Olympic Arms

Olympic Arms was an American firearms manufacturer and marketer based in Olympia, Washington. The company developed from Schuetzen Gun Works, a barrel-making business founded by Robert Charles Schuetz in 1956 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Schuetz had previously worked in partnership with gunsmith P. O. Ackley, and the early business concentrated on rifle barrels and barrel blanks. After relocating to Olympia in 1975, the company expanded into complete custom bolt-action rifles while continuing to use the Schuetzen Gun Works name for that side of the business. The Olympic Arms identity became associated primarily with AR-15 and M16-pattern firearms. Beginning in 1982, Schuetzen Gun Works manufactured AR-15-style rifles and components under the Olympic Arms name, while custom bolt-action products continued under the SGW brand. Olympic Arms became notable for offering configurations and features that later became common in the broader AR-style firearms market. Its product development included free-floating aluminum handguards, pistol-caliber conversions, AR-based pistols, and firearms chambered for cartridges beyond the standard 5.56×45mm NATO/.223 Remington family. The company was an early commercial supplier of AR-style firearms in several alternative calibers, including 9×19mm, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, 7.62×39mm, and Winchester Super Short Magnum cartridges. Its catalog included rifles, carbines, pistols, upper and lower components, and other parts associated with the AR-15 platform. Olympic Arms also manufactured products outside the AR pattern. In late 1987 it acquired the Phoenix, Arizona-based M-S Safari Arms operation and retained the Safari Arms name for its M1911-style pistols. By January 2004, those 1911-pattern products were being manufactured at Olympic Arms' Olympia facility. In 2002, the company revived the Whitney Wolverine, a .22 Long Rifle pistol originally associated with the 1950s Whitney design. The modern version used a black polymer frame rather than the blue-finished aluminum-alloy frame of the original. This gave Olympic Arms a product line with historical and collector interest in addition to its central AR-oriented business. Olympic Arms also became involved in a prominent policy dispute concerning New York's firearms legislation. In February 2013, after New York enacted an assault-weapons law, the company announced that it would stop selling its products to New York law-enforcement officers and agencies. The announcement reflected the company's stated opposition to the law and became one of the more visible public actions associated with the brand. The company announced in January 2017 that February 28, 2017 would be its final day of operation after more than four decades in business under the Olympic Arms identity. It nevertheless continued limited parts sales and order fulfillment for a period afterward. Operations ultimately ended in 2020 following the death of founder Robert Charles Schuetz on May 22 of that year. Olympic Arms is therefore a defunct firearms brand whose historical significance rests especially on its long-running AR-15 manufacturing, early adoption of alternative AR calibers and configurations, Safari Arms 1911 products, and revival of the Whitney Wolverine.

Olympic Arms originated as Schuetzen Gun Works, founded by Robert Charles Schuetz in 1956 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The company initially specialized in manufacturing rifle barrels and barrel blanks. Schuetz had previously been in business with the gunsmith P. O. Ackley, and the firm's early identity was connected to custom gunsmithing and precision rifle work rather than mass-market firearms. In 1975, Schuetzen Gun Works moved to Olympia, Washington. The relocation preceded a broadening of the business: while barrels and barrel blanks remained important, the company also began producing complete custom bolt-action rifles. These custom rifles continued to be associated with the SGW name even after the company developed a separate commercial identity for its semiautomatic firearms. That second identity emerged in 1982, when the company began manufacturing AR-15 and M16-pattern rifles and components under the Olympic Arms name. Olympic Arms eventually became the better-known brand for the company's semiautomatic rifles, carbines, pistols, and parts. It developed or commercialized several features and configurations that later became familiar throughout the AR-style firearms market, including free-floating aluminum handguards, pistol-caliber conversions, and AR-based pistols. The company also offered chamberings beyond the conventional 5.56×45mm cartridge. Its early offerings included AR-style firearms in 9×19mm, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, 7.62×39mm, and Winchester Super Short Magnum cartridges. Olympic Arms expanded beyond its AR-oriented catalog through an acquisition in late 1987. It purchased M-S Safari Arms of Phoenix, Arizona, and continued to market the M1911-style pistol products under the Safari Arms name. By January 2004, the manufacture of those 1911-pattern products had been consolidated at the Olympic Arms facility in Olympia. This gave the company a second recognizable pistol identity while preserving a connection with the custom and enthusiast-oriented firearms market. The company also revived the Whitney Wolverine in 2002. The original Whitney pistol dated from the 1950s and was chambered for .22 Long Rifle. Olympic Arms' version retained the basic historical concept but used a black polymer frame instead of the original pistol's blue-finished aluminum-alloy frame. The revival complemented the company's modern sporting-firearms business with a historically styled rimfire product. In February 2013, Olympic Arms made a political and commercial statement in response to New York firearms legislation. The company announced that it would stop selling its products to New York law-enforcement officers and agencies after the state enacted an assault-weapons ban. The action did not represent a conventional product launch or corporate expansion; it was a policy-based restriction on sales that linked the brand publicly to opposition to the legislation. After more than forty years of operation, Olympic Arms announced in January 2017 that February 28 of that year would be its final day. The company did not immediately disappear from the market: it continued selling parts and fulfilling some orders on a limited basis until 2020. Its operations ended after Schuetz died on May 22, 2020, aged 91, from cancer. Olympic Arms is now defunct. Its historical record is primarily associated with American AR-15 manufacturing, unusual caliber options, early AR-style pistol and conversion work, Safari Arms 1911 pistols, and the Whitney Wolverine revival.

