Lead Levels in Blood

[joliver]

I've just been reading about lead levels in the blood on the SASS net (CAS). Apparently, it can be a problem for CAS because they handle lead not only when loading their firearms, but also when reloading ammo. Does anybody know if this is a problem for muzzleloaders, since we handle lead every time we load a round?

Jerry

 

[roundball]

I've just been reading about lead levels in the blood on the SASS net (CAS). Apparently, it can be a problem for CAS because they handle lead not only when loading their firearms, but also when reloading ammo. Does anybody know if this is a problem for muzzleloaders, since we handle lead every time we load a round?
Jerry

Interesting question...I've been handling / loading about 1000-1500 lead balls a year for 3-4 years now...thinking back on it I don't put my fingers in my mouth or anything...not from worry about lead I just realized...but because they have lube and BP residue on them...haven't noticed any problems yet but if problems could come from just handling them, it might take decades to develop into something anyway...dunno
::

 

[Stumpkiller]

Ey don think thurs mush promlemm with lead in our blud. Essh just not an issewe to wurry bout.

Shoot and cast balls outdoors and don't put your hands or other stuff in your mouth while so engaged if you're concerned. Makes spit patching a questionable practice. Don't carry food in with balls in your haversack (or lead & mold for casting on a trek, which makes no sense in any case but is fun).

Several period accounts describe mouthing a handfull of balls when heading into battle or after the buffalo herd from horseback.

I remember in one of Mark Bakers articles long ago a buddy of his was crushing roasted coffee beans in his lead casting ladle during a trek. Now that boy's higher brain functions I'd wonder about. Wonder if his camp name has been changed to "Droolin Bob" by now.

 

[Bob Riegl]

I coached intercollegiate rifle and pistol for many years and we had a great indoor range air scrubber. Since this was a US government Academy I had to take a blood test every six months and I never even approached the term "safe levels"---handling the lead ball is not going to cause the absorption of any appreciable amount of lead as it would inhaling the vapors while casting indoors. Lead has to be in a vapour phase in order to be absorbed in any appreciable amount. Good sanitary procedures after shooting any gun should be natural and normal. I see guys shooting Bullseye pistol indoors wearing respirator masks---that is however an overreaction. However, that said making coffee in a lead casting pot is not my concept of a sane &/or safe process since heating water causes the dissolution of the soluble salts of lead ever present in an iron container---now we're talking something "dumb"---if eating paint chips from lead based paints can cause brain damage then making coffee in a lead pot is a great way to increase your lead absorption as well. :m2c:

 

[thehorn]

I've been casting for muzzleloading for the past 37 years, running about 500-600 balls a year, not to mention my exposure from handling same during loading. Been doing 100% of the casting oudoors on a plumbers propane stove since early '70's to avoid fumes. This topic came up about 20 years ago in Muzzleblasts, peeked my interest and I began to have my blood checked for lead at annual physicals. Fortunately, discernible levels of lead were never detected. I am particular about not puting hands to mouth when handling and carry baby wipes in my truck so that I can clean up after handling (i.e. range, hunting, etc.).

 

[WRussell]

When I was working with lead at work years ago, we were told that the stuff you have to watch out for when handling lead is the white coating that forms on the surface. If I remember correctly this is lead oxide, and it can easily become airborne. Breathing it is very bad for your longevity prospects. The stuff is cumulative, and doesn't get cleared out of your system if you subsequently stay away from it. I think the medical folks can give you some sort of scavenging stuff to help, but I don't know.

If you run across some white powder on your lead, put oil on it, or wax - anything to bind it and keep it from going adrift.

 

[jim gray]

If I remember correctly, I got more lead on my hands from handling .22 rimfire cartridges than I ever have while shooting a muzzleloader.

 

[Nightwind]

I went through that arguement awhile back on another forum. So here's my take on it.
The lead "scare" is in lead compounds, such as in chemical mixes, paint and breathing in vapors. Not the solid lead form. After all, too much dust of anything is bad for you.

