Olympic Arms Plinker

[topmaul 42]

I bought an AR from a guy in Portsmouth Va today. It was made in April of 2004 and I paid 550.00 it came with the case, a red dot site, muzzle break, spring kit, 2 mags one 30 rd full of ammo, one 10 rd, and a bipod. After a closer examination it has not been fired much but the rear site is broken I found it in a box that the red dot site came in. Suggested retail is 599.00 this rear site thing has me really upset. The reciever is cast I can send it to Olympic Arms and they will put a forged one on for 150.00 maybe down the road. So what is the verdict did I screw up or not? I have heard some negitive things about Olympic Arms quality I hope this proves to be unfounded, I plan to put a bunch of rounds through this rifle.

[Bvamp 604]

picture is needed, if you want me to answer you. I am not sure I follow you exactly as to what broke. what upper? A1? or a2? I assume its not an A3 or A4 upper.... where specifically is it broken? pic pic pic. you spend 550 on a gun, so i assume you can afford a 100 dollar digital camera

[topmaul 42]

It's an A-2 upper. I found the parts in shotgun news and it will cost $2.50 plus shipping no big deal. What is the problem with OLY AR's? Exactly what is wrong with them? I do have a Cast Lower reciever. I'll post a photo when I get home.

[Viceman 0]

There is nothing wrong with Olympic arms.They are a quailty company with great customer service.They are the only AR builder that makes most of it own parts in house.They had some problems with some of the first cast lowers but they were all exchanged.The quailty of thier rifles is top rate.They always fit tight and shoot great.There is stuff all over the web about how bad Oly. arms is but you most take it with a grain of salt.It's always someone friends grilfriend uncles that had a problem with and oly. rifle never the person bashing it.Here is a web address that is great for Oly. rifles.www.oa2.org/forums/

This site will give you great info on your rifle and the company.Hope this helps and good luck with your rifle.

[topmaul 42]

That is what I wanted to hear!!! Thanks. I assume the castings are getting better? And your right it's always "this guy I know" If it happend to me you can be I would make a big deal about it.

[Viceman 0]

You have nothing to worry about the cast reciever on your rifle.Your rifle was made in April 2004 near the end of the cast recievers.They are the best of the cast recievers.The cast recievers that were bad were made in the 1980's.Shoot the crap out of it and watch a see it is as good as all of those other Ar for a good price.

[topmaul 42]

Vice,

My son and I use the same gun for competitions so it gets twice the use my Saiga holds up well never a problem, My .45 is at the doctor right now. I hope my AR works as well as my saiga.

[napoleon 0]

I would expect this rifle to hold up pretty well. I have no experience with olympic, but from what I've seen from a friend's olypmic was a tight mag well issue. Other than that it works fine. I wouldn't expect any AR to hold up as well as a saiga though. I just use my AR for target shooting. SHTF, I'd go for the Saiga.

[topmaul 42]

Well I fired my OLY today firing off hand at 25 yards I put most of my shots into a 2 inch group I only had time to fire around 30 well aimed rounds, I was there to get ready for an IDPA match tomarrow night and concentrated on pistol shooting. I wish one time I could shoot as well in competition as I do in practice. Well the Oly had only one misque but that could have been operator error. I squeezed the trigger and it went click It looks like the bolt was not fully engaged, I KNOW that is what the forward assist is for. Well I could not pull the charging handle back there was a live round it the gun. I pulled the rear take down pin opened the action cocked the hammer and put the gun back together and it fired. I have to admit I was using Wolf ammo when I finished all that Wolf stuff and started using American Ammo no more problems. The gun shoots well as for reliabity that well remaint to be seen. My Saiga is getting converted and should be ready soon.

Merry Christmas to you and yours

[Bvamp 604]

Id offer you my fresh car15 stock spring, but its the wrong length. get a new buffer spring and try that. clean out the locking area REAL good in the chamber yada yada yada......also, if you think there are a lot of rounds down it, try a new firing pin last as well....

 

next time you need to clear the gun topmaul....try this

 

take the mag out. smack the buttplate into the ground. out comes the round. this will also remove a lodged casing or round that you cannot advance that has engaged the bolt head, and even then, after a couple whacks should remove the round anyway even if its not engaged fully. dont break the charging handle by pulling on it, as you seem to know. also, the ejection port and magazine well should be pointed away from yourself and any bystanders, and the muzzle should be slightly away from you, so that if a round does go off, it lands downrange and not on your head. this might save your time in a match if you have to use it, btw. learn how to do it with confidence. dent a spent shell's shoulder and jam it in there and try it....

[Bvamp 604]

if that round had gone off from a fizzled primer when you had the gun open in that manner, you WOULD have been hurt....the way i suggest you try above will prevent that. Also, get the round AWAY from ya'll. it could still go off. you know all that anyhow, just saying that for the troops

[topmaul 42]

Well I have had it to the range four of five times and it shoots very well no misfires or jams so I'm happy as can be it shoots as well as the higher priced guns I put a scope on it and an raised cheek rest out of shotgun news. I can't be happier with it.

