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Elevated lead level

Old_Me

Old_Me

SAINT
ok, a few months ago, my lead level was at 27

this past testing, (this past Monday, and i got the results today) my doctor says it is up to 31.

so let me ask, can lead be "inhaled" at the firing range, from either reloaded or new ammo, as we fire our guns.?

i know that many times, when i shoot reloaded ammo, my gosh, the smoke that is thick.

i know that lead dust in on the floor. i am very careful to sweep up the spent casings at either the public range or the club.

also, i take home the spent casings, i either throw many into the 5 gallon bucket to take to the recycler, or i put 50 to 100 rounds back into the boxes they came in, and take them to the reloaded ammo store, for credit, towards other boxes.

would wearing that covid face mask be of any help?

thanks in advance for suggestions.
 
When I was active as a police firearms instructor and avid reloader it was recommended that our lead levels be checked every six months. One fellow firearms instructor who also reloaded had to give up shooting and reloading for a few months due to a high lead level in his blood. After that I started using plastic gloves when reloading to keep the lead blood levels down. I think the requirement for better ventilation required in most indoor ranges has probably decreased the threat.
 
Susquash said:
When I was active as a police firearms instructor and avid reloader it was recommended that our lead levels be checked every six months. One fellow firearms instructor who also reloaded had to give up shooting and reloading for a few months due to a high lead level in his blood. After that I started using plastic gloves when reloading to keep the lead blood levels down. I think the requirement for better ventilation required in most indoor ranges has probably decreased the threat.
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thanks. what i think i will do is, wear latex gloves, and that covid mask, the cheaper one. not that N35 or whatever number it is.

the club and the range both have lead wipes, or soap. in fact, i "donated" 2 gallons of wash soap for lead to the club.

i use reloaded .45 ACP ammo, lead round nose, and of course an Uplula, but my fingers still touch the lead bullets, as they get pressed into the magazines.
 
A nuisance/surgical mask will not do much good versus lead dust. If you're among those who don't subscribe to a nuisance/surgical mask being able to help with COVID, it's even less worth pretending that it'll do any good versus lead dust, for which you will need a N95 respirator (and here, remember, the "fit" counts: the GENTEX/Ops Core SOTR is expensive, but it is a favorite in our hobby and in the firearms training industry for a reason - you won't be seen as "that strange guy" for showing up at the range with it, because people who know, know ;) ) - or better.

For lead vapor, a P100 is the standard...but even casting your own bullets should not normally cause an issue, here. With hobbyist bullet casting (and other aspects of hobbyist reloading), typically, it's the microscopic dust particles caught in the fumes that create the actual hazard (and environmental engineering methods such as proper ventilation can provide excellent control).

Modern indoor ranges usually will have proper air-handling, but if you frequent older facilities, this may be a concern.

Remember that it's not just about directly handling items - "transdermal," across skin, may occur, but it's more about the dust that you can't see:

Page No Longer Available | NIOSH | CDC

being exposed
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

^ When you get home, change your clothes and segregate them for a separate wash. If you use a vacuum to clean your boots, be sure that the vac. utilizes a HEPA filter for outflow, and that you change the bag (being careful of the dust generated while doing so) before you proceed to clean the rest of your home!

Ingestion is really the big hitter, and it's important to remember that it's not just about our grubby fingers in the food context....if you like to lick your fingertips before you count out cash, smoke, etc., these are all ways that you can ingest lead dust. If you decide to wear gloves, be sure that you properly remove them so that you don't contaminate yourself in the process of disposing of the gloves. Alternatively, save some of those wipes and soaps for yourself. ;)
 
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I know the indoor range that I started going to that just opened up a few years ago, they upgraded there ventilation and now you can only shoot jacketed bullets and they want you to use the plated .22lr if you can, but no plain lead bullets anymore. Hope your lead levels get back down for you.
 
Annihilator said:
I know the indoor range that I started going to that just opened up a few years ago, they upgraded there ventilation and now you can only shoot jacketed bullets and they want you to use the plated .22lr if you can, but no plain lead bullets anymore. Hope your lead levels get back down for you.
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well here's the thing.....costs...of factory new ammo, is coming down, we all know that. but i do have several boxes of reloaded ammo to get rid of.

the majority of my shooting has been the .45's that i have.

i'll try to cut down on say only 50 rds of reloaded ammo, each time i take my 45's.

i can also start taking the 9mm (all new ammo) more often too.
 
