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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:24:27 PM EDT
[#1]
In a way I'm sad to see them go.
But they never improved their QA/QC, their barrels were always tack drivers but their other AR parts left a LOT to be desired. For those of you who don't know, they were the FIRST to offer aftermarket (other than Colt) lowers. They initially produced billet lowers under contract for B&H Service (Old Sarge), they later began selling forged lowers. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:28:45 PM EDT
[#2]
The first of Many.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:34:01 PM EDT
[#3]
Don't worry, there will be 50 more new AR manufacturers all offering the same scheisse before the year's end.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:36:34 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't worry, there will be 50 more new AR manufacturers all offering the same scheisse before the year's end. I doubt it, from what I hear the market is very soft right now. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:38:43 PM EDT
[#5]
I had heard from people that their newer stuff wasn't bad but with the history they had I never understood who would trust them as the market has yielded so many other options. Personally I kinda liked their logo so I wish their stuff was better.
The one thing interesting about them is that they did make most of their own parts. I always heard that they made more of their own stuff than almost everyone else. Mind you the quality wasn't there so it wasn't a plus but at least they tried I guess. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:39:56 PM EDT
[#6]
My first AR was an OLY K3B M4. It was the best I could afford back then. I never had any issues with that rifle. Bummer to see them go. I never bought another rifle from them. I think in part because of all the bad stuff I read about them over time, and because my budget increased to allow for spendier stuff.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:42:53 PM EDT
[#7]
My first AR was a Century Arms which was an M16A1 parts kit with an Olympic lower.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:47:31 PM EDT
[#8]
First AR was an Oly. Stripped lower, and a builders kit. Never had a problem with it. Also have an Oly 9mm upper.
That being said, Tom Spithaler was a bit of a douche nozzle. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:48:49 PM EDT
[#9]
Impulse buy in 2004. Fed almost nothing but Wolf and hardly ever cleaned. 100% reliable. I've never understood the hate
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:49:50 PM EDT
[#10]
I had a lot of history with them back in the early 80's. They were one of only a couple in the beginning. They were one of the better back then. None were that great but we were all on a learning curve and we knew no better. CNC has advanced so much that it does not take the skilled machinist to make quality parts as it once did. They outlasted all the rest of the pioneers. Craig
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:52:59 PM EDT
[#11]
My first two ARs were built on Oly lowers. One became my first SBR.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 7:55:55 PM EDT
[#12]
Kinda sad...I've had old & new OLY stuff & never had any issues.
As stated previously they were one of the first decent companies to get stuff from Sucks when you see this, but the market is so big now & they are way up in the NW. I'm considering a purchase or 2 just for the sake of it. God Bless the folks whom this will really effect! |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 8:00:00 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The first of Many. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 8:02:55 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I doubt it, from what I hear the market is very soft right now. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Don't worry, there will be 50 more new AR manufacturers all offering the same scheisse before the year's end. I doubt it, from what I hear the market is very soft right now. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 8:52:46 PM EDT
[#15]
I've been shooting an Oly for 5 years. Eats anything and keeps ticking. I've added a few other rifles to my safe since, but my old Oly gets shot the most.
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Posted: 1/25/2017 8:54:30 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In a way I'm sad to see them go. Yep, in the bad old days they were one of the few that tried. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 9:04:23 PM EDT
[#17]
Years ago they were the only company I tried that was willing to make me a flat top upper without the pivot and take down holes drilled. Had issues with some of their parts over the years though.
Looking at the prices on the site not sure how they will go out that soon. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 9:24:27 PM EDT
[#18]
I always thought they made good barrels... I even used them for OEM barrels for some models I sold.