[Spooge 0]

Well I fired my OLY today firing off hand at 25 yards I put most of my shots into a 2 inch group I only had time to fire around 30 well aimed rounds, I was there to get ready for an IDPA match tomarrow night and concentrated on pistol shooting. I wish one time I could shoot as well in competition as I do in practice. Well the Oly had only one misque but that could have been operator error. I squeezed the trigger and it went click It looks like the bolt was not fully engaged, I KNOW that is what the forward assist is for. Well I could not pull the charging handle back there was a live round it the gun. I pulled the rear take down pin opened the action cocked the hammer and put the gun back together and it fired. I have to admit I was using Wolf ammo when I finished all that Wolf stuff and started using American Ammo no more problems. The gun shoots well as for reliabity that well remaint to be seen. My Saiga is getting converted and should be ready soon.

Merry Christmas to you and yours

I have an Olympic Arms lower (PCR ) reciever. I put an AR together with it and only had problems with extraction, ejection with the Wolf ammo. When I changed to American made, problems gone. I've only shot about 150-200 rnds through it, so it probably needs more " Break in" time. Good luck and enjoy the rifle.

[Guest MATT]

BE CAREFUL WITH THAT WOLF AMMO. IT'S LACQUER COATED AND THAT LACQUER WILL MELT IN A HOT CHAMBER AND COOL LEAVING YOUR CHAMBER COATED IN UNCLEANABLE LACQUER CAUSING FEEDING AND EJECTION PROBLEMS. CHECK OUT THE AMMO WARNING ON OLYARMS.COM. SAVE THE WOLF FOR YOUR AK.

[Bvamp 604]

i believe that is why wolf changed its laquer recently. I dont care either way. anything is removeable with proper chemicals and elbow grease

[J A 0]

Olympic Arms got a bad rep for their use of non mil spec barrels and non 5.56 chambers. They sold the cheapest AR rifle and the cheapest rifle kits but they had problems with reliabilty due to the barrels not being chrome lined. This is the reason they say you can't use laquered case ammo in their rifles.

The laquer used on the cases really had nothing to do with it. It was the excessive amount of bullet and primer sealer applied to the Wolf 223 ammo. As you can see by the arrows in the pic the sealer has run down on to the neck of the case and the body. In the ruff as a cob non chrome lined chambers of Olympic Arms barrels the sealer melts in a hot barrel. This incresed the exstraction force needed to eject the case from the chamber to way more than the AR rifle was designed to provide.

 

[Salmonaxe 0]

Also the steel case on wolf is more prone to splitting, which screws up extraction...

 

I've had more than one time where I was shooting wolf, had a failure, tried to do a clearing drill, and the case wouldn't extract without excessive force on the charging handle. Steel has a much harder time forming to the chamber, so if the case is a little out of spec, it has the possibility of not going fully into battery.

 

Also, Wolf isn't that accurate... I only bought it because i was uber poor. It worked, but if you have a bit extra cash around, it's better to buy brass. I ussually get Federal XM193 at the gun show, and it's really great stuff! If anything buy some Winchester Whitebox at Wallyworld. I'd also stay away from Olympic ammo(greek stuff?), and Polymer cased stuff.... I've seen both fail many many times. The olympic was way out of spec with visible case deformation and the crimps really sucked.... Polymer tended to leave the case neck still in the chamber on extraction.... Bad stuff...

 

(my 2 cents)

[klangblades 0]

I've shot an oly supermatch, iit was more accurate than me. fit between upper and lower was a little loose remedied by the accuwedge. I have seeen lots of problems with wolf .223 in ar-15's, ar 180's, of varying make, not just oly's. Seem's if the chamber is on the tight side of tolerance the wolf sticks. Shoot brass!

[Bvamp 604]

ive never once had a problem with wolf in my eagle. i wonder if it being chambered 5.56mm instead of .223 makes any difference?

[vjor 2]

I have use wolf on my AR15 and have worked fine to this day, just really

cheap surplus ammo that I got at gun show give me a ton of problems, and

some old PMC at range, apart from that it have digested a lot of stuff, including

win, Rem and S&B etc, Like B say it is chamber for 5.56 mm and not

just .223, plus chrome line, remember it, military weapons have loosen tolerances than regular sporting guns for what I can remember, them I am really getting

old timers and forgetting a lot of stuff LOL! I have to get one day a go, no go

and field head space gauges if I keep my gun.

 

In the other hand, my friend Identically AR15 has some problems with wolf

on a plinking day, at the field of cans and bottles, this AR15 got jam 2 times

of about 300 rounds of wolf and about 150 of S&B, none was jam after shooting

the wolf, I do not know if you can blame the ammo for it, or is just the gun

that is a little picking bich when it comes to ammo it chooses to shoot

any way, any gun that likes to pick the ammo it likes to shoot,

I do not think is worth to be taken too seriously, remember it, the day will come

that you can call for it, and it will fail to do what it supposed to do, because it

do not like the only ammo you have on hand that day.

