Lever action in dusty conditions?

[shoot2eat]

So I'm after a new gun mainly for pigs, but I have a bit of a dilemma.

My heart really wants a lever gun, for the quick cycling when I come onto a mob.
But my head tells me that I'm better off with another bolt action.
The main reason is it will be sitting on the front of a quad bike getting covered in dust all the time. I want something that can handle some punishment.

I've never owned a lever gun, or pump. My concern is that they won't handle the dust.

Anyone got any experience with this?
Should I listen to my head and get a trusty bolt action?

[Oldbloke]

Perhaps useless info. But, BA will be a lot easier to clean.

Had a Marlin lever in 30.30 years ago, my first centrefire. Loved it, in the end swapped it for a BA. Cleaning was a bugger and wanted to buy a 30.06.

With practice a BA can be worked fairly quick. There isn't a lot in it really.

308 BA with a spare magazine, can't go wrong.

In the end it's horses for courses

[Wapiti]

Do you have access to a compressor and an air duster, shoot2eat?

We do 3 things, storage and maintenance wise, that make this no trouble at all.

First, we sit the firearm that's on the quad in the rack in a soft gun bag, that's semi-zipped up.
The bag itself is cable-tied to the forks of the rack, so you can pull the gun up/out immediately and the bag stays there. This way, dust doesn't get into the barrel (it's not just the action you have to worry about, affects bolt guns too) and the action, which is always kept closed so dust doesn't get in. If you have a lever action with a half-cock, you can have a round in the chamber and the hammer down on the half-cock and minimise dirt entry and be super quick.
You only need a cheapy bag for this, nothing special. It stays on the quad.

The other thing we always do with any optics, is have flip-up caps to always keep the lenses crisp and clean. As you bring the gun up to shoot, you can activate the caps to flip up without even thinking about it. I realise some people hate them, but if you have firearms out in the s**t all day like we do, you just can't understand that sentiment. But whatever.

Thirdly, when getting back to the house etc, you can spray the open, unloaded action (open areas pointing down) with heaps of WD40 and use the air duster to blow it all clean and out of the firearm in the direction you see is best, all the crud will be gone. I try to keep it away from timber stocks, but I always make sure they are all sealed underneath anyway, and never have any issues. A quick patch in case some is in the barrel/chamber and everything is clean as.

Now, bolt guns are actually more involved in cleaning when sitting out in the dust and rain even, because all the action and trigger mechanisms are all hidden under the stock and actually are more involved to clean out than levers/pumps in running maintenance. Pulling actions from stocks etc. with real dirty bolt guns, we all know how this can effect zero, bedding and other factors we can do without.

Levers, pumps get no more crap in them than bolt actions IMHO, pick the best action type for you needs of the day and care for them all in the same way.

[Oldbloke]

"First, we sit the firearm that's on the quad in the rack in a soft gun bag, that's semi-zipped up."

How sensible is that.

[Blr243]

Get the lever and deal with the dust , because you wanted a fast gun Every fraction of a second counts. They not exactly Hanging around. They are running for their lives

[No1Mk3]

160 years of lever action rifles in a saddle boot in every conceivable type of terrain, trailing through dust clouds behind cattle herds for hundreds of miles and being called into action at a moments notice, sitting on rear racks in rural utes on dusty back roads without issue. Get the lever action, keep it in a saddle boot or just leave it in the open, clean once a day. I carried a Win 94 30-30 for years in forest, alpine, sand dunes and dusty plains hunting it never ever let me down.

[bigpete]

160 years of lever action rifles in a saddle boot in every conceivable type of terrain, trailing through dust clouds behind cattle herds for hundreds of miles and being called into action at a moments notice, sitting on rear racks in rural utes on dusty back roads without issue. Get the lever action, keep it in a saddle boot or just leave it in the open, clean once a day. I carried a Win 94 30-30 for years in forest, alpine, sand dunes and dusty plains hunting it never ever let me down.

This ^^^^^

[6mm Remington]

Get an old Marlin 336 without the cross bolt safety. Smooth, fast and hard hitting.
One of the best features is the half cock safety.

[Wapiti]

"First, we sit the firearm that's on the quad in the rack in a soft gun bag, that's semi-zipped up."

How sensible is that.

Thanks mate.
Dust is a real drama, wears stuff out real quick if you are exposed to it all day. Not anywhere near the drama for the casual shooter, but when you have to deal with it every day, it's a real bugger. Especially in your bore and chamber, jamming the shells in there.
The cheap gun bag fixes that, and when it gets real cruddy, hose it out and hang it on the washing line. Just cut the cable ties and use new ones.

And if you're mustering with others on bikes, or I spose a group of you tearing around the dust will be a real issue, nothing mild like hoseback use. It will be unavoidable and very abrasive.
I bet people think that's a bit extreme, until you see it. But I'm sure they'll work it out.

[GQshayne]

I have used a lever and a bolt action, and the lever is a lot faster in my experience.

[shoot2eat]

Do you have access to a compressor and an air duster, shoot2eat?

We do 3 things, storage and maintenance wise, that make this no trouble at all.