That's too bad. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 9:25:54 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
Impulse buy in 2004. Fed almost nothing but Wolf and hardly ever cleaned. 100% reliable. I've never understood the hate The hate is very easy to understand. They had a very high failure rate in the past(I've been told the newer guns were better quality but I haven't held on in like almost 10 years). I've talked to multiple ffl's who talk about the high number of failures they have seen when they tried to sell them and issues with warranty service. Online you can find many complaints about issues with the guns and people talking about warranty issues and rude employees. People who got a working gun(and to be fair that is most) seem to be happy with them. As far as accuracy goes it seems to be hit or miss. Some say their guns will only run like one weight of ammo, others say the barrels are some of the most accurate they have seen. Really as a company their product was just really inconsistent. |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 10:47:28 PM EDT
[#20]
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') 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 |
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Posted: 1/25/2017 11:25:01 PM EDT
[#21]
Sad.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 12:09:56 AM EDT
[#22]
Their pistol caliber conversions worked great.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 12:47:00 AM EDT
[#23]
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... |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 1:08:46 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
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... Got a picture of the original or can you get one from bill? I'd really like to see a picture of the original. |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 1:11:56 AM EDT
[#25]
The end of the Whitney Wolverine. It may also be an issue for the folks that came up w/ a drop-in Glock magwell, as they're dependent on the Olympic style ejector in the upper.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 1:15:24 AM EDT
[#26]
used to own one around 2000, was my 1st ar.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 2:22:06 AM EDT
[#27]
Never owned an oly branded rifle, but I too am sad to hear this.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 3:11:03 AM EDT
[#28]
*their
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Posted: 1/26/2017 3:25:52 AM EDT
[#29]
I've had quite a bit of Olympic branded stuff over the years and I had made a few friends there along the way. That said, as someone pointed out earlier, Tom Spithaler was a douche nozzle.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 3:40:52 AM EDT
[#30]
If you were in the game before 2001 you probably had some oly stuff. They made a hell of a barrel but there are better options for less money now. We owe them for driving the market during the dark days. It almost cancels out the way the fucked us with their stupid 7.62x39 pistol.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 4:33:41 AM EDT
[#31]
Having just looked at their web page, I wonder how they made it this long.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 4:42:41 AM EDT
[#32]
I built my first Oly rifle from a parts kit in 1986. Almost everything required some kind of fitting to get it assembled, but it was sure fun putting it all together.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 6:52:07 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't worry, there will be 50 more new AR manufacturers all offering the same scheisse before the year's end. You're new.... Nope, before when Obama was in and Hillary was a possible... everybody was buying parts as fast as possible. Lowers, etc. Trying to buy and build as many cheap rifles or acquire cheap parts as possible lead to a dip in innovation. Less war money didn't help either. And that the mil squared most everything away by 2010 for small arms. The only innovation has been with free floated handguards. Lightest, coolest looking, and new QD mounting styles. Lol. Spending $300 for a handguard and then $60 for an upper, $80 for a BCG or $150 for a nickel BCG for style, then a $100 barrel. This is what builds/buys have been looking like. I hate it. So now with Trump in, I think we'll see the little or crap quality ones die off. Big manufacturers have cheap rifles down, thanks to the crap quality companies. As for Oly, just one of the crap ones to go. Everyone knows that they make good barrels, crap guns. I'd bet they let a 'diverse' work force turn them into a committee style company. Can't think of why else they would be so slow to adapt. |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 6:54:21 AM EDT
[#34]
Also, my first AR was a used Olympic Centurion that I traded my Cetme in for. I was probably all of about 14-15 years old.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 8:52:20 AM EDT
[#35]
It definitely is sad to see an old company like them go, but I never bought their parts anyways. I have owned some over time, but not a company I looked at when making out an order. Compared to 10 years ago, or heck even 5 there are so many new AR companies out there that it's crazy. I remember when Model1 Sales was recommended so often as it was one of the only places that offered rifle kits.. and now you hardly ever hear them mentioned.
