Preventing Lead Exposure at Gun Range?

[Jimi Jah]

Shoot crappy steel Russian ammo.

[alfred1222]

Why the hell would you bump this?? if youre worried about lead exposure, sell your guns and invest in some yarn and knitting needles.

[TKM]

As I am apparently the only one in this thread who has had lead poisoning I have only one thing to say.

Man up! Nancy.

[DaveInOroValley]

If you are talking about occasional shooting at a modern indoor range, you just need to wash your hands when you are finished. The range will have a positive ventilation system to pull airborne particles away from the shooting line. The only lead you will get is lead that is blown into your clothes or body.
Other things you can do is shoot fully jacketed bullets, and use a bolt action rifle. That will get the lead a long way away from you.

This depends entirely on the efficiency of what system they may have. My Dad had to stop going to his local indoor range as his lead levels were off the chart when his doctor tested him.

I wouldn't rely on anyone to have the proper ventilation until proven otherwise.

[SactoDoug]

Just to be clear here, lead is not carcinogenic. It is a poison. You get sick from exposure, you don't get cancer.

It is the biggest risk to children since their bodies are still growing and they absorb more of it. Its effect on adults is less, and 99% of it gets flushed out of an adults body in a few weeks. The main thing for adults is to avoid constant exposure to lead. If you shoot once a month or less, I would not even worry about it beyond basic precautions like washing your hands when you leave the range, washing your cloths and taking a shower at home after a range day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead#Health_effects

[gwanghoops]

Why the hell would you bump this?? if youre worried about lead exposure, sell your guns and invest in some yarn and knitting needles.

I liked the bump -- this should be stickied due to its importance to SOME people while everyone should be made aware of the issue.

What p***es me off is the tons of "i've done .... and never got lead poisoning" posts. Yeah, let's start a thread with "Beware of Cigarettes" and still you'll get the same posts.

Just like every post with an accidental discharge, kaboom, stolen guns, range horror, etc. thread, I'd like to know the details to prevent it from happening to me. Maybe there should be thread containing only lead poisoning instances...

[CrippledPidgeon]

Move out of state. Lead is cancerous only in CA.

Lead isn't a carcinogen, it's a poison. Granted, you need a fairly high exposure (through ingestion or inhalation) to it before it becomes a problem, but it's a risk nonetheless.

For instance, you really don't want to melt lead in a non-ventilated room. This is more of a risk for people who cast large quantities of handgun bullets than the hunter who only casts what he needs for the next trip. Watch how Jerry Miculek casts his bullets. He does it outside with large fans to blow the lead away from him.

If you're shooting indoors, make sure you can feel the fans blowing wind from behind you downrange. If there are a lot of shooters, see if the air gets smoky or not. If the air stays fairly clear on a full range (or at least clears quickly), then you can be sure that your lead exposure will be fairly low.

This reminds me of the time when a family left our range, and mentioned that they were going to go to lunch next. I told them that they should use the restroom and wash their hands thoroughly to get rid of the lead, but they insisted that the no-wash hand sanitizer would be enough. I figured that it wasn't worth pushing the issue.

[hunterb]

There is also soap made just for cleaning lead too. It's called D-Lead.

Thanks for this tip! Just ordered some on Amazon, got the abrasive version

[titan2]

Don't play in the Burm's dirt!!!

[deckhandmike]

Don't stand down range….

[titan2]

There is nothing wrong with lead exposure; just don't allow it to enter your body. It's as simple as don't get shot, don't eat bullets, avoid touching eyes/ears/nose/mouth, and don't breathe in lead fumes. All of those situations are avoided with basic safety and hygiene.

Lead isn't toxic to the point where you need to worry about your clothing after shooting, or wearing a respirator.

Source: I'm a welder that actually deals with harmful fumes and combustion byproducts , and I have to know all the safety procedures.

You really don't want 'Welder's Flu'!!!

[beretta929mm]

1 Use an outdoor range whenever you can
2 Wash hands, gear, clothes after getting home

[ja308]

During the 1920s and 30s, BBs were made of lead without the coating we see today .my Dad 92, told us how he would would feel sick for a few days after spring started .

He claims it was because they carried the lead BBs in their mouths while out shooting .
We did the same thing in the 50 s but BBs were then coated with a copper something.

I would like to see a valid study on effects of small amounts of lead ingested . I'm guessing it's not a problem .

Small amounts of lead can be fatal if the fps is sufficient . No kidding huh ?

[gwgn02]

As a kid, I used to store bb pellets in my mouth on my hunts for doves. Explains the twitching in my eyes though.

[grabalnog]

Lead is unlikely to harm you unless you get massive doses.... or you are a child

its danger is greatest for the developing brain

little chance of that here