Lead Poisoning Conerns

its like anything else...some folks susceptible to lead poisoning and some folks could swim in it and not get contaminated. I got tested a couple years ago after hearing about and outdoor range RO who tested high. GP seemed a little pissed at my asking for the test and a little smug when it came back negative.
 
As always, I have fun makin' fun of overreaction...

But I should follow up my "humor" with the acknowledgement that I do take lead exposure seriously.

I've read (over a long time, so no nifty, convenient links) that while anyone could get lead poisoning, two particular groups are most susceptible by far to detrimental effects of excessive lead exposure: chidren and women of child-bearing age. @JBoyette pointed out that age mitigates exposure risks*. I've read that (most) grown men can absorb a lot of (ingested) lead before they suffer deleterious effects, and that, once detected, elevated lead levels can be lowered relatively easily (removal from sources, diet, hygiene, & such).

So yeah, lead poisoning is a potential thing, but each person has to assess his/her own situation & susceptibility and take responsible action accordingly. I'll still continue to mock the "One size fits all to a T and anyway we're in charge so you're doing it whether you like it or not!" mentality.

Now, can I get an "OK, Boomer!" please? :)
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* that makes one advantage of gettin' grey!
 
Windini said:
As always, I have fun makin' fun of overreaction...

But I should follow up my "humor" with the acknowledgement that I do take lead exposure seriously.

I've read (over a long time, so no nifty, convenient links) that while anyone could get lead poisoning, two particular groups are most susceptible by far to detrimental effects of excessive lead exposure: chidren and women of child-bearing age. @JBoyette pointed out that age mitigates exposure risks*. I've read that (most) grown men can absorb a lot of (ingested) lead before they suffer deleterious effects, and that, once detected, elevated lead levels can be lowered relatively easily (removal from sources, diet, hygiene, & such).

So yeah, lead poisoning is a potential