While I am sure the market has dropped quite a bit since the election.. I wouldn't doubt if it is still higher then it was a few years back. Obongo sure did a good job of creating lots of new gun owners in the U.S. and we all know once you get your first AR it's hard not to stay interested. I know a lot of them will probably only keep their 1-2 they bought before the election stashed away in their closet like others did in the early 90's with the Clinton administration and the cheap Mak90's, SKS's etc. I am sure the market would have been going crazy by now if Hillary had won.. but I still see a big market that isn't going to be plummeting anytime soon. Oly just didn't have anything to offer, that another company with a better reputation didn't already have. |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 10:34:31 AM EDT
[#36]
I'm not entirely sure how accurate this list currently remains, but is the Olympic on this list the same as OlyArms that is about to close?
https://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=216.0 If so, how will this affect the companies that get their lowers from Olympic? |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 10:49:25 AM EDT
[#37]
Been trying to call them for 2 days.
Keep getting a recording 'You are calling outside of business hours'. Even while calling during the day. I guess they are done. Too bad, I like their lefty-reversable FCG. Part # AR82L I wish they had inventory !!!!! 
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Posted: 1/26/2017 11:11:34 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Got a picture of the original or can you get one from bill? I'd really like to see a picture of the original. i'll ask him to do that when i see him at the local gun show in March. yeah, that does make it a historic piece i guess... |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 11:20:25 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm not entirely sure how accurate this list currently remains, but is the Olympic on this list the same as OlyArms that is about to close? https://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=216.0 If so, how will this affect the companies that get their lowers from Olympic? Most those are also gone. PSA would just source another manufacture. CD |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 12:02:22 PM EDT
[#40]
I always liked their logo
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Posted: 1/26/2017 12:07:13 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Also, my first AR was a used Olympic Centurion that I traded my Cetme in for. I was probably all of about 14-15 years old. My dad gave me a choice when I was 15 on an Ar rifle. He said you can either have this Oly arms (which was cheaper at $399) or we can spend a little more and get this Colt A2 ($699) (My memory is bad so it might have either been cheaper or more expensive ..lol). I voted for the Colt. I still have that Colt. I still think of my dad every time I shoot it |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 3:21:53 PM EDT
[#42]
in 1978 i bought my first SP1 carbine for around $350
still have it.... |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 3:38:09 PM EDT
[#43]
I'm sure SOTA, Radical Firearms, GunTec, and Bear Creek will replace them with higher quality parts.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 4:01:56 PM EDT
[#44]
bu...bye.
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Posted: 1/26/2017 4:17:35 PM EDT
[#45]
This is sad. My first AR was an Oly. It's a crappy cast lower with a barrel that isn't chrome-lined, but out of the thousands of rounds of ammo I fired, including the cheapest crap I could find, I can't remember it jamming a single time. The only problem I have with it is that the buffer hits the buffer stop pin, and I've had to replace it a couple of times over the past 15 years. Even then, that didn't cause a problem firing it. It just became difficult to disassemble.z
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Posted: 1/26/2017 5:14:00 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I always liked their logo I never owned one but I always liked it too. Cool "coat of arms" style. |
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Posted: 1/26/2017 5:15:37 PM EDT
[#47]
Holy shit...no more stainless Olympic Ultra Match barrels?
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Posted: 1/26/2017 5:17:56 PM EDT
[#48]
Oly and Colt were the first AR brand available over here in Italy..
Olys used to be quite common due to the lower price and more models offering compared to Colt.. Quality was not great at all but their SUM barrels were very accurate. They were the first to offer a XM177-ish AR and those crazy Stubby carbines with 7.5" barrels.. If I'm not mistaken they also got a govt contract to supply training rifles to the USAF 
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Posted: 1/26/2017 6:10:50 PM EDT
[#49]
Will Oly receiver prices go up for their collectors value?
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Posted: 1/26/2017 8:16:22 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Will Oly receiver prices go up for their collectors value? Reveivers I don't think so. Now the various pistol caliber conversions that they make that most others don't along with the magazines for them? Yea I could see those going up. |
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