Olys back for? You name it.
Wanna know how hard it is to get repair parts/replacement parts/financial reimbursement for shipping NEW guns back to OLY for warranty work as a gun dealer? IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

Several distributors have even stopped carrying Olympic rifles because of the high reject rate once they get to the dealers.

They might, sometimes, take care of the individual owner, but as a dealer, I believe that they have a black list, and if you're on it, you're screwed.

I've actually had OLY on the phone with a customer in my shop, and they have actually told the guy that there was nothing wrong, and if he shipped it back, they would not fix it. The rifle had a broken bolt. Sheared off 2 lugs, broke at the cam pin hole, and damaged the bolt carrier.

I fixed it, with BM parts that were available to me at the time. I sent the bill to OLY, never got a response. Sold the debt off to a collection agency, along with all the other repairs that I had to do on OLY guns. Now, if an OLY comes in for repair, I advise the individual that it will cost them an open ended amount and get them to sign the estimate before I'll even touch it.

SHOT show 2002 I took them a box of the parts that I had replaced from their guns that I could not get reimbursement for.

I'll guarntee I've owned/handled/shot more OLYs since 1999 than you ever will, unless you work at Oly or a gun store.

There is, at best 15% profit in retail guns. Olys eat up my 15% on repair parts/shipping/gunsmith time almost as soon as they get unpacked. No more!

Now, about their issues, still "Pretty sure they have been resolved by now" ?????

Or is my post worthless, too?

Tom

And….

Quoted:
...With my Oly lower, that jerk blamed the magazines even though my cast Oly lower was so out of spec that the back of an inserted magazine hits the bolt and keeps the bolt from closing. This was after trying about 30 different magazines at a gun show. None of them worked. Tom called me lazy since I was unwilling to modify all of the magazines I own rather than asking for an RMA #. I modified a couple of magazines anyway, but while shooting they'd still work their way upward to block the bolt. I've had that piece of junk for over five years, and I have never gotten anywhere towards getting them to honor their warranty. They just don't give a damn.z

and..

Quoted:

WEeused to be a Oly dealer used to be the operative word

We had to send probably 25% of the cast plinkers we sold back for repair and probably 10% of the regular Olys

had about the same luck with DPMS

probably sold about 50 plinkers

The failure rate of the other better ( A ,B ,C ,RRA) brands is probably about 1% in my experence

and the notorious MACE Hardware..

Quoted:
My first AR was a CAR15 Oly kit. The bolt carrier was tight in the upper until I honed the upper. I figured it was a kit so I should not be upset about some fitting.

And..

Quoted:
I bought an Oly Arms 15 years ago and after using it on 5 different occasions the bolt catch broke. The part looked like broken pot metal. Any way, Mine was bought 15 years ago at a gun show, perhaps the newer modles are of better quality forged uppers and lowers, where mine is clearly cast. My next one might be a stag, but not sure.

My Oly arms looks great and shoots very well, but I often wonder what is the next part that is going to bust.

And my good man, Hellhound…

Quoted:
I bought a NEW FACTORY 16" Oly CAR back in 1993-1994, with a non-chrome barrel---I bought their marketing BS....

The barrel was shit.

Would jam (feeding and extraction) about 5 rounds into a mag and then jam about every 2.

Went through new springs for the extractor, the little o ring thingie, chamber brushing, new mags (USGI), everything imaginable....

I sold the barrel to someone who was going to use it for a .22 conversion, great idea for them.

I bought a chrome-lined RRA middie barrel, installed it on my Oly and have had 0 problems.

The other components of the gun are just fine, no problems there.

Spend a little more money and get a better barrel, it will save you a lot of aggravation.

Please don't make the same mistake I made.

On the lighter side...

Quoted:
I loved them so much I made an active effort to get rid of mine.

Like a relationship with a crazy woman, I could tolerate the flaws at first. Mostly because I got the results I was looking for, then the flaws became un-freaking-bearable.

I found out I could do a lot better... Oly got kicked to the curb.

And this is just how I pictured the operation!...

Quoted:
I used to live in Olympia WA...and after calling Oly Arms, drove out to check out their facility.

When I got there, a few things became rather clear.

