A Visit With Killer Innovations

Seeing somebody take some incredible risks to realize a vision and build a successful business is a story that we can never get enough of. Such is the case with the founding of Killer Innovations by co-owners Rick Olsen, John Wagster, and Ron Hertel. Rick’s is a familiar story – he was enjoying success in one industry, but it was not enjoyable. A lot of folks take incremental steps in order to follow their passions, but not Rick and his two business partners. They literally jumped into the deep end of the pool with the purchase of a six figure CNC center that none of them knew how to use. Fast forward, and it only took a year for Killer Innovations to outgrow their first 2,400 square foot shop next to Rick’s house, and given the current rate of growth they will soon outgrow their current 10,000 square foot facility.

Rick demonstrates how designs get translated into reality

Rick has been working with 3D models since the age of 14. He could create detailed models on the computer but wanted to bring these product ideas to life. As he was was working on some unique designs and pursuing a number of patents, he wanted full control of the process and didn’t want to sub-contract his designs. Business plans were drafted, but Rick and his partners could not get financing as they didn’t have the required experience. Propelled by their vision, they pooled their personal resources (i.e., mortgaging their houses) in order to purchase their first CNC center.

They were a little nervous when they fired up their machine for the first time, but they were able to produce good parts almost immediately. Producing a part is one thing, but producing a part that meets design specifications is another. The next six months were dedicated to establishing quality control practices and learning the intricacies of machining. Fortunately, Rick and his partners were able to consult with people who provided coaching and expertise along the way. Looking back, Rick believes that their lack of machining experience was an advantage  as they were not locked into traditional approaches. This allowed them to do some innovative things around tooling and fixturing – practices that their more established counterparts have adopted. Rick takes a similar approach when hiring his employees as prior machining experience is not required. Killer Innovations has adopted a true apprenticeship model where a motivated individual with a great attitude can start from the ground floor and work their way up.

Rick showing off the latest addition to the shop

Today Killer Innovations focuses on OEM work and a line of products catering to the precision rifle market. Their signature Orias chassis system embodies the vision and passion for quality that has propelled the company. Teaming with Mega Arms has allowed Rick and his partners to leverage a vendor and distributor network that they didn’t have as an OEM manufacturer. Killer Innovations has plans to release additional products (currently under development) aimed at the precision rifle market.

There are a number of chassis systems on the market and Killer Innovations wanted to take more than a “me too” approach. The Orias chassis is indeed a “system” as it embodies some unique features:

• A patent pending feature allows for perfect recoil lug alignment with the chassis. This innovation was the “ah ha” moment that resulted in the birth of the Orias chassis. Any angularity difference between the recoil lug and chassis is mitigated by a floating insert. As Rick points out in the video, nothing is machined perfectly and even the slightest misalignment can cause accuracy to deteriorate. The attention to detail includes a torque sequence to ensure proper alignment of the receiver with the chassis. When following this procedure, the rifle can be removed and reinstalled with no POI shift. While we did not witness this, Rick claimed that the rifle will shoot in the same hole after removal and re-installation in the chassis.

Floating insert for perfect recoil lug alignment

• The receiver rests in a v-block in conjunction with a rear radius. This arrangement minimizes stress on the receiver but it has to be machined correctly. Rick demonstrated the QA procedures in place to ensure tolerances are adhered to:

QA procedure to check tolerances of receiver mount

• The chassis is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum which allows for a thinner and therefore lighter design. This alloy is 40% stronger than the 6061 alloy used in many other chassis.
• A quick detach night vision / accessory rail is included
• Different versions of a removable rear trunion are available which allows for maximum compatibility with after market butt stocks

Rick also shared some insights into the design process. The design process is a very collaborative effort involving employees, business partners and other stakeholders. Things get sketched out with pen and paper and a whiteboard. From there, the design goes into software such as SolidWorks. 3D printing is employed for rapid prototyping – actually holding an object in your hand during the design process makes a big difference.

Fixturing, tooling and tool paths are then specified, however it’s not as easy as programming a machine and out comes a finished product. In the case of the Orias chassis, 10-14 prototypes were machined until they got everything just right. Hearing Rick discuss the process gives one a true appreciation for the work that goes into creating a product such as the Orias chassis (or any complex machined part for that matter). 

If you are interested in getting an Orias Chassis check out MegaArms and they will direct you to a retailer. The chassis is available in left and right hand configuration for Remington 700 compatible short actions. In the near future, Remington 700 compatible long actions will be accommodated and a proprietary butt stock will be available.