Is lead contact that much of a health issue?

bds said:

It is if you bend down towards the floor to pick up spent brass and inhale lead dust as lead dust settles on the floor. And depending on the ventilation system, can stir up lead dust from the floor.

According to this 4/25/14 CDC report on indoor ranges and elevated blood lead levels, there likely is a link - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-much-of-a-health-issue.852055/#post-11145192

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I have a question. Several posts have mentioned picking up brass from the floor, now you provide an explanation. I shoot revolvers, and I save my brass to resell, but I don't pick it up off the floor, when I finish a cylinder I carefully eject the spent brass onto the tray and then put it into a can I bring with me for this purpose. Do I have anything to worry about?

Hookeye said:

Your story, tell the doc whatever you want LOL

I refuse to discuss my shooting/hunting with my GP or other health care folks.
Unless of course I've seen them on the range

Luckily, 3 of my doctors are/were shooters.

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I recently had a refraction exam at the Walmart vision center. The paperwork I was asked to fill out included a question "Do you participate in any sports that require eye protection?". I was wondering if that was a sneaky way to find out if a person is a shooter. I answered yes but it bothered me a bit, even though it was Walmart and this is Arizona.

old lady new shooter said:

I recently had a refraction exam at the Walmart vision center. The paperwork I was asked to fill out included a question "Do you participate in any sports that require eye protection?". I was wondering if that was a sneaky way to find out if a person is a shooter. I answered yes but it bothered me a bit, even though it was Walmart and this is Arizona.

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An Eyeglass Vendor refused to sell me eyeglasses after I told them I used them for shooting. They claimed excessive liability. I learned a lesson about this: you do not owe a Corporation honesty. A Corporation acts only in its self interest, which is maximizing profits. While a Corporation demands honesty from you, it will not be reciprocated and they will consider you a fool for being honest, consider you an idiot for trusting them. Corporations will in fact, lie to you , betray your trust, if they can make more profit doing so. You must learn to act in your own self interest when dealing with a Corporation.

old lady new shooter said:

I have a question. Several posts have mentioned picking up brass from the floor, now you provide an explanation. I shoot revolvers, and I save my brass to resell, but I don't pick it up off the floor, when I finish a cylinder I carefully eject the spent brass onto the tray and then put it into a can I bring with me for this purpose. Do I have anything to worry about?

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I do the same when shooting revolvers. I'm guessing your exposure risk is lower than those of us that shoot semiautos and pick up our brass to reload, but there's no reason not to be meticulous about washing your hands after shooting or handling firearms and firearm related items. Solvents, oils, powder residue, yada yada yada. You can't tell me there's any of those substances that should be in the human body.

But none the less, if you work to reduce your exposure, you are probably ok. You could also get a blood test from the doc if you are concerned.

460Shooter said:

I do the same when shooting revolvers. I'm guessing your exposure risk is lower than those of us that shoot semiautos and pick up our brass to reload, but there's no reason not to be meticulous about washing your hands after shooting or handling firearms and firearm related items. Solvents, oils, powder residue, yada yada yada. You can't tell me there's any of those substances that should be in the human body.

But none the less, if you work to reduce your exposure, you are probably ok. You could also get a blood test from the doc if you are concerned.

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Thanks.

I have lead removal wipes that I keep in my range bag, and I use one as soon as I have all my stuff packed up after shooting, before checking out at the desk.

I'm 68 years old and the only meds that I take is for my thyroid. If it was half as deadly as claimed I would have been gone years ago. There is no telling how many pounds of lead that I have poured and handle over the last 45 years. At one time I had 5 girls lying jigs and spinnerbaits that I had cast in my garage. Then there is the thousands of Lead SWC's and 22 lr's that I have put downrange. It is hard for me to believe that It is a major danger.

jmorris said:

You may be joking but there are other metals that are otherwise harmless that you don’t want to breath in, Beryllium copper comes to mind.

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.

We have that where I work too.

Beryllium oxide aint good either. But when cutting output stacks for potting and SEM they were diamond sawed w oil.....so no dust

I've touched lead and lived to tell about it...What's next no riding in the back of pick up trucks or drinking water from a hose?

In reality genetics is probably the largest single factor in what may be harmful to your body, but "medical science" does not want that to enter the equation as it would put a big dent in pharmaceutical sales.......

Captcurt said:

I'm 68 years old and the only meds that I take is for my thyroid. If it was half as deadly as claimed I would have been gone years ago. There is no telling how many pounds of lead that I have poured and handle over the last 45 years. At one time I had 5 girls lying jigs and spinnerbaits that I had cast in my garage. Then there is the thousands of Lead SWC's and 22 lr's that I have put downrange. It is hard for me to believe that It is a major danger.

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Uh, good maybe it has worked out for you, but other people have gotten lead poisoning from shooting. So pooh poohing it is a bad idea.

We are getting to the point of no return. It is like the hearing protection debate. It is clear that folks have had their hearing permanently damaged by gun noises. However, some old toot comes on who says that they have been shooting since the time of the dinosaurs with no effect. Good for you.

Same with lead - it's clear that exposure is dangerous. I have a friend who had to give up shooting for a year and be on chelating drugs. However, some old toot will come on say and say - blah, blah - no big deal.

It can be. The references are there in the scientific literature. If you don't believe it while sailing around the edge of the flat earth - good for you.

I guess we can add the anti-hearing protection folks and the anti-lead concerned folks to the anti-vaxxers.

Thus, since this has fallen over the edge - closed.