1) Their "factory" looked like the set of Sanford & Son. (Absolutely NOT kidding)

2) Despite being told "Sure, come on down!" on the phone, when I got there, I was dealt with like I was Diane Feinstein by EVERYONE. One guy was pleasant and answered my questions...so not a total disaster, but the rest were pricks in general.

3) There was nothing and I mean NOTHING about their "facility" that looked suitable for manufacturing dog toys, let alone firearms.

If you never get a 2nd chance to make 1st impressions, Oly lost me COMPLETELY with that one.

As to their rifles being hit or miss, I never owned one, but have known several people who have. It's about a 50/50 mix of "Mine works great" to "Total piece of shit".

That ratio is NOWHERE near good enough for me and combined with a 1st person view of the source of their rifles, that was more than enough to never look back.

There was a rather protracted issue with Oly and ARFCOM a few years ago. Can't remember the details but I do remember that they created a forum of their own and used it as a spring board to bash either ARFCOM/the Avilas/other AR makers....can't recall the details but it was HIGHLY unprofessional on their part....and Tom Spitballer, Spithaller...something like that, who owns/represents OlyArms was a douche of the highest order.

Oly (and Hesse)are the Yugo of the AR world IMO.

This is cute!...

Quoted:
That's about it. I looked at one their guns a while back and almost cried...the selector pointed 8o'clock for safe, 2o'clock for fire. Plus the "finish" seriously looked like Testors model-car paint.

And…

Quoted:
I've been teaching carbine courses for over 15 years. 100-200 people per year for 2-5 day courses. Olympic Arms guns suck. I've touched then, shot them, and watched them be shot (or attempt to be shot) the fact that some of them run means nothing. The fact that yours runs means nothing except to you. They are the most unreliable ARs made on average. On average Colts work better than all the others. BM, LMT, RR all seem to be pretty damn good guns. Every year all the others get even closer to the Colt for reliability. They may even be equal now

If your Oly Arms gun works great, good for you. Keep it, it's a collectors item!

But if you are going to pick a gun up out of the box and bet either money or your life it will work, pick something else.

My opinions come from a very, very large set of data points, not individual occurrences.

A time honored classic that never gets old!!!!

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:32:37 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Before listening to a bunch of guys here who have never owned an Oly, you ought to go here:

http://www.oa2.org/forums/index.php?sid=8c02888172ca79e2949f17496a8026ab

Yeah!! Nevermind all of those replies above from guys who DID make the OLY MISTAKE!

Why can I present testimonials from several different members here, but it doesn't count cuz I never owned on of the pieces of shit?

People will whine from time to time that I beat the anti OLY drum too much. But I only reply when someone asks... (which has happened a lot lately)

Someone once saved me from making the OLY MISTAKE, And I try to pass that huge favor on to anyone wise enough to listen.

Mark the majority of the ppl who whine about ppl knocking Oly are because:

1) They have an Oly Yep....I have one.

2) They only use it to plink Yep.....I'm not a LEO or service person that needs my AR as a serivce weapon. I use it to plink, and hunt.

3) They haven't experience anything else No...I've shot several RRA's and Bushy's.....and you know what??......they go BAG every time I pull the trigger on them, just like my Oly. And, my Oly gets the same or better groups off of a bench as the RRA's and Bushy's. Why pay more for a rifle that does the same thing as my Oly??

Until my Oly jams on me, or something breaks....I have no reason to say it's inferior to another brand of AR.

Kinda like the guy that loves his Aimpoint clone and defends it to the death...probably b/c he hasn't experience a real Aimpoint nor does he actually need a real Aimpoint. W/ that said even if I'm not an Army SEAL spec op space shuttle door gunner....I still wouldn't buy an Oly for the mere fact that it would contaminate my safe.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:33:51 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
imq707's, Thanks for the pics. I do notice a difference in the finsh your pics show, vs. the rifles I own, and have owned. The biggest diff, seem to be the finish. Is your Oly painted or something? Looks like a more textured finish than what I have seen.

