Olympic arms closing doors

[Tactically Fat]

I'm curious as to how the smaller manufacturers are going to survive. Hopefully they can adapt and continue on.

It depends on what you count as a manufacturer.

There are only a few actual manufacturers of the major components out there. Like 3-5 big companies that make 90% of the lowers. Same with the "regular" barrels. Olympic may very well have been (be?) one of those actual "turn ingot Aluminum into components" businesses - but I have no idea.

The littler guys, the guys who make the boutique and super high-end stuff will still be cranking out their high end stuff because there's a market for them.

Who is going to "hurt" are the middle-men "assemblers" of all the parts. Maybe.

As production techniques are becoming more refined and automated, surviving makers of components will be able to easily keep up with demand. Especially since the US .mil machine still needs/wants a ton of AR stuff... And there are over 50 nations that also use the plat form in some official category or another (though I don't know if there are manufacturing companies in other parts of the world that service others. I wouldn't see why there wouldn't be with how simple things are)

The AR market will survive this. And so will gun owners.

 

[Trigger Time]

They have made piece of **** rifles for a long time. But they had announced some new contracts lately so im thinking this is an ATF problem rather than a money one. We will find out soon im guessing. But you dont go to shot show and secure new deals and contracts and then out of the blue the next week announce youre closing shop unless other factors are in play

 

[worddoer]

As I understand it, Oly was a true manufacturer. They made most of the components of their rifles in house on their own equipment. So this is not just a loss of an assembler, but a manufacturer. However there are now more companies who manufacture parts compared to 2004 when the AR market caught fire after the AWB sunset. I don't think this will make any impact to the larger AR community.

I will admit, when I bought my Oly's (2006 & 2007), I was completely new to AR's. At that time, It was hard to find any AR's in the gun shops under $1,000. And it seemed to me as if Oly was the only budget AR game in town back then. At least at the gun shops I visited.

If I was starting now, there are far more and better choices. I would not choose Oly again. Honestly, I would probably choose a M&P15 of some variant. They seem to be a great value and well built.....for the price.

It does seems like Oly did not keep up with the times. Although, they did have a niche market in boutique caliber AR's for hunters, they did not update their standard caliber AR's. Because they were not willing to update their manufacturing processes and materials used, they were left behind.

Another company I have been noticing this same inaction from is Rock River. They were once a large name in the AR world and were innovative. However, at least based on my observations, it seems that in the last 7 or so years, they have not been innovating much and they are drifting into obscurity. Will Rock River be on the chopping block in 2017?

These were old companies that lived through the AWB. During the AWB, anyone who was bold enough to make AR's usually was profitable. But now these companies must adapt or they will die out. This is the nature of the free market. Which only brings newer, better and less expensive products to us consumers. This is how the world should work.

Good news for me is....it's an AR. Parts are dirt cheap now and plentiful. Even without my lifetime warrenty, it will be easy to keep my standard caliber AR's running. For those with the boutique caliber AR's......you are on your own now. Good luck.

I hope all of those who are now unemployed are able to find suitable employment elsewhere.

 

[Leo]

Did a quick google search. Looks like Stag is still in business.

Good to know, last I heard the BATF pulled their plug. I have purchased Stag and was happy, plus they made a true mirror image left handed one for the south paws.

 

[aztec777]

My SGW/OLY "stop sign" AR has been a workhorse for many years now. Some of there newer stuff wasn't so impressive. I'm sorry to see them go. I thought the guy at Stag pretty much did himself in. Are they back in business?

 

[Tactically Fat]

Good to know, last I heard the BATF pulled their plug. I have purchased Stag and was happy, plus they made a true mirror image left handed one for the south paws.

White Wolf Capital bought Stag in Feb 2016. Apparently they're continuing to manufacture/make/assemble/whatever stuff - but it's a different company on paper.

 

[Clay]

Meh. They were pretty much soley responsible for the restriction on importation of cheap 7.62x39 back in the mid 90s.

 

[Hkindiana]

Just think how much money they would be making right now if the Hildebeast had won the election. So, is Trump responsible for the employees losing their jobs, lol?

 

[thunderchicken]

As mentioned previously, I still have an Oly and so far have had good luck with it. On range trips it has performed equally well as a good friends Rock River. Anyhow, seems several others have had some issues. So what kind of issues/problems have you folks had?

 

[dsol]

Meh. They were pretty much soley responsible for the restriction on importation of cheap 7.62x39 back in the mid 90s.

