Frangible ammunition

[Tyrannosaurus]

Some indoor pistol ranges in my area allow .223 fire, as long as you only use frangible ammunition. I believe this has something to do with their backstop.

I've noticed an odd smell when folks fire these rounds. It's a chemical smell, something like when a lady gets a 'perm'.

Does anyone know what this chemical smell is, and if it is harmful? Also, I was wondering if frangible ammunition might leave behind any residue that might be harmful to the gun, or difficult to clean.

Thanks!

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I don't know the answer, but I notice an ammonia like smell when I fire "hot shots" ammo from my AK. What is that? Not there when I shoot "wolf".

 

[crushbup]

I would think that the smell is the frangible ammo heating up from friction when it comes apart. I may be entirely off-base, though, as I don't use frangible for anything.

 

[swagner89]

TMJ

There's one indoor range in my area that makes you shoot TOTAL metal jacket frangible ammo. FMJ not allowed in order to protect people from lead exposure. this seems ridiculous to me- how many shooters get sick from lead exposure? of course they are the only ones that sell it- $17 for a box of 20. anyway, maybe this is what you had and the lack of lead gas is what makes it smell funny?

 

[hso]

swagner89,

They're probably more concerned with their staff than exposure to shooters.

 

[krs]

this seems ridiculous to me- how many shooters get sick from lead exposure?

You'd be surprised and probably not happy if you had your blood tested for lead after shooting in an indoor range for extended periods and over a length of weeks.

I used to shoot at a range that had an indoor portion for pistol or smallbore. They also had a larger outdoor range but all of the employees were required to go each month to be tested and if they were over a defined level they were not able to work the indoor range ever again.

A county health inspection had been done and the place was busted for the lead in the air in that indoor section. They had to shut it down for a while, then it was retested and approved for use with only jacketed copper bullets from then on. They did finally get the OK to start up their junior smallbore tournament program after a while, and they used lead .22 target ammo.

Lead doesn't go out of you. I guess your liver stores it and it gets into bone marrow too. I don't know all of the medical details but it's dangerous stuff in the wrong circumstances.

 

[Tyrannosaurus]

Thanks for the input.

The indoor ranges in Houston have high-end filtration systems in place to decrease the risk of lead exposure. I'm just curious about the chemical content of frangible ammo, and why it smells that way when fired. Anyone have an idea?