Some of that may just be the picture. That's the factory Oly finish...no paint. It feels smooth, but for some reason it just looks a little rough in the picture. I'll have to try to take some more that show the finish a little better.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:34:58 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Claybreaker, seriously, if you're interested in Oly, go somewhere and talk to people that actually own them. All you'll get here is the typical cut and paste jihadist recitations of past posts about how bad they suck.

Translation:

Go to OA arms forum and cuddle with the other dopes who need reassurance that their junk will hold up over the long haul.

Of course Tom Spithaler would have anyone stating that they have bad guns and bad Customer service banned from posting.... So you won't get a fair representation of REALITY!!

Your recommendation is about as dumb as it can get. Go do research where you'll only hear from guys who have functioning OLYs!!! BRILLIANT!!

WTF DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY COLLECTION OF REAL OLY OWNERS with REAL OLY NIGHTMARES, JETHRO??? BECAUSE I SAVED OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES... THEY'RE SOMEHOW MAGICALLY NOT TRUE??? ARE YOU CALLING OUR MEMBERSHIP A BUNCH OF LIARS???

Why do I let imbeciles piss me off??

drift411.com/forums/style_avatars/Smiley_Avatars/retard.gif

So let's recap:

1. You don't own any Olys.
2. You have a collection of negative posts you retrieved off of the errornet and paste them into every Oly thread you find
3. You believe that your collection of postings are "real oly owners" with "real oly nightmares". Let me guess, you don't collect all the positive posts about Oly on this forum (and they're there, heck, in this very thread) and paste them into Oly threads. Are the positive responses by members in this thread all lies? You're calling your own membership a bunch of liars if they post postive feedback about Oly?

Who exactly is the Jethro here?

Claybreaker, if this doesn't teach you to take everything here with a grain of serious salt, nothing will.

All those collected posts are from credible, first hand knowledgable people who are well versed in the AR-15 and have seen the inner workings of Olympic which the average Oly owner like you has not seen.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:37:39 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
claybreaker12gauge: Its better to spend an extra 100-250 dollars or so and get a quality AR-15.

I have about $925 in my AR-15 which is an LMT upper on Stag lower.

My wife's AR-15 is about the same amount which is a Colt 6520 upper on a Stag Lower

Heck, you can get a complete Colt M16A1 upper and a lower for about $600 and have a damn good AR-15 for less cost than an Oly.

Most Olys I've seen are about $700, and your quality is going to be questionable at best. Some Olys are good, but they will NEVER be better than LMT, Colt, Bushmaster, Stag, RRA, BCM or CMMG.

Why??? Give me some actual facts...not just opinions. I've tore my Oly down and compared all it's parts to my buddys new Bushy. I couldn't see a damn bit of difference AT ALL. I will try to see if he will let me do it again, but take some pics this time. Why do you say an Oly will never be as good as a Bushy or RRA or all the rest?? Give me some actual facts.

Check out the Equipment Exchange for really good deals. You can get the best prices and service off the EE than most any gun shop.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:42:09 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:

Quoted:
claybreaker12gauge: Its better to spend an extra 100-250 dollars or so and get a quality AR-15.

I have about $925 in my AR-15 which is an LMT upper on Stag lower.

My wife's AR-15 is about the same amount which is a Colt 6520 upper on a Stag Lower

Heck, you can get a complete Colt M16A1 upper and a lower for about $600 and have a damn good AR-15 for less cost than an Oly.

Most Olys I've seen are about $700, and your quality is going to be questionable at best. Some Olys are good, but they will NEVER be better than LMT, Colt, Bushmaster, Stag, RRA, BCM or CMMG.

Why??? Give me some actual facts...not just opinions. I've tore my Oly down and compared all it's parts to my buddys new Bushy. I couldn't see a damn bit of difference AT ALL. I will try to see if he will let me do it again, but take some pics this time. Why do you say an Oly will never be as good as a Bushy or RRA or all the rest?? Give me some actual facts.

Check out the Equipment Exchange for really good deals. You can get the best prices and service off the EE than most any gun shop.

Facts you say?

Junk plastic handguards made of some plastic that melts
Tight magazine wells
Substandard tolleraces on parts
Cast lower parts
Cast FSB
Non chome barrel
Junk Bolts
Junk Carriers
No SLF inside the upper or buffer tube
Cheap buffer tube
Phillips head screw in the buttstock
I could go on and on....