I've been crimping lead split shot on my fishing lines with my teeth for the last 50 years. I have no traceable levels of lead in my system. Now, whether any tiny amounts of the lead stuck to my teeth and eventually passed through me? I would probably say yes, but again, no traceable lead levels in me. Maybe I'm just lucky?!

 

[gordy]

I believe I read the same article some months ago,One of the persons of high risk were those that reloaded ammo.Most high powered high speed projectiles are copper clad,It looks to me that this article smacks of an anti-gun attitude.I have no doubt that the improper handling of lead could cause possible elevated levels in the blood ,but I think they are rrying to stampede folks.

 

[SAJones]

Sorry, folks, I just don't subscribe to all this lead scare hysteria. I've been casting & reloading for over 30 years, with no ventilation. I've cast out of a lead pot over a camp stove for half of those 30 years. Incidentally, I've carried a .22 bullet in my insides since I was 17, & my wife grew up in a house with lead water pipes. We're both in our mid 60s, & as far as affecting intelligence, we both have masters's degrees in difficult subjects. My tendency to not remember I've had since I was a yonker. Never could get all my aunts, uncles, & cousins straight.

 

[oomcurt]

I have to agree with you. I find it totally rediculous, the hype bordering on hysteria regarding this lead thing. Hell...when I was a kid we had toy lead soldiers and what not. Nobody I ever knew had any problems with lead. We used to melt it in the old coal furnace we had and make all kinds of wierd looking stuff with it. I've reloaded all kinds of lead bullets. Melted it in a pot inside a building also..nobody ever got sick or anything else from it either. Now, I'm pushin my seventies and dragging my sixties but my bet is most of the manure you hear about lead and its hazzards are a bunch of hooey drumed up by a bunch of dang health freaks.

 

[scott k]

This came up in here before, A few years ago I worked in a lead paint clean up job. I shot blasted the paint off of beams on a hi way bridge. We cleaned off the tops off the beam and 3 feet of the ends, not much. The primer that was used was the paint with the lead in it. Did this for about 3 weeks. There was 2 of us that did this so I did about half of the total job. This was done inside a tent with air filters going and dust masks on made for lead removal. The whole 9 yards.
Anyway my lead count in my blood went from 17 to 58 micro grams (I think that was the measurement). I had to go back once a week to watch it go down. If my count would have bin 20 at the start I would not have bin able to work on that job.
PBS had a show on a few years back that showed what lead can do to you. It was about kids in south america that used lead in the glaze on roof tiles. The one kid had tooth loss, slow motor skills, hair loss. IT was sad. His blood count was lower than my highest count.
I'm careful about watching what I do now.
My two cent
Lehigh...

 

[dodgecity]

I'm 65 now, and I have a long history with lead. In addition to casting and loading ball with my muzzleloaders, I also make and load a lot of cast bullets for my center fire revolvers. Add to that I make my own molds for casting 1:800 scale ships and lead soldiers. I've been doing all of these activities for well over 30 years. At the beginning, I really didn't know much about lead hazards, but for many years now, I've been casting only outdoors on my patio, I don't eat or drink anything while casting, and I wash my hands thoroughly when I'm done. So far, I am unaware of any health problems due to my lead related activities. Kinda figure my fondness for tobacco and tequila are going to get me before the lead does.

 

[7.62FMJ]

I was in the Service for 11 years as a Firearms Instructor and was constantly exposed to airborne lead (primer compounds and burnt base of the projectile which is not copper jacketed). My shop was tested (cause that's where we punched bore's) and it went off the scale!!! I always had a clean shop but the residue stays on surfaces. We eventually had to remove all the bench surfaces and flooring tiles and were not allowed to dry sweep; but had to use special damp napkins.
My blood was collected on an annual basis for the entire time I did this job-and still is cause I'm in the Reserve. Last count is that I'm at a 6 on a scale of 1-10. "They" said it will go down with time.... Practice safe handling methods by not eating or chewing tobacco or smoking during shooting or after cleaning your weapons.