I shoot at two ranges, both of whom claim to use air filtration systems above and beyond the required standard. One of them is privately owned and expensive to join and is always chilly and the air is clear like mountain air. The other is a fairly well known chain that is always hot and humid and I can see the gun smoke hanging in the air and I typically come home stinking of it. I’ve asked my doctor to check for lead next time we do my labs because I suspect I might be breathing too much if this stuff. That being said, my brother-in-law reloads and he got tested and his lead level is through the roof. There’s no question that if you are regularly reloading you should have solid ventilation as well as other PPE to make sure you aren’t putting yourself at hazard.

Btw, I’ve heard that a moderate diet of Hooters wings is a good way to mitigate this issue. I will report back as my research develops.
 
I've been there, gone through chelation treatment three times.

Many jacketed bullets have exposed bases. The hot gas burns off that lead into vapor and particles. You breathe that in and that is worse than touching cases etc...

Surprisingly FMJ usually has an exposed lead base. TMJ will have the base covered, typically by adding what is called a gas check to the base of the bullet and the jacket is crimped around the edge of the gas check.

JHP will have the base covered. I switched to reloading and shooting JHPs for this reason.

The jacket is formed from sheet of material, cover the nose of the bullet to the back and the base is exposed and you have a FMJ.
Do the opposite to get a JHP or JSP.

Shooting lead bullets indoors is big no-no.

Primers will typically have lead in them as well.

If you can taste a slight sweetness when your are shooting, that's lead.
 
well, i went to the club today, took the new Canik, (pic posted in that thread), and i wore a face mask, and latex gloves. shot 150 rds of factory ammo, so little smoke, compared to the reloaded stuff i buy.

after i swept up my casings, (i take them home to be saved up for a trip to the recycler).

i then (as always) washed my hands with that Hygenall lead wash soap, and this time, i took a lead wipe paper towel (also Hygenall), that they have a big round container, and wiped that on my bald head.

the club's range is like 100% cleaner, than the public range. the club, gets the range floor washed, i just to not know how often. but it always looks "pristine".

thing is, i am paid up till March of 2024 at the public range, that money is not-refundable.

when i got my insurance settlement, early this past spring, i asked if i can "buy" more than 1 year at a time, and i was told yes.

i did this, cuz at the time, i had only applied to the private club, and not knowing if i would have been accepted.

money not wasted....it took about 40 visits, to actually be paid off, and i blew past that point already, especially many weeks i go "up to" 3 times.
 
wow, and a very "timely" delivery this morning, a short time ago.

the mailman just dropped off the mail and the new issue of Carry Conceal magazine from the USCCA...

guess what....??

"how I survived my lead poisoning"......

sheesh.......it's like they read my mind...lol......
 
MrChicken said:
I've been there, gone through chelation treatment three times.

Many jacketed bullets have exposed bases. The hot gas burns off that lead into vapor and particles. You breathe that in and that is worse than touching cases etc...

Surprisingly FMJ usually has an exposed lead base. TMJ will have the base covered, typically by adding what is called a gas check to the base of the bullet and the jacket is crimped around the edge of the gas check.

JHP will have the base covered. I switched to reloading and shooting JHPs for this reason.

The jacket is formed from sheet of material, cover the nose of the bullet to the back and the base is exposed and you have a FMJ.
Do the opposite to get a JHP or JSP.

Shooting lead bullets indoors is big no-no.

Primers will typically have lead in them as well.

If you can taste a slight sweetness when your are shooting, that's lead.
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Another reason I use Speer TMJ! Lapua has some kind of coating at the base, but not sure the purpose?
 
IMHO, the mask (a good mask) is all you need. No need to wear gloves as long as you are washing your hands before you eat.

Getting the lead into your nose and mouth is where you are getting most of it. Change clothes when you get home, take a shower and that's should do it.

I should explain the lead by mouth. If the lead gets into your mouth by just breathing then you saliva will carry into your body. You don't have to lick your fingers or any direct contact. The lead in the air you breathe will make into you digestive system where it is most easy absorbed.
 
Bassbob said:
Never gave lead a second thought. I always shoot FMJ. Hundreds of thousands of rounds over the last 35+ years. I get blood work done every year. Never had them mention lead.
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i was at my doctors office earlier this year, and i told him that i am a shooter, and asked him to send me for lab work. my doctor said he's got quite a few patients that shoot, some reload as well, and they get tested on a regular basis.

unless i mentioned this to my doctor, he would have never sent me, nor followed up with this current test.
 
Old_Me said:
i was at my doctors office earlier this year, and i told him that i am a shooter, and asked him to send me for lab work. my doctor said he's got quite a few patients that shoot, some reload as well, and they get tested on a regular basis.

unless i mentioned this to my doctor, he would have never sent me, nor followed up with this current test.
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I get my blood thoroughly tested every year.
 
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