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:46:26 PM EDT

[#43]

Well, I guess I need to get my friends Bushy again....tear it and my Oly apart, and start micing everthing out. I'm really interested to see how close the internals really are. I will also measure out the magwells, and take detailed pics of both guns. I think that would be a great post.

On another note.....I though I read a while back that Oly makes a bunch of parts for other manufactures...possibily RRA, Bushy, DPMS, and some others. Is that true?

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:48:04 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
Well, I guess I need to get my friends Bushy again....tear it and my Oly apart, and start micing everthing out. I'm really interested to see how close the internals really are. I will also measure out the magwells, and take detailed pics of both guns. I think that would be a great post.

Yeah

And I'm sure you have the capabilty to hardness test and spark test all the components also.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:48:45 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
Well, I guess I need to get my friends Bushy again....tear it and my Oly apart, and start micing everthing out. I'm really interested to see how close the internals really are. I will also measure out the magwells, and take detailed pics of both guns. I think that would be a great post.

On another note.....I though I read a while back that Oly makes a bunch of parts for other manufactures...possibily RRA, Bushy, DPMS, and some others. Is that true?

No that is not true.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:51:36 PM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
Why??? Give me some actual facts...not just opinions. I've tore my Oly down and compared all it's parts to my buddys new Bushy. I couldn't see a damn bit of difference AT ALL. I will try to see if he will let me do it again, but take some pics this time. Why do you say an Oly will never be as good as a Bushy or RRA or all the rest?? Give me some actual facts.

Some things Olys do not have:
4150 Barrel Steel
Chrome-Lined Barrels
Forged Receivers (Newer ones do, so its kind of a moot point)
F-Marked FSB
Mil-Spec Receiver Extensions
M4 Feed Ramps
1/7 Twist Rates
MP Testing on Barrels and Bolts AFTER a High Pressure Test
--------------------------------

It is a FACT that Olympic does not offer these on their AR-15s. As I stated earlier, I can get ALL of these features for under $200, without really looking around. You have many documented cases of Olympic AR-15s being shitty, yet you have to take it personally because its a FACT. I like LMT personally, but I'm not going to get offended if you don't like LMT, because I will spend a little extra for quality.

But hey, it wouldn't be ar15.com if people got their panties in a wad in the face of facts.

Posted: 5/2/2007 7:57:15 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Well, I guess I need to get my friends Bushy again....tear it and my Oly apart, and start micing everthing out. I'm really interested to see how close the internals really are. I will also measure out the magwells, and take detailed pics of both guns. I think that would be a great post.

On another note.....I though I read a while back that Oly makes a bunch of parts for other manufactures...possibily RRA, Bushy, DPMS, and some others. Is that true?

No that is not true.

+1

Posted: 5/2/2007 8:46:21 PM EDT

[#48]

I bought a Oly M-4 style for my first AR. It shot great right out of the box. I've since sold the upper and replaced it with a GG&G Dominator upper which shoots even better. If I had to buy another Oly I wouldn't have a problem with it. My next AR will be one I build myself, looking at an RRA lower and LMT upper, haven't decided yet. Oly's good but now that I know about the variety of makers out there I'll be going a different route. My personal experience has been a good one with Oly, so I have to give it a thumbs up. Just my .02.

Posted: 5/2/2007 9:16:43 PM EDT

[#49]

I have 2 Oly K3B's,1 Colt sporter and 1 Bushy.Yes, Oly's are cheaper,but where I live not by alot.My Oly's fit finish and function are just as good as my Bushy.It's never failed me.My Bushy and Colt have.

Posted: 5/2/2007 10:07:20 PM EDT

[#50]

PLEASE FOR FU[{-SAKE, MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!

I've come to this conclusion:

You know that guy you know who gets pulled over by the cops for going 80 in a 25MPH zone? And the cop tells him, "You need to be a little more careful. Have a nice day."

That guy is the one who buys an Olympic that runs like a Noveske. The only one! And the rest of us are screwed!

There...... I feel much better, even if that made no sense.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Olympic Arms - What kind of Quality do they offer? (Page 1 of 2)

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