Calling all Scientists-LEAD POISONING!!!

[Jimmybikes]

Welcome and good luck op.

All the above advice is very good. Just washing up and changing will negate any real chance of lead being brought to your child.

Remember, lead is naturally occurring so we all have a little in us and it does pass through the body just fine. It is constant exposure that you will run into trouble. Once a month is not an issue but a periodic blood test won't hurt anything.

Keep shooting

[dk94044]

You know there are take home and pediatrician blood test kits to calm your concerns and give you a peace of mind?

[lawj11]

There are few ways you can be exposed to lead by the act of shooting.
1) Touching the exposed lead bullet of the cartridge. Lead transfers to fingers, fingers go in mouth.
2) Friction of the lead bullet vs. bore. Vaporizes lead out the muzzle, lead gas goes in nose/mouth/lungs.
3) Base of lead bullet vaporized by hot gasses. Vaporizes lead out the muzzle and cylinder gap, lead gas goes in nose/mouth/lungs.
4) Lead stanphynate primer produces lead gas. Vaporizes lead out the muzzle and cylinder gap, lead gas goes in nose/mouth/lungs.
5) Lead or lead core bullet strikes hard object, such as a steel backstop, steel target, or rock and fine lead dust is created. Lead dust goes in nose/mouth/lungs if you are close or wind is going the wrong way.
6) Cleaning of guns. Lead residue from fired bullets and primers come off and get on hands, then to mouth.
7) Reloading. Touching of lead bullets, see #1. Decapping dead primers exposes reloader to black dust which contains lead. Hands, nose, mouth, etc.

How to reduce your chances of lead contamination?
1) Use TMJ bullets, not just FMJ (which have an exposed lead base) will reduce the touching lead, bore friction lead, and base burn lead.
2)When shooting .22, plated bullets is better than plain lead .22.
3)Autoloading and single shot pistols are better than revolvers. Gasses go forward with no cylinder gap to throw gasses to the sides. In the same vein, rifles are better than pistols since the muzzle is a lot further away from the shooter(autoloading rifles may have lead gas blowback to the shooter though).
4)Shoot at a range with good ventilation. Make sure the air is going forward. There are indoor ranges with good blowers which are not pointed correctly and the air swirls around certain firing points. Don't shoot there. Even outdoor ranges can have a light breeze coming from the front sometimes.
5)Wash your hands right after shooting/cleaning guns/reloading. Disposable gloves may be a good idea as well.
6) Minimize exposure to the black primer dust when reloading/decapping. Wear gloves and have a fan behind you? No eating, drinking, and SMOKING while reloading.
7)Don't clean guns or reload in a living area. Garage may be best.

I know I don't follow all of the above, but violate too many of the above and your blood lead levels may rise. Of course reducing or eliminating your shooting/reloading/cleaning of guns are the surest way of reducing exposure, but what fun is that?

You summarized this really well, thank you. Definitely don't want to quit shooting since I love it so much, but will need to remain vigilant so as to not poison the little one.

The only challenge for me is that I don't have an area (other than my living space) for cleaning guns. Because of this Don't clean my guns as often as I should. I wonder two things about cleaning: 1. Is there a significant amount of lead in the residue? 2. When I shove a cleaning rod down the barrel (or disrupt any lead particles by wiping the gun) do they get ejected all over the place? Wonder if I can contain everything by laying down towels and cleaning up afterward?

[Milsurp Collector]

Lead exposure is a real concern at indoor ranges that have inadequate ventilation. The indoor 22 range at my gun club had to be shut down, cleaned up, and the ventilation system upgraded because of excessive lead levels.

There was an investigative article in The Oregonian last month about lead contamination in National Guard armories that have indoor shooting ranges. It is especially concerning because the armories host events for the families of Guardsmen and expose their children to lead http://www.oregonlive.com/environmen..._armories.html

Risk of lead exposure extends beyond the range. Primer compounds contain lead styphnate so those of us who reload need to be mindful of handling used primers after depriming cases, wash our hands after depriming, not eat snacks while depriming, etc.

The people who accused the OP of being a troll only exposed their own ignorance of the facts and owe the guy an apology.

[Hinnerk]

There is a pretty good write-up at the link below about lead toxicology and common sources of exposure and how to mitigate them.

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=92&tid=22

These sections are particularly relevant to your concern, I believe.

You can bring lead home in the dust on your hands or clothes if lead is used in the place where you work. Lead dust is likely to be found in places where lead is mined or smelted, where car batteries are made or recycled, where electric cable sheathing is made, where fine crystal glass is made, or where certain types of ceramic pottery are made. Pets can also bring lead into the home in dust or dirt on their fur or feet if they spend time in places that have high levels of lead in the soil.

Swallowing of lead in house dust or soil is a very important exposure pathway for children. This problem can be reduced in many ways. Regular hand and face washing to remove lead dusts and soil, especially before meals, can lower the possibility that lead on the skin is accidentally swallowed while eating. Families can lower exposures to lead by regularly cleaning the home of dust and tracked in soil. Door mats can help lower the amount of soil that is tracked into the home; removing your shoes before entering the home will also help. Planting grass and shrubs over bare soil areas in the yard can lower contact that children and pets may have with soil and the tracking of soil into the home.