 

That is purely for the point of view of some one that can use it for fieldwork

or can count on it on the field, but I guess for shooting at the range and

just plain plinking is a great gun if you do not mine looking for the right ammo

for it, with out the worry of have to use it with whatever ammo you can get

your hands on, because is not other stuff to choose from.

 

 

And I know, every body loves there AR15 including me, but what can you

say if it just likes to pick the right ammo it shoots.

Edited April 2, 2005 by vjor

[Onepoint 0]

I had some trouble with FTE in one of my ARs. That was fixed with a new extractor spring, no more troubles, and neither one of mine are chrome lined.

 

 

Just like in my saiga the only thing ammo brand effects is accuracy.

[Wolverine 10,360]

Gents,

 

On the subject of Olympic Arms AR's, are they less costly than Bushmaster, Colt, etc. because they are an import (from Greece I believe)? How does the quality and performance compare to other AR's?

 

Just curious as it seems like an economical choice for getting into an AR.

 

Wolverine

[Bvamp 604]

the Eagles are a pretty fair price as well, considering they are a division of armalite and are true mil spec guns. ALL parts will interchange off other mil spec guns. not sure how those fancied up bolts and trigger groups transfer over to them, but then again, those arent mil spec now are they

[Viceman 0]

Olympic Arms rifles are build in Wasington state with all american parts.They build most of there parts in house also.They are a quailty AR for a good price.

Edited April 3, 2005 by Viceman

[Wolverine 10,360]

the Eagles are a pretty fair price as well, considering they are a division of armalite and are true mil spec guns. ALL parts will interchange off other mil spec guns. not sure how those fancied up bolts and trigger groups transfer over to them, but then again, those arent mil spec now are they

 

 

What $ range do the Eagles run in and where can they be found? Dunhams or a "real" gunshop, or off the WEB such as Gunbroker.

 

I know the Armalites and Bushmasters can run from $1-2k. Olympics seems to go for $500-$700. Do the Eagles cost compete with Olympic?

[Onepoint 0]

Eagle Arms bought the Armalite name a few years ago. They produce the Eagle line to compete in the bargain AR market. From what I have gathered, the lowers are the exact same as each other, other than engraving (eagle/armalite) The uppers differ though in that Eagle has no chrome lining, and Armalites are chromed lined.

 

All AR-15s are made in the USA, no one is importing them. There are some parts that were made over seas at one time like FN barrels and uppers, but that's about it.

 

There are more options besides the ABCs, RockRiver and DPMS are a couple companies who are putting out quality stuff, as well as Stag arms (CMT) and others.

 

Check out http://www.jtdistributing.com/ and http://www.title2.com/ for starters.

 

I would advise against Gunbroker unless you eiher know what you are buying or are getting a new one.

[Wolverine 10,360]

Thanks for the education Onepoint. Many years ago I was in the service. During the late days of VietNam. I was just a kid, 17-18 years old. I used an M-16. Didn't like it much. The friggin noise of the spring was a major distraction. I could actually night shoot better than in broad daylight for whatever reason. I think it was the sights. At night I would look down the length of the barrel and skip the front sights. Seemed to work good. Fortunately I also had a pistol and a 12 gauge shotgun. Also used a grenade launcher that strapped on to the M-16 based on the M-79. That experience was enough to get me to shy away from the M-16/AR-15 design. Now, more than 30 years later I am looking at them with some intrigue although I am more inclined to buy a quality HK .308 clone. Just testing the waters. You know. Thanks again.

 

Wolverine

 

Eagle Arms bought the Armalite name a few years ago.  They produce the Eagle line to compete in the bargain AR market. From what I have gathered, the lowers are the exact same as each other, other than engraving (eagle/armalite) The uppers differ though in that Eagle has no chrome lining, and Armalites are chromed lined.

 

All AR-15s are made in the USA, no one is importing them.  There are some parts that were made over seas at one time like FN barrels and uppers, but that's about it.

 

There are more options besides the ABCs, RockRiver and DPMS are a couple companies who are putting out quality stuff, as well as Stag arms (CMT) and others.

 

Check out http://www.jtdistributing.com/ and http://www.title2.com/ for starters.

 

I would advise against Gunbroker unless you eiher know what you are buying or are getting a new one.

[Bvamp 604]

oh, eagles run a little more than the olympics.....mine is your basic 20" A2, blah blah, runs about 700-800. you might find them cheaper, but not a whole lot cheaper.

 

AR's are one of those guns that you really have to be able to see and check the gun out if its used. if you dont know and trust who is selling it to you used, the tolerances are so tight on the thing that if it does have a problem, you arent going to be happy about the price of fixing it.

[Onepoint 0]

Heheh, they still have the sproing sound to them. But its a good thing, because it you dont hear it, something isnt working.

 

ARs have progressed almost 2 generations worth since the SP1 M-16s and Vietnam.

 

Tighter twists, better apertures and a ton of aftremarket stuff to adjust them to taste.

 

I can sure relate though, I bought a L1A1 figureing that would cure the hankering for the over priced AR. Instead I just have both now.

[KySoldier 2]

I like my Eagle AR, 16in A3 style with muzzle break.

How's that L1A1 working out for you? Is it an inch pattern made by Century?