Double Star or Olympic Arms or homebuild?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Double Star or Olympic Arms or homebuild?

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:12:38 PM EDT

i'm planning to buy my first Ar. Local shop has these 2 guns i'm looking at

Olympic Arms-$799
Double Star-$750
both are M4A3

Which do you think is better.. or are they just askign to much?

other wise, can a better gun be build on a $700 budget?( +50for ffl fees)
i'm new to the scene,
thanks

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:26:40 PM EDT

[#1]

Double Star

I'm very happy with mine

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:27:11 PM EDT

[#2]

Double Star. Absolutely the best people to work with and the parts are top quality. I have three myself.
If you have any problems they will help you work it out.

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:39:25 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Double Star. Absolutely the best people to work with and the parts are top quality. I have three myself.
If you have any problems they will help you work it out.

home build the double star

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:41:53 PM EDT

[#4]

I'll say build your own....get exactly what you want without having to try and sell your "take off" parts that you will eventually upgrade.

Mike

I've put 3 together this year, and have a 4th started.

Posted: 10/17/2006 2:53:08 PM EDT

[#5]

height=8

Quoted:
I'll say build your own....get exactly what you want without having to try and sell your "take off" parts that you will eventually upgrade. her

aboout how much did they cost you ?what kinda build? local gun shop is charging $40 for his ffl use.. so i have to buy wisely

Posted: 10/17/2006 4:23:25 PM EDT

[#6]

My latest was done for right at $550

The only new parts are the lower and lower parts kit and Phantom FH. The rest was bought used from the EE.

You could purchase a new Stag upper and lower seperately and save yourself the 11% excise tax.....all you have to do is push the pins in

the other builds are decked out carbines.....around a grand or more into each of those.

Mike

Posted: 10/17/2006 5:02:44 PM EDT

[#7]

Double Star very big plus 1

Posted: 10/17/2006 5:48:08 PM EDT

[#8]

I say homebuild. If your like me you might end up changing alot of parts on your rifle anyway. At least you could get every detail how you would like it.

Posted: 10/31/2006 8:58:06 AM EDT

[#9]

Never heard of Double Star. But OLY is pure JUNK.

Posted: 10/31/2006 9:15:42 AM EDT

[#10]

I picked up my Oly K3B-Mil4 from Carrico'z Armory...they have awesome prices on AR's. I saved several hundred dollars over my local gun shop...on the same exact gun.

I've heard some bad reviews on Oly's, but mine is great. I would definitly buy another one.

I might try building my next AR, but for your first AR....I think buying one is the way to go.

Caricco'z

Posted: 10/31/2006 10:19:19 AM EDT

[#11]

Ive seen a Double star seem just like any other lower!

I care more about the Upper

Most all Lowers are good

EXCEPT I would stay away from OLY & Hess/Vulcan

Sggested retail on a Complete RRA Lower is 275 BUCKS 290.00 for Tele

STAG has a Good price

Ive used

COLT
2 bushmasters
LMT

all are Fine

Then buy a NICE Quality Upper

Posted: 10/31/2006 3:38:28 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Never heard of Double Star. But OLY is pure JUNK.

Please tell us why you think they are junk. Just don't make a one line statement. I have a national match Olympic Arms stripped upper and lower. I bought some parts kits from other Manuc., slapped a Bushmaster barrel on it and it is great. The rifle works great and I have never had a problem. The finish is great too!

So if you have had a bad experience, let uss know what it was, dont just say they are junk without an example.

Posted: 10/31/2006 3:49:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Never heard of Double Star. But OLY is pure JUNK.

Doublestar are the same thing as J&T, just fully assembled. I'd go with the doublestar before an Oly-however you could buy any good stripped lower, a stag lower parts kit, stag collapsible stock and a Bravo company upper and bolt carrier with mpi tested bolt and have a very nice carbine.

Posted: 10/31/2006 3:52:02 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Never heard of Double Star. But OLY is pure JUNK.

Please tell us why you think they are junk. Just don't make a one line statement. I

Asking Mark why he hates Oly is like asking the Cookie Monster why he likes cookies, it could take awhile.

