Browning A-Bolt
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.03 kg
- Introduced
- 1985
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Browning A-Bolt is a push-feed bolt-action hunting rifle produced by Browning Arms Company from 1985 to 2008, when it was superseded by the X-Bolt. Designed by Browning and manufactured by Miroku Firearms in Kochi, Japan, the A-Bolt replaced the older Browning BBR and pioneered design features that would become Browning hallmarks: a short-throw 60-degree bolt lift, a three-lug rotating bolt that engages a barrel extension rather than the receiver, a non-rotating bolt sleeve to keep the bolt body smooth in the hand, and a free-floating barrel glass-bedded at the recoil lug. The detachable hinged box magazine flipped down for loading without needing to be removed entirely. In 1994 the rifle was updated to the A-Bolt II, which introduced the BOSS (Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System) adjustable muzzle brake and tuner, refined locking lugs, and improved guide ribs for smoother bolt cycling. Available in eighteen calibers including the new Winchester Short Magnum family that Browning helped develop, the A-Bolt earned a strong reputation for accuracy, smoothness, and value, and was offered in walnut Hunter, Medallion and synthetic Composite Stalker trim. An A-Bolt III variant was briefly reintroduced in 2015 with cost-reduced features.
When the A-Bolt arrived in 1985 it was one of the first mass-market hunting rifles to put a 60-degree bolt lift, three-lug bolt and detachable box magazine all on the same platform at a working hunter's price. Browning credited Miroku's tooling precision for letting the company offer match-grade machining without match-grade pricing, and the A-Bolt became the rifle that quietly defined what an affordable Japanese-made bolt action could be.
The A-Bolt II ran from 1994 to 2008, when the platform was replaced by the more rigid X-Bolt with its X-Lock scope mounting system. A short-lived A-Bolt III was reintroduced in 2015 as a value-priced bolt-action positioned below the X-Bolt. Rimfire versions in .22 LR and .22 WMR were produced 1986-1996. The first-generation A-Bolt used a partial bolt sleeve; second and third generations adopted a full non-rotating bolt sleeve with three guide ribs.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Browning Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1985 to 2008
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1118 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.03 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 4
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Polished blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3764 J
- Effective range
- 1000 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
60 degree bolt lift
Three lug bolt
Non rotating bolt sleeve
Free floating barrel
Glass bedded recoil lug
Detachable box magazine
Boss muzzle brake optional
Drilled and tapped
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 3.03 kg | 3.40 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 73 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 1118 mm | 1100 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 559 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 78 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 4 | 4 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Browning A-Bolt
How much does the Browning A-Bolt weigh?
The Browning A-Bolt weighs 3.03 kg (6.69 lb) empty. It is the 7th lightest of 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Browning A-Bolt?
The Browning A-Bolt is chambered in .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .308 Winchester.
How many rounds does the Browning A-Bolt hold?
The Browning A-Bolt holds 4 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Browning A-Bolt?
The Browning A-Bolt is 1118 mm (44.0 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Browning A-Bolt?
The Browning A-Bolt is made by Browning Arms Company (United States).
When was the Browning A-Bolt introduced?
The Browning A-Bolt was introduced in 1985 and discontinued in 2008.
How does the Browning A-Bolt operate?
The Browning A-Bolt uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Market
- 1985
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/browning-a-bolt' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "browning-a-bolt", "name": "Browning A-Bolt", "manufacturer": { "id": "browning", "name": "Browning Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1878, "website": "https://www.browning.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "5d8cf4fb4b938ebaed9e76da3c57ad4cd9f27d22ee35d8b2265942435fbb875c" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1985, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 3033, "action_type": "bolt_action"}