Do you always wash your hands after touching bullets?

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Aim1

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This may sound strange but my dad always taught me to wash my hands after dealing with bullets because of lead and especially before we ate.

If I'm doing something like taking 1 bullet out of a magazine and then putting that away how big of a deal is it to not wash my hands?


I've just always just washed my hands whenever dealing with bullets whether it was dealing with a lot or just 1 bullet out of force of habit.


Do you always wash your hands after touching bullets?
 
Not always, but generally yes. If I'm handling a few rounds of brand new FMJ rounds I wouldn't even think about washing my hands

Most of my bullets are lead bullets I've cast myself and most of my ammo is stuff I've reloaded myself. I'll wash after handling lead bullets, dirty cases, shooting, etc.
 
Had a friend who had lead poisoning from shooting/handling lead and it really SUCKED for him. All kinds of medical issues due to it and it took a long time for him to recover. After that I wash my hands regularly after working with ammo/firearms. Definitely don't want to experience what he went through.
 
I wash my hands after shooting and more importantly after cleaning guns or reloading. The most dangerous lead (short of intercepting high velocity lead) is the lead compounds you get from the byproducts of priming compound that is on dirty guns and fired brass. This lead is much more readily absorbed by the body. Metallic lead and the lead oxides that come off bullets are absorbed at lower rates.
 
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If I'm handling jacket rounds, not always.
If I've just finished casting, pan lubing etc. definitely.

@Fine Figure of a Man I really miss George.
I got to see him live in 2001 at Sam's Town Casino in Tunica, MS.
I had been old enough to go to the casino for only a month or two.
Really glad I got to see the GOAT while he was alive and what I consider in his comedic prime.
 
I have a canister of those special lead-removing wipes in my range bag, I always use one or two after shooting. Then I usually wash my hands also. Never occurred to me that this would also be a good idea after cleaning, now that I read this thread I will do that, thanks. :)
 
Shooting, reloading or cleaning guns, yes always.

Simply loading a few mags, especially FMJ, not always.

Since I have little kids, after shooting I usually do a full change of clothes and shower as well.
 
Same as most prior posts:
Administrative chambering/unloading of JHP rounds at the beginning and end of the day, no immediate hand washing.
Any trip to the shooting range, or handling bulk ammo or components, immediate hand washing.
 
This may sound strange but my dad always taught me to wash my hands after dealing with bullets because of lead and especially before we ate.

If I'm doing something like taking 1 bullet out of a magazine and then putting that away how big of a deal is it to not wash my hands?


I've just always just washed my hands whenever dealing with bullets whether it was dealing with a lot or just 1 bullet out of force of habit.


Do you always wash your hands after touching bullets?

Yes...every time.
 
Growing up, my two first cousins would put split shot lead weight on their fishing line by biting it instead of using pliers like my dad taught me to do it. I always thought they were crazy, but I didn't wash my hands after getting them out of the tackle box and using the pliers.
 
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Since I have a baby, I wash my hands upon doing anything more than holstering my gun in the mornings and unholsterling at night.

If I reload or shoot I strip and shower.
 
I had lead issues at one point in time. (due to an indoor range I used to shoot at).
If I am at home I wash, at the range I use the sani wipes to clean my hands.
(also handy after using the porta john)
Maybe overkill, but an easy precaution to take.
 
Do you always wash your hands after touching bullets?

Yep, sure do. After any activity like reloading, handling my guns, or when I'm done shooting at the range I always wash my hands. If I'm some place without access to soap and water I will use some sort of Handi-wipe to clean my hands with.
 
I figured most reloaders wear gloves these days.

I'm not a reloader and I generally pick up live cartridges from the primer side, which is really easy to do considering most ammo I handle has the primer side up in each box.

So no, I don't wash my hands until my hands are noticeably dirty.
 
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