TESTED: The Glenfield Model A Bolt Action Rifle

Ruger revives a throwback brand with a budget price, balanced performance, and a nod to conventional feature expectations. Meet the new Glenfield Model A bolt-action rifle.

by Terril James Hebert

When you hear Glenfield come up in conversation, chances are that the Glenfield Model A will not spring immediately to mind. But Ruger is looking to change that by revitalizing their proven first-generation Ruger American rifle under a brand that has been known for cost-effective firearms for over sixty years.

Ruger brought back the classic Marlin lever-action platform after acquiring the brand in 2020. They also acquired the rights to Marlin’s extinct budget brand, Glenfield. In late 2025, the brand was relaunched with the Glenfield Model A as its debut product.

Key Features

The Model A is a bolt-action hunting rifle available in calibers ranging from 223 Remington to 400 Legend. It features an all-steel receiver and a polished three-lug bolt with a sharp seventy-degree bolt throw.

Set in a Moss Green Splatter composite stock is a tapered and free-floated 20-inch barrel. Unlike the original Ruger American, the Model A is equipped with a Picatinny rail for an optic and a threaded barrel for suppressors or muzzle brakes. In the case of this 6.5 Creedmoor model, it uses 5/8-24 threads.

The rifle employs a detachable polymer magazine with an integral catch — a holdover from the American design. So, too, is the bladed trigger, which is nominally adjustable to between three and five pounds pull weight.

The Model A is a cock-on-open design with an ambidextrous thumb safety. The safety blocks the trigger, but the action can still be cycled when it is engaged.

Other features include a generous 13 3/4-inch length of pull, a rubber buttpad, and conventional sling studs. The synthetic stock is lightly stippled to a consistency of 180 grit paper and is ribbed at the pistol grip and forend for a secure, non-slip hold. Loaded down with a trusty 3-9×40 Vortex Crossfire II rifle scope, the rifle balances right at the magazine point and tips the scales at a handy 7 lbs. even.

Budget Equipment for a Budget Rifle?

The Glenfield Model A is intended as an entry-level hunting rifle. To that end, I outfitted it with entry-level accouterments. This included the aforementioned Vortex Crossfire II scope. I also stuck to the theme with the ammunition, choosing Winchester 125-gr. OT, Hornady American Whitetail 129-gr. soft points, Sellier & Belliot 131-gr. soft points, and Federal Fusion 140-gr. soft points.

I broke with the theme to include a SilencerCo Velos 762 LBP suppressor for some of the range time.

Shooting Impressions

In a world of fluted bolts, aluminum chassis, and carbon fiber, the Glenfield Model A is a refreshingly plain take on a hunting rifle. But it also comes with the caveats that modernity has attempted to solve. That became apparent with an initial sight-in and accuracy test.

Off the bench at 100 yards with the selected ammunition, the Model A proved surprisingly accurate for those first few shots needed while still hunting. The Winchester OT round posted consistent 3/4-inch three-shot groups while the others ran out to 1 1/3 inches at most.

But a surprising pattern emerged. Two rounds would hit, touching each other, with a third shot opening up the group. After three rounds, that tapered barrel heats up noticeably — particularly when shot suppressed. Posting a five-shot group widened my groups out to the 2 1/2-inch territory.

In classic hunting rifle style, lightness in the field takes precedent over sustained fire. No surprise there. The lightweight composite stock is less compromising. Its light construction is betrayed by a grippy texture akin to fine grit sandpaper and tactile ribbing at the forend and pistol grip that ensure a comfortable and sure grip. The only gripe, if there is one, is the 13 3/4-inch length of pull. For the summer sight in, it is a perfect fit, but it may be less than ideal when quick shouldering around a thick winter coat.

Off-hand, the Model A is quick on the shoulder, and it carries naturally with a balance point at the magazine well. From a supported position, it was not hard to knock small plates at 200 yards, although I found the SilencerCo Velos to be a little too heavy for a rifle this light. The rifle is ideally nimble without a can, or perhaps with a lighter titanium or carbon fiber unit at the end would change the math.

In terms of operation, the Model A is smooth and straightforward. The all-polymer multi-caliber magazine is easy to load by thumbing the cartridges down and back. In 6.5 Creedmoor, the Model A has a 4+1 capacity. The integral latch is a carryover from the old American and easy to hit but is small enough to prevent accidentally dropping the magazine.

The bolt has a swift seventy-degree throw that easily clears the optic and is generally smooth from back to front. It can be removed for servicing via a release button on the left side of the receiver. The standout feature of the Model A, though, is going to be the trigger.

The Model A uses a bladed trigger unit like the old American. It is adjustable from 3 to 5 lbs. My test rifle snapped at 3 lbs. right out of the box. Take-up is minimal because of the trigger blade. Although we can tout Ruger’s cold-hammer-forged barrels for their accuracy, the trigger takes out a lot of user error. I am sure that is how I was able to stack rounds on top of each other from a cold bore.

Accuracy @ 100 Yards

Federal Fusion 140-gr. SP: 2,643 fps; 1.18 in.
Hornady American Gunner 129-gr. SP: 2,698 fps; 1.33 in.
S&B 131-gr. SP: 2,629 fps; 1.03 in.
Winchester 125-gr. OT: 2,712 fps; 0.75 in.

Final Take

The first-generation Ruger American was a good entry level rifle in a market where constant updates are needed to meet expectations. Users want the smoothest actions, the newest calibers, and the lightest materials while the sheer volume of optics, suppressors, and triggers leave us spoiled…and sometimes confused.

But retooling the American into the Glenfield Model A is a smart move. It is an unapologetic budget rifle with just enough features to allow a new or experienced shooter to grow with it. More importantly, it shoots well above its price tag and is just the ticket to get into the game without the fear of “choice paralysis.”

Glenfield Model A 6.5 Creedmoor Specifications