shooting, reloading, LEAD and our health

[Tier One Arms]

Also quality exam gloves during reloading can reduce the Pb residue on your hands. I have seen guys at indoor ranges wearing respirator style masks to cut down on Pb exposure.

Heavy metals are very toxic. Once ingested they remain in the body for a long time.

Here is a link from the CDC with some helpful information on Pb: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/

I'm going to +1 this, ware some latex mechanic gloves, but still wash hands after you are done.

[xrMike]

I was thinking of converting an empty bedroom into a reloading and gun room. I hadn't thought about residual lead in empty cases plus from the bullets, primers, etc. Maybe not a good idea? Right now I do it all in the garage.

I don't think that's a problem, except personally, I would continue to run the tumbler in the garage, and then when I emptied or loaded my tumbler, or seperated my cases from the media, I would do all of that OUTside.

[Deadbolt]

for those of u already exposed to a high amount or just generally proactive with your health:


Bracolli, seaweed and i think most mushrooms help expedite the removal of heavy metals from your body - seaweed is the best at it.

[Army]

Lead oxide is toxic, not the actual metal. There are thousands of GI's with bullets and bullet frag still in their bodies, living into their late 80's and 90's and more.

South Dakota did an extensive study on lead bullet shot game meat, finding that hunters had far less lead in their systems than did city folk, despite eating venison, buffalo, antelope, elk, moose, ducks and game birds all shot with lead or lead componant bullets.

The enviro-weanie lead scare is hokum. The Condor bullet ban was the result of enviro's finding.....zero bullets in the birds. More die of power line electrocution, and drowning than any lead poisoning discovered.

[TKM]

Lead poisoning has been bery bery bad to me.

Try this on for fun.

http://www.leadpoisoningnews.com/lead_poisoning_sources_and_symptoms.html

Lead colic is a hoot.

[Peter.Steele]

Lead poisoning has been bery bery bad to me.

Try this on for fun.

http://www.leadpoisoningnews.com/lead_poisoning_sources_and_symptoms.html

Lead colic is a hoot.

Yeah, I tried reading that, but once I got to "organic lead," I lost my ability to take them seriously ...

[TKM]

Yeah, I tried reading that, but once I got to "organic lead," I lost my ability to take them seriously ...

Screw the "organic this and that" folks.

Go down the line of symptoms and check them off one by one. Now imagine you don't know what the hell is going on.

Pissed off, depressed, feel like ****, pissed off, fingers and toes tingle, guts don't work when you want them to, pissed off, headaches, pissed off, guts work when you don't want them to, pissed off, feel like ****. High blood pressure, pissed off, medication for something caused by something else, high blood pressure meds working over little elvis, pissed off.

Seeing a pattern here?

Not fun, but it can be fixed.

I'm not trying to be funny here, this is a bad thing.

I was poisoned by one of my hobbies.

It sucks, but it can be fixed.

[jimmykan]

...

I was poisoned by one of my hobbies.

...

Was that hobby shooting? Reloading?

Renaissance Fairs?

[TKM]

And competitive paint chip tasting.

It's like wine tasting, I know you aren't supposed to indulge but they are so damn yummy.

[CZlover]

Like others have said. Get your blood tested if it bothers you.

Me, I figure I'll die from Pepsi, chocolate, burgers, t.v. tray dinners, Spilled gas, changing my oil, Smoke from the leaves I burn, clorinated H2O Etc, Etc.

The only way I see myself dieing from lead is if some fool shoots me.

^ ^ This!!! I LOL'ed...

[wash]

It is my understanding that the major lead exposure in shooting is the lead contained in primers, not bullets.

It becomes air borne when the primer ignites and if you are shooting in a poorly ventilated indoor range you can have problems.

In reloading I would be worried around bullet casting and the tumbler media used to clean your brass.

As far as eating after shooting goes, just wash your hands and avoid finger foods.

I do most of my shooting outdoors and have not begun reloading yet so I'm not worried at all.

[Dion]

Like others have said. Get your blood tested if it bothers you.

Me, I figure I'll die from Pepsi, chocolate, burgers, t.v. tray dinners, Spilled gas, changing my oil, Smoke from the leaves I burn, clorinated H2O Etc, Etc.

The only way I see myself dieing from lead is if some fool shoots me.

This.

Pissed off, depressed, feel like ****, pissed off, fingers and toes tingle, guts don't work when you want them to, pissed off, headaches, pissed off, guts work when you don't want them to, pissed off, feel like ****. High blood pressure, pissed off, medication for something caused by something else, high blood pressure meds working over little elvis, pissed off.

[TKM]

That's weird, the letter that I got from the California Department of Public Health Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Program with my lead level results didn't mention diabetes.

Thanks, I'll mention that to them the next time I see them.

[Echidin]

how concerned should we be?

i shoot at least a half dozen times a month with competitions on the wkend and practice during the week , plus a couple days reloading, and i always wonder if shooting alot, handling fired brass, reloading, etc. exposes me to dangerous levels of lead.

my biggest fear is eating after shooting. even after i wash my hands they still smell of gunpowder. but also i find fired brass and live rounds all over the place, in clothes, my cars, around the house, etc.

shooting is a big part of my life, but am i in danger health wise? what can we do to minimize the danger?

Dairy foods high in calcium are known to slow and even prevent the absorption of lead into the body. So if you're worried about eating after shooting, downing a glass of milk with your meal may give you a little peace of mind.