First, we sit the firearm that's on the quad in the rack in a soft gun bag, that's semi-zipped up.
The bag itself is cable-tied to the forks of the rack, so you can pull the gun up/out immediately and the bag stays there. This way, dust doesn't get into the barrel (it's not just the action you have to worry about, affects bolt guns too) and the action, which is always kept closed so dust doesn't get in. If you have a lever action with a half-cock, you can have a round in the chamber and the hammer down on the half-cock and minimise dirt entry and be super quick.
You only need a cheapy bag for this, nothing special. It stays on the quad.

The other thing we always do with any optics, is have flip-up caps to always keep the lenses crisp and clean. As you bring the gun up to shoot, you can activate the caps to flip up without even thinking about it. I realise some people hate them, but if you have firearms out in the s**t all day like we do, you just can't understand that sentiment. But whatever.

Thirdly, when getting back to the house etc, you can spray the open, unloaded action (open areas pointing down) with heaps of WD40 and use the air duster to blow it all clean and out of the firearm in the direction you see is best, all the crud will be gone. I try to keep it away from timber stocks, but I always make sure they are all sealed underneath anyway, and never have any issues. A quick patch in case some is in the barrel/chamber and everything is clean as.

Now, bolt guns are actually more involved in cleaning when sitting out in the dust and rain even, because all the action and trigger mechanisms are all hidden under the stock and actually are more involved to clean out than levers/pumps in running maintenance. Pulling actions from stocks etc. with real dirty bolt guns, we all know how this can effect zero, bedding and other factors we can do without.

Levers, pumps get no more crap in them than bolt actions IMHO, pick the best action type for you needs of the day and care for them all in the same way.

Thanks wapiti, you make some valid points.
I normally put a bit of electrical tape over the muzzle to keep dust out of the barrel. Doesn't affect accuracy. But I like your idea of keeping it in a bag so it's still quick to grab, and yes I do carry a compressor.

[shoot2eat]

"First, we sit the firearm that's on the quad in the rack in a soft gun bag, that's semi-zipped up."

How sensible is that.

Thanks mate.
Dust is a real drama, wears stuff out real quick if you are exposed to it all day. Not anywhere near the drama for the casual shooter, but when you have to deal with it every day, it's a real bugger. Especially in your bore and chamber, jamming the shells in there.
The cheap gun bag fixes that, and when it gets real cruddy, hose it out and hang it on the washing line. Just cut the cable ties and use new ones.

And if you're mustering with others on bikes, or I spose a group of you tearing around the dust will be a real issue, nothing mild like hoseback use. It will be unavoidable and very abrasive.
I bet people think that's a bit extreme, until you see it. But I'm sure they'll work it out.

Your not wrong. I have an old landcruiser that hasn't seen red dirt country since 2005. But when I'm on bad corrugations, I still get that old red dust dropping down behind the speedo glass....

[on_one_wheel]

My Adler lever has been to hell and back on the front of a quad bike, dust, dirt, rain iv treated it like I hate it then take it home remove the barrel and stock, flood it clean with engine degreaser, literally hose it out with water while cycling it, blow it dry woth compressed air and lubricate.
These environments are where cheap guns belong.

[Blr243]

John Wayne got dust on his lever action.

[Blr243]

John Wayne got dust on his lever action.

[Blr243]

Dust on the inside of my eyepiece on my thermal scope. This is Australia. Life be in it.

[Obie73]

I was a jackaroo twice in my life, on two separate properties. Boss No.1 used to drive around in an old Toyota Landcruiser trayback with a Marlin LA .30-30 on two hooks across the dash. Boss No.2 had the same set up, also in a Landcruiser tray back, but with a .22 bolt action. I always liked the look and the idea of that .30-30 better. Very, very dusty life and both rifles never let us down. We used to shoot our own meat with that .30-30. That's what we lived on out in the stock camp. No kill, nothing to eat. We never went hungry (except the time the camp cook got the poops with the head stockman over something).

I really like the Winchester model 1873. I think it was designed to be used in a saddle scabbard. It has a sliding dust cover over the top of the action. It automatically slides out of the way. I've got one in .357.

[mickb]

Another vote for there being no probs with levers. I know high volume cullers who worked nt and the Cape with levers no probs, kills into the thousands.You will wear out an extractor before dust kills your gun. I clean my Rossi 92's well after trips but treat them like crap in the field, mainly as I hike in sometimes and drag them through tropical scrub and rain. They are a favoured tool in north Qld for pigs. When Covid hit and Qld looked to be blocking ammo sales I asked the LGS what the biggest sellers were in north Qld and they said after 22 it went something like 223, 303, 30-30, then bolts like 243 and 308, and 357 and 44 mag were in or around the top 10 too which was interesting. 303 ranked so highly was a surprise but we joked it was all the ones still buried!

[Cape_Yorkee]

I don't think the action is too much of an issue here. Your going to clean it down at the end of the day no matter what!

As most have said it's great to get quick shots off with the LA. Some BA's are just as quick, but LA's definitely have that little advantage.

Some really decent online vids about quick LA clean Downs. Do it a few times and you'll be a pro