Marlin Glenfield 30a

[hooligan1]

Since I acquired this rifle recently, and never honestly handled or shot this type of rifle, what should I expect for accuracy and durability?
It is a Microgrooved barrel, and of course JM stamped ( which doesn't mean much to some)
Anyway feel free to tell me what your review of this particular rifle is..
Thanks

[5whiskey]

While I don't have a Glenfield, it was made by Marlin in the 70's and 80's... and I doubt it would be a disappointment. I DO have a sears model lever 30-30 made by Winchester. It's quirky, but shoots good groups. I imagine your Glenfield will be similar. It'll look a little unorthodox with the nose cap, and the wood may not be as good, but I would wager that it'll be a shooter. After all, in the end, it's a 336 action attached to a 336 barrel.

[jmr40]

It's a 336 with cheaper wood on it. Some of those budget guns had slightly different barrel/mag tube configurations, but other than that it's the same. Most of the 336's have 2 barrel bands. Some of those had one barrel band and an end cap at the end of the forend. Some had the end cap and a dovetail connecting the barrel to the mag tube and no barrel band.

But I'd expect the same accuracy and reliability as a standard Marlin 336. And those can vary. Some will keep 3 shots into 1", or very close to it, at 100 yards. Some will just barely keep 3 shots in 3".

When they were sold they were significantly cheaper than a 336, but today there just doesn't seem to be too much difference in value. And some of them are quite sought after. Marlin made a special run just for K-Mart back in the 80's that are highly sought after.

[Pumpkin]

You got a great little gun there, I tend to like the Marlins that have the cap on the forearm. I have a 36 with the cap and half magazine tube, like the 444’s and 1985’s had.

[FrankenMauser]

The Glenfield 30A is a tip-cap style model. They often shoot just a bit better than barrel band style models (Model 30 [no A] for Glenfield).

It should be just as reliable as any 336 in the same condition.

It'll be plenty good for deer or milk jugs. I would expect 4"+ 100-yd groups with iron sights, and 2-3" groups if scoped. If it shoots better than that, great.

I have a 30A barrel that I cut to 16.125", which hovered right at 1 MoA before being recrowned (and it has not been tested again since). I have another Model 30 barrel that was reamed to .307 Win and shot sub-MoA with Hornady Superformance ammo (160 FTX) until a "gunsmith" ruined it by putting a hardened pin in the muzzle to turn the barrel into a stationary threading die.

While it is generally accepted that Glenfield 30s and 30As are "the same thing" as a Marlin 336, and I do agree that the majority of parts were standard production, I have found quite a few Glenfield parts that are out of spec or have finish problems and are stamped with a G after bluing. (Particularly slightly misshapen receivers, and finger levers and trigger plates with finish or dimensional problems.)
I believe these G-stamped parts were rejects from 336 assembly, but not bad enough to be scrapped, and then set aside for use on Glenfields.
So, if you ever need to replace parts, there is a chance that they may require more fitting than would be typical in a 336.

[bamaranger]

Dad bought one for my 'Sis when she showed an interest in hunting way back when. The little rifle had very blonde wood which gave a very odd appearance.
It ran OK as best I remember, but had a terrible tendency to string shots, even a modest, paced series of shots, vertically. Dad eventually traded the rifle away and bought 'Sis another.

I gotta add this even though a bit of a sidetrack. 'Sis's new rifle was a S&W 1500 in ...........'06! Even with 180's, which kicked miserably, 'Sis would shoot groups with that rifle that anybody would be proud of. She promptly went on to kill several deer and TWO black bears, one which made the book in PA. What a gal.

[georgehwbush]

i would guess accuracy to be MoA depending on ammo selection, mine likes federal 150gr softpoint loads pretty well, but it doesn't like the 170gr pills. i handload some 180s and because they are handloads i can tune them down to sub-moa also. i think you'll like it.

[krunchnik]

I have this same model Glenfield and with my hand loads 150gr Hornady Interlock I am averaging about 1.5 MOA at 100 yards with a medium load-
Good for deer or anything else in that range-

[44 AMP]

i would guess accuracy to be MoA depending on ammo selection,

If you can get MOA from a budget grade rifle with coarse sights, a less than great trigger, and designed for minute of deer out to 200yds or so, you got a "keeper"!

2 MOA or slightly under is more common, and even a 3MOA rifle will put venison in the freezer, if you do your part right.

The Marlin Glenfield 30A had a walnut finished stock, impressed checkering and was available in .30-30 only. The 336 had a smooth walnut stock, came in either .30-30 or .35 Rem, and in 1974, cost $10 more.

Doesn't seem like a lot today, but back then the difference between $115 and $105 was significant to a lot of us.

[ThomasT]

I have a Glenfield 30A with the half magazine that came with a Marlin branded 4x scope. The forearm had a gig scratch on the bollom and you can't touch up that sprayed on finish with anything I have tried so I just stripped the wood and refinished it.

As close as I can tell my gun was made in 1968-69 and had no checkering on the stock. It seems to stay in the 3" range at 100 yards. Someone had cut the rear sight to mount the scope. After shooting with the scope I added a Marbles folding rear sight and a taller front to go with it. I like not having a scope on it.

After my cataract surgery I have really good eyesight again and enjoy shooting with open sights. Of the 30 deer I have killed only one was over 80 yards away. I killed it at 250 yards with a scoped 243. But everything else including two elk have been under 80 yards so I can do fine with open sights.

I have no problem with someone scoping a lever action. You can only shoot as good as you can see. And if hunting on public land its another margin of safety to make sure you are shooting at a deer and not another hunter.

[5whiskey]

If you can get MOA from a budget grade rifle with coarse sights, a less than great trigger, and designed for minute of deer out to 200yds or so, you got a "keeper"!

Shoot, 1.5moa seems to be about the limits of my eyesight with irons these days regardless of how good the rifle/trigger/sights are.

[44 AMP]

The thing about group size is that people put too much emphasis on it, when it doesn't really matter.

It matters when you are shooting a scored target, or where the rules are smallest group wins, but shooting game (large or small) is different at least, in degree.

First off, since group size is measured using the max spread between shots, and those furthest away from the aiming point, reality is that on average, each shot is going to be, at most, half the "group size" distance away from the point of aim, in some random direction.

For example, four shots 1" above the point of aim and one shot 1" below it is a 2" group.

5 .45caliber hits in one ragged hole can be a 2" or even a 2.5" group.

A 2MOA lever gun, will put the bullet about 1" OR LESS from where you aim at 100yds. Plenty good for a solid killing hit on a deer, but too much error for certainty of a hit on a prairie dog at the same range.

[Pumpkin]

A believe a good grouping gun can give confidence to the shooter.
One less thing to think about when your getting ready to squeeze that trigger.