Some people get a good Kia, that doesn't make them Lexus.

Glad you are happy with yours.

Posted: 10/31/2006 3:56:38 PM EDT

[#15]

I put together 2 flat tops this year.
New Double Star lowers w/parts and EE uppers w/out flash hider. Under 6 hundred a piece.
Nice lowers and I only got 'em because Stag lowers were on back order. I will have more DS lowers.

Posted: 10/31/2006 5:05:51 PM EDT

[#16]

+1 For Double Star

Got a Double Star carbine for $850 at a gun show back in September and put about 250-300 rounds through it. It's the first private weapon I've owned, but I've handled plenty enough military gear, and it seems pretty solid to me, well made. So take that as you will...

I just sold my Double Star upper, not because I was dissatisfied with it, but I just wanted a shorter barrel, so I got a CMMG 14.7" upper reciever that I'm about to put on my Double Star lower and take out to the range tomorrow.

~Augee

Posted: 10/31/2006 5:54:43 PM EDT

[#17]

DoubleStar

Posted: 10/31/2006 6:55:02 PM EDT

[#18]

I love my Oly K16. Not a hitch since day one and I'm approaching the 1000 round mark. I see more Bushmaster and RRA defects and problems on this board than Oly problems (haven't seen any complaints on Olys in a good while). I don't get the hatred. Oly bashers can go pound sand.

Trashcan

Posted: 10/31/2006 9:57:59 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I love my Oly K16. Not a hitch since day one and I'm approaching the 1000 round mark. I see more Bushmaster and RRA defects and problems on this board than Oly problems (haven't seen any complaints on Olys in a good while). I don't get the hatred. Oly bashers can go pound sand.

Trashcan

+1

Posted: 11/1/2006 3:57:34 AM EDT

[#20]

Yep...I seem to see many more complaints about Bushys then the Oly's. Mine works great...and I know others that love them also.

Posted: 11/1/2006 4:59:11 AM EDT

[#21]

+1 for building. i did a double star lower, with cmt upper, yhm quads, wilson barrel, yhm fixed rear buis, tango down grip, utg vfg and vltor clubfoot for right around $750 shipped.

Posted: 11/1/2006 6:43:48 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Yep...I seem to see many more complaints about Bushys then the Oly's.

And you've been here just over a year!

Posted: 11/1/2006 6:46:35 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Never heard of Double Star. But OLY is pure JUNK.

Please tell us why you think they are junk. Just don't make a one line statement. I have a national match Olympic Arms stripped upper and lower. I bought some parts kits from other Manuc., slapped a Bushmaster barrel on it and it is great. The rifle works great and I have never had a problem. The finish is great too!

So if you have had a bad experience, let uss know what it was, dont just say they are junk without an example.

Put this in your OLYMPIC ARMS CRACK PIPE and SMOKE IT! (guys who have already read these testimonials bare with me since this is a monthly topic)

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 this guy

..

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.

Posted: 11/1/2006 6:54:54 AM EDT

[#24]

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.

I'm at work, so when I get home, I can post some pictures.

Posted: 11/1/2006 6:58:52 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

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

I believe OLY brags about being a 100% in house produced rifle! They're able to keep any quality parts from accidentally getting into their guns!

Posted: 11/1/2006 7:34:17 AM EDT

[#26]

Im looking at the DPMS Rifles and they seem like good quality. Anyone have a DPMS AR? What are some opionions?

Posted: 11/2/2006 4:58:46 PM EDT

[#27]

DPMS are decent rifles for the money man. I picked up a M4A3 for $699 earlier in the year but sold it to a friend. The Olympic rifle I owned 12 years ago sucked. The Upper was rough inside and the bolt carrier wouldn't go forward all the way without several taps on the FA. The lower wouldn't allow the Canadian mags to fit in the well without having to tilt the rifle upwards and really slap them in. Also the rifle had issues extracting hot rounds like foreign ammo made in Malaysia, South Africa, or Austrian Hirtenberger. Once I had a gunsmith strip the rifle and reblue it the rifle was okay.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Double Star or Olympic Arms or homebuild?

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