This. I am pretty sure John Ross (the writer of Unintended Consequences) wrote that the people at Olympic Arms were begged not to make the AK pistol. As soon as it was produced, the cheap steel core surplus was instantly declared armor piercing pistol ammo. Vendors with pallets of the stuff suddenly could not sell it and had to eat the cost. And the stuff is just mild steel core, not hardened. I do not think it will penetrate a Kevlar vest any better than a regular FMJ 7.62x39. I miss the days of $89 1440 round crates, shot the stuff like 22lr back in the day. Still have 1-1/2 cases of the stuff, but it is worth so much more on the market than Golden Tiger, I hate to shoot it. I would trade a case of the stuff for a couple Golden Tiger cases any day myself.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

As I understand it, Oly was a true manufacturer. They made most of the components of their rifles in house on their own equipment. So this is not just a loss of an assembler, but a manufacturer. However there are now more companies who manufacture parts compared to 2004 when the AR market caught fire after the AWB sunset. I don't think this will make any impact to the larger AR community.

I will admit, when I bought my Oly's (2006 & 2007), I was completely new to AR's. At that time, It was hard to find any AR's in the gun shops under $1,000. And it seemed to me as if Oly was the only budget AR game in town back then. At least at the gun shops I visited.

If I was starting now, there are far more and better choices. I would not choose Oly again. Honestly, I would probably choose a M&P15 of some variant. They seem to be a great value and well built.....for the price.

It does seems like Oly did not keep up with the times. Although, they did have a niche market in boutique caliber AR's for hunters, they did not update their standard caliber AR's. Because they were not willing to update their manufacturing processes and materials used, they were left behind.

Another company I have been noticing this same inaction from is Rock River. They were once a large name in the AR world and were innovative. However, at least based on my observations, it seems that in the last 7 or so years, they have not been innovating much and they are drifting into obscurity. Will Rock River be on the chopping block in 2017?

These were old companies that lived through the AWB. During the AWB, anyone who was bold enough to make AR's usually was profitable. But now these companies must adapt or they will die out. This is the nature of the free market. Which only brings newer, better and less expensive products to us consumers. This is how the world should work.

Good news for me is....it's an AR. Parts are dirt cheap now and plentiful. Even without my lifetime warrenty, it will be easy to keep my standard caliber AR's running. For those with the boutique caliber AR's......you are on your own now. Good luck.

I hope all of those who are now unemployed are able to find suitable employment elsewhere.

Cars & Guns: A Look at Rock River Arms - Guns & Ammo

 

[indyjohn]

George Michael died?

 

[Bapak2ja]

On the other side of the coin, there is a limit to any market. Think about it, doesn't everyone who wants one have 5 or 6 by now? It is not like they are consumables. Anything short of outright abuse, they last a long time.

Short answer, no. Many are yet to buy their first, or only have one. Many have been out of work, or working three jobs just to keep the house and kids fed while looking for a job with a livable wage. Now that it appears things are changing, some of these folks may have some disposable income to purchase their first AR, even a low-end model would be a step forward for these folks.

 

[NinnJinn]

Any good deals on the way out?

For their pistol chambered AR-15's, parts, and mags, As of Today, No. Still same price as 2yrs ago.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Hate to see them go, I have one of their guns and have only had 1 issue with it and it was my fault. Shoots great and is extremely accurate.

 

[NinnJinn]

3yrs ago, I bought an Oly AR upper chambered in 40sw, After a year of "tinkering" with multiple sten magazines using the mag block I gave up. After a year of collecting dust, My Uncle dropped $64 shipped for 1 Oly 20rd magazine and gave it to me for my birthday. I haven't had any problems with it since. However, due to the stiffness of the magazine spring, Me getting more than 12rds loaded in it was practically impossible. lol My uncle (Retired Federal firearms instructor) would be persistent enough to get 18 before he gave up. lol So to say the least less than 300rds has been fired through it.

Now that Olympic Arms is closing, For the fear of the magazine becoming useless therefore causing the upper to be useless, I forced myself to drop $265 and change to get 4 more magazines and a magazine loader that I didn't know was available..... Hopefully this summer, It will see a lot of use. Guess I better dust off the ol loading press and start cranking out the 40sw ammo.

I really hope there are no problems with my order since they are no longer offering warranties.

 

[throttletony]

This is sad news. I remember they were one of the companies to offer different chamberings in the AR platform before it "was cool" (more notably, a wide variety of styles and patterns in AR)
In my experience, they were one of the first shops that had a high degree of customizability before the tacti-cool craze set in over the last 5 years.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Had my Oly for years, it is my long range AR. Had it engraved with my name on the lower at the factory, part of a "Friends of the NRA" gunapalosa in Shelbyville few years ago. Never had an issue with my Oly and busted more than my share of prairie dogs in Wyoming.

 

[Hohn]

Just think how much money they would be making right now if the Hildebeast had won the election. So, is Trump responsible for the employees losing their jobs, lol?

It's OK-- trump is going to slap a 10000000% tax in russian steel case to make american ammo great again.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

This thread is 4 pages and no one is screaming "Traitors!" at Olympic?

INGO has lost its Lunatic Fringe, or is really bad at history (well, there is AND).