Lead poison from ammo?

elkcrazyfred

Does anyone have any hard facts concerning lead poison etc. from being around lead ammo or shot? I believe I heard some ancient civilization may have demised do to the lead in their plates. Of course the leaded paint is a bad deal. Any facts or even opinions? Sign me "Just Paranoid"

perry shooter

Hello lead is a poison and the E.P.A. has rules on ventilation etc on public shooting ranges. I get my blood lead levels checked and you need to keep from eating or smokeing if you are casting bullets or reloading ammo and even wear a resparator if you are in a lead dust environment . such as sweeping up empty cases at a range etc . I have been shooting indoors for 40 years and use a product called DLEAD to clean my hands and face . after shooting it works better then soap and water you need to read up on the dangers."DON'T PUT IT OFF"

elkcrazyfred

This may sound silly, but is there any danger being next to loaded boxes like working at a gun shop?

gunnut505

You'd have to be inside one of those loaded boxes, eating as many as you could fit into your mouth before any potentially harmful effects would be noticed.
Toxic lead exposure takes a lifetime shooting outdoors, decades at the reloading bench, years at indoor ranges, and months while casting bullets.
A recent study by the US Fish & Wildlife found that environmental exposure to lead shot by ducks isn't the bugaboo the EPA thought it was because the lead shot either sinks too deep into the mud or corrodes on the shot's surface and creates a protective barrier to digestion.
Think about it; if a trap club closed down after several years' operation, and there are lots of little lead pellets on the ground, then if lead were soooo toxic, why does grass cover the area in just a few seasons?

perry shooter

I respect gunnuts 505 opinion and this is not meant to flame anyone but I think you should read up or ask your doctor. Lead is a serious problem I don't think there is any danger working in a gun shop but but reloading, indoor ranges and casting bullets can and do cause problems . Look at bullseye-l@list.lava.net I am not the only one that thinks there is a danger that can be lessened by what you do . I dont want grass growing on me lead poison or not.

nmyers

The EPA shut down a lot of public & police ranges when they first developed standards for air. Their decisions were based on measurements made by air testing equipment, not paranoia. The lead stypnate in primers also contributed to lead in the air, so even firing plastic or rubber bullets in your basement could be a problem.

Federal Nyclad bullets almost completely eliminate the problem of lead in the air (& barrel leading). They have a nylon coating.

Neal

dogtown tom

quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
if lead were soooo toxic, why does grass cover the area in just a few seasons?


Up until this statement you had me.

Rethink this. [:D]

ammomaker

Lead is very dangerous, especially travelling at high velocities. Be careful!
[:)]

JimmyJack

Elk, as a retired Biologist, working in the Environmental field for 40 years, I agree with Perry. Listen to him. Lead can be and is harmful. Take the precautions, Id say especially with melting, casting, and shooting against a metal trap.

Fatstrat

An interesting aside. I read once that nearly all of the tree's in the vacinity of Gettysburg Pa. are post 1865 growth. This because nearly all the tree's in the area died from lead poisoning from being hit by bullets in the battle.

muss

I asked my doctor many years ago about this very topic. he said that it was not a big concern for me, being that I was only shooting once or twice per week indoors, However, he did recommend and I followed his advice about wearing gloves while handling the lead bullets. I bought a box of latex exam gloves for about three bucks and now I just wear them when I reload. Wow, I never realized how much lead transfers to your hands when you are reloading, those gloves are filthy when I get done with 100 rounds. I have since quit shooting indoors with lead, I figure there is no sense being exposed to something that can easily be avoided.

Remember, lead is what makes alot of children very Ill, and leads to serious BRAIN conditions.

I figure that I am losing enough brain power as I get older, I ceratinly don't need to add to that.

farfromnormal

The myth about Gettysburg's trees is false. Although alot of trees may have been damaged to the point of dying from so many rifle and artillery shells, there are still live trees there with bullets in them. Just a few years ago, a tree was knocked down by high winds by Spangler Spring. The Park Service was there immediately to remove it. Parts of that tree are now in the museum because of the bullets in it.

Txs

The often seen practice of using your cap to collect brass as you pick it up is also a major no-no. The docs say these residues will be readily absorbed through your scalp.

To avoid sweeping and stirring up airborne contaminants and to minimize shooter contact with fouled cases we use brass pick-up sticks. These are designed sort of like a pecan picker-upper and allow you to police-up and dump brass into containers without ever touching it.

Fatstrat

It/I didn't say ALL the tree's. But's lets just say ALOT of tree's. The info comes from the book, "Gettysburg, A Journey in Time" by Willam Frassanito who had worked for the Gettysburg Natl. Park as a tour guide.
Gettysburg was one of the 1st battles in history to be extensively photographed immediately following the battle.
What Frassanito does in the book is to take the post battle photo's, which often show battle carnage (dead soldiers/horses etc) and recreate them in modern times (1975) from the exact camera positions.
What becomes evident is that the topography of the land in many area's has changed. What once was forest is now open field and vise-versa. He explains that in the years following the battle, many (most) of the tree's in some forest area's died from battle damage or lead poisoning. And the locals used this as good opportunity to go ahead and clear these area's for other uses. Hence, what in 1865 was forest, is not today. Why other area's that were not forested in 1865 are now is not explained. There surely are some tree's that were there at the time of the battle. But that many died as a result of battle damage or lead poisining is not a myth.

11b6r

Lead is taken into the body 3 ways- INGESTION- eating it- INHALATION- breathing lead vapor, and INJECTION- getting shot! Leaving aside the last hazard, to ingest lead, eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics (chapstick, anyone?) when skin has been contaminated with lead. Yes, the primers- lead styphanate or lead azide- contribute to much of the airborne pollution- vaporization of lead from the base of bullets being fired, and spatter off a hard backstop produce smaller amounts of airborne lead.

Assuming you are shooting in a well vented area, with air moving AWAY from you, major concern would be ingestion. Wear gloves, wash exposed skin before eating, smoking, drinking, etc. Several products on the market- but soap and water don't do too badly.

If casting bullets, lead may vaporize. Have good ventilation near the far edge of the pot that pulls air away, not up into the breathing zone. And wear gloves, wash skin. Don't smoke.

Standing near loaded rounds, in boxes? Don't eat them, or your hair will grow out in bangs.

PS- I always take a 2 liter canteen to the range, and have a motel size bottle of shampoo in my quipment box. Not perfect, but better than nothing. Waterless hand cleaner is not better than soap and water. It rearranges the lead on the skin.

When shooting, highest exposure will be from revolvers, then pistols, then long guns. Remember KIDS are more vulnerable to lead than adults. Start yours right.

ATF

I've been a reloader,shooter and cast my own bullets since I started in 1956.I was recently checked for lead poisoning and the results were negative.I've never until recently, taken any special precautions.[:)]