• 2020

  Operations cease

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  The company ends all operations after the death of founder Robert Charles Schuetz on May 22.

• 2017

  Regular operations are scheduled to end

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  Olympic Arms announces that February 28 will be its final day of regular operation, though limited activity continues afterward.

• 2013

  New York law-enforcement sales restriction

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  The company announces that it will no longer sell products to New York law-enforcement officers or agencies after the state's adoption of an assault-weapons ban.

• 2004

  Safari Arms production is consolidated in Olympia

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  By January, Olympic Arms is manufacturing all of its 1911-style products at the Olympia facility.

• 2002

  Whitney Wolverine revival

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  Olympic Arms revives the Whitney Wolverine as a .22 Long Rifle pistol using a black polymer frame.

• 1987

  Safari Arms operation is acquired

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  Olympic Arms purchases M-S Safari Arms of Phoenix, Arizona, adding Safari Arms M1911-style pistols to its product portfolio.

• 1982

  Olympic Arms enters AR-15 manufacturing

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  The company begins producing AR-15 and M16-pattern rifles and components under the Olympic Arms name while retaining SGW for custom bolt-action rifles.

• 1975

  The company relocates to Olympia

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  Schuetzen Gun Works moves to Olympia, Washington, and expands from barrels into complete custom bolt-action rifles.

• 1956

  Schuetzen Gun Works is founded

  [1]Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Charles Schuetz establishes Schuetzen Gun Works in Colorado Springs, Colorado, initially focusing on rifle barrels and barrel blanks.

A specialist American firearms manufacturer focused on AR-15-pattern rifles, carbines, pistols, components, and nonstandard caliber configurations, with additional heritage in rifle barrels, custom bolt-action rifles, M1911-style pistols, and the Whitney Wolverine revival.

• Rifles · 1982

  AR-15 and M16-pattern rifles

  Olympic Arms' principal product family consisted of semiautomatic rifles based on the AR-15 and M16 pattern. The company produced complete firearms as well as associated components and offered configurations beyond the standard 5.56×45mm chambering. Its AR-oriented business formed the core of the brand's identity from the early 1980s until operations ended.

• Firearms

  AR-15-pattern carbines and pistols

  The company manufactured compact AR-pattern carbines and AR-based pistols, including configurations designed around pistol cartridges. Olympic Arms was an early participant in the commercial development of AR-style pistols and pistol-caliber conversions, helping distinguish its catalog from manufacturers focused only on conventional rifle configurations.

• Firearms

  Alternative-caliber AR-style firearms

  Olympic Arms offered AR-style firearms in a broad selection of chamberings, including 9×19mm, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, 7.62×39mm, and Winchester Super Short Magnum. These products positioned the company as an early specialist in adapting the AR platform to cartridges outside the conventional .223 Remington and 5.56×45mm market.

• Pistols · 1987

  Safari Arms M1911-style pistols

  Safari Arms was the retained brand for M1911, Series 70-style pistols acquired through Olympic Arms' purchase of M-S Safari Arms. These products extended the company's portfolio into the established 1911 pistol category, with production eventually carried out at Olympic Arms' Olympia facility.

• Rimfire pistol · 2002

  Whitney Wolverine

  The Whitney Wolverine was revived by Olympic Arms in 2002 as a .22 Long Rifle pistol. The modern version was visually and materially differentiated from the original 1950s design by its black polymer frame, replacing the original's blue-finished aluminum-alloy frame.

• Rifles · 1975

  Custom bolt-action rifles

  Before and alongside the Olympic Arms semiautomatic firearms business, Schuetzen Gun Works produced complete custom bolt-action rifles. These rifles remained associated with the SGW name, reflecting the company's original barrel-making and custom gunsmithing heritage.

• 2017

  Announce the end of regular businessStrategy

  Background

  After more than four decades of business, Olympic Arms announced that it would close its regular operations.

  Action taken

  The company stated that February 28, 2017 would be its last day of operation.

  Aftermath

  Limited parts sales and order fulfillment continued until the company finally ceased operations in 2020.

  Source

• 2013

  Restrict sales to New York law enforcementStrategy

  Background

  New York enacted an assault-weapons ban, prompting Olympic Arms to take a public position against the legislation.

  Action taken

  In February 2013, the company announced that it would no longer sell its products to New York law-enforcement officers or agencies.

  Aftermath

  The announcement became a notable public policy action associated with Olympic Arms. The available reference material does not establish its financial effect or duration beyond the announced restriction.

  Source

1. 1Olympic Armsen.wikipedia.org