Olympic Arms To Close

[speedreed]

I just received an Email that said that after 40 years Olympic Arms is closing its doors. That's a shame. I have one of their products and have been quite pleased with it.

 

[BearBrimstone]

I don't believe I have ever owned one of their products, but it is always sad to lose someone in the firearms industry.

 

[Justin]

They were a low-end manufacturer with a reputation for rifles that didn't always run. Charging low prices for entry-level rifles was a sustainable niche when they were one of maybe five companies, but now that most AR companies have rifles that run the gamut from entry-level to high end, it's really not all that surprising.

 

[RainDodger]

Be careful calling them "low end". Shuetzen Gun Works (sp?) was known for extremely high quality barrels when the company was founded initially as SGW. I have an early SGW/Olympic AR from the 1970s that works every bit as well as any today and is likely more accurate than many. Perhaps QA suffered in later years, but I know others with Oly ARs that are quite happy with them. I for one, am sorry to see any manufacturer go!

 

[Ks5shooter]

A shame the AR market got very competitive.

 

[bikemutt]

Bummer. I have a 7.62x39 Oly upper that's the most accurate rifle I have chambered for that cartridge.

But, ARs are a dime a dozen now.

 

[Jackal]

They were offering basic rifles at a price point of $900. They had a very boring lineup, refused to keep up with the times and let the market pass them by. The fact that they ruined their reputation with cast receivers didnt help either.

 

[Saleen322]

Also sad to see them go. Back in the beginning, they sold rifle barrels along with the AR stuff. I still have 3 of their stainless barrels; two in 308 and one in 308 Norma Magnum. All are great shooters even after all of these years. At my old job they had two Olympic 9mm AR carbines. They were accurate and durable. I still have an Olympic AR that was my son's service match rifle. It too was and still is a shooter. 100 yards and less all ARs look good but the Olympics still look good at the 600 yard prone stage.

 

[LiveLife]

Proliferation of ARs is like proliferation of 1911s.

Many small 1911 manufacturers closed due to increase in competition and quality.

 

[salt&battery]

I think Olympic arms was the only one to make a 22-250 AR

 

[NWcityguy2]

I bought one of their Pre-ban ARs back when there was a ban. I liked it and it never gave me a problem, but one day I found out that Pre-ban still mattered in the state of Connecticut, so I got my money back out of it. I think too much was made of the fact that they made cast receivers. When I bought mine, which was made before 1994, it was forged. Very few people, including myself, have even seen one in real life, let alone owned one. Olympic also provided all the information necessary to determine in the receiver in question was cast or forged.

However, budget features, such as a "long life non-chromed bore" or a mystery meat BCG just isn't going to get it done in 2017. I also remembered all the contact surfaces of my trigger group to be phosphated. It wouldn't surprise me to see several more AR companies fold without a buying panic in sight for the next 4 years. When many popular components in the AR world haven't been improved upon in decades, and big companies can flood the market with high quality parts, it's going to winnow the field.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

prices have tanked on ars and id bet all the manufactures are hurting about now. I owned a couple of the older olys and wasn't to impressed. I think that's why they don't sell today. To many remember there early crap. Ive shot a few of there newer guns and there every bit as good as a bushmaster, dpms or any other of the entry guns. Probably a bit to late to salvage there reputation though. Was a time in the near past that ANY ar was in demand. Now isn't that time.

 

[JohnMc]

Bummer from my view as well. I have a .25 WSSM upper which is rather nice, this company led that charge, as far as I know. Yes, Dtech ones are probably better.

 

[bannockburn]

As I wrote in another thread about Olympic Arms I have one of their older AR receivers (I believe it's marked SGW-Olympic Arms), and it's been a decent buy for the money. Overall quality is very good and I have had no problems with it over the years. Friend of mine has one of their Pre-Ban rifles and it too has been a dependable performer for him though accuracy has only been so-so despite numerous upgrades to get it to group better.

 

[RainDodger]

If your SGW / Oly arms AR is the same as mine which was manufactured in 1979, the lower is likely milled billet aluminum. Very nicely made, actually! Mine is an A2.

 

[bannockburn]

RainDodger

Your AR receiver sounds a lot like mine, about the same time period I began assembling components for my XM177 E2 build. The upper was probably made by Bushmaster and the folding stock, BCG, and a whole lot of 20 round magazines were from Colt.