Families whose members are exposed to lead dusts at work can keep these dusts out of reach of children by showering and changing clothes before leaving work, and bagging their work clothes before they are brought into the home for cleaning. Proper ventilation and cleaning�during and after hobby activities, home or auto repair activities, and hair coloring with products that contain lead�will decrease the possibility of exposure.

[Jimi Jah]

Buy and use cheapo commie Putin made Russian steel ammo.

[kmas]

Yes there is a risk, but you are taking the necessary precautions.

If the mother is breastfeeding, then it IS very dangerous.

[bronco75a]

He shoots once a month, comes home, changes his shoes, showers, gets into new clothes before touching his kid. And you still think by touching some ammo after doing those things you need toxicology tests and there is a legitimate concern. If you're not a troll you certainly are a product of your environment (the California Gov't and School System).

You make fun of the guy who posted the picture of the kid in bubble wrap before he goes out and plays but that's exactly how you're acting. But I'm sure you're having a good laugh on everyone that's taking you seriously. If this is a serious question then I pity your kid.

[lawj11]

He shoots once a month, comes home, changes his shoes, showers, gets into new clothes before touching his kid. And you still think by touching some ammo after doing those things you need toxicology tests and there is a legitimate concern. If you're not a troll you certainly are a product of your environment (the California Gov't and School System).

You make fun of the guy who posted the picture of the kid in bubble wrap before he goes out and plays but that's exactly how you're acting. But I'm sure you're having a good laugh on everyone that's taking you seriously. If this is a serious question then I pity your kid.

I also took two years of science courses in college, so I have an understanding (albeit limited) of how hard it is to completely avoid contamination. Have you ever done any lab work, organic chemistry for instance? If not, then you may not get what I'm saying. If I'm eliminating 80% of the lead I'm carrying home, but the remaining 20% is enough to be detrimental to my kid's health, I want to know. If the trace amounts I'm bringing home are not enough to negatively impact my child then I want to know-this way I don't have to worry about it. I'm not here to get people worked up, I'm hoping someone has had the same concerns and spoken with an expert. Better yet, maybe an expert comes by my thread and feels compared to answer. Just because you can't see the lead doesn't mean it isn't there and that it isn't dangerous. I pity you for being ignorant to the reality that you hobby might be impacting your heath and the health of your loved ones and you are completely close minded an ablivious to it.

[wpage]

The lead thing grown out of concerns of from children eating paint chips from old tenement building. Unless ingested orally there is little danger from lead exposure.
In the bad old days of biting the bullet and sinkers for fishing when folk did not know better. These bad practices are now understood to be unhealthy.

[lawj11]

The lead thing grown out of concerns of from children eating paint chips from old tenement building. Unless ingested orally there is little danger from lead exposure.
In the bad old days of biting the bullet and sinkers for fishing when folk did not know better. These bad practices are now understood to be unhealthy.

I'm only in my early thirties, but when I was a kid I use to shoot lead pellets in my father's backyard all day long. I never washed my hands after handling them and before eating. Never gave it a second thought and I don't think I knew anyone (child of parent) that would have.

[Milsurp Collector]

The lead thing grown out of concerns of from children eating paint chips from old tenement building. Unless ingested orally there is little danger from lead exposure.

^^More misinformation.^^

People can develop lead toxicity from inhaling vaporized lead in poorly ventilated indoor shooting ranges.

Daily, he inhaled airborne lead while managing the range and gun shop. Nightly, he swept up casings from spent ammunition in the 12 firing lanes, pushing a broom and kicking up more lead dust

http://projects.seattletimes.com/2014/loaded-with-lead/1/

Children don't have to intentionally eat paint chips to develop lead poisoning. Ingestion of lead can occur accidentally when children are exposed to lead residue that is tracked into their homes by adults. The lead residue gets onto their hands, their hands go to their mouths,...

Children poisoned when parents track lead home

http://projects.seattletimes.com/2014/loaded-with-lead/1/

[gwanghoops]

I ended with high blood lead levels while shooting 1-2 times / week at a local INDOOR range.

I tried:
- DLEAD on hands, body and hair (soap and shampoo)
- washing my clothes with DLEAD
- dedicated range clothes / shoes
- Hexoff / DLEAD on gun cleaning surfaces
- lead free ammo

Nothing changed my blood lead level EXCEPT for switching indoor gun ranges. The range I was shooting at had very poor ventilation especially with all lanes occupied. Before my membership expired, I resorted to wearing a ventilator and looking like a retard.

If you are regular shooter at an indoor gun range, get yourself (family too?) tested regularly. All of the previously mentioned precautions are always good, cost little, and prevent others from being affected.

[Quickdraw559]

Marilyn Harris report for hidden tracker images

Who is this Marilyn Harris that you keep reporting? I don't see any hidden images. Is that why they're hidden? ****ing internet.

[Wordupmybrotha]

Can't believe you spray that foul smelling Ballistol in your apartment. There are many pleasant smelling and effective CLP such as Slip 2000, Weapon Shield, Froglube.

And with a crawling baby, I wouldn't clean my guns on the floor.
I would also wear gloves and wash my hands with D-lead soap. Here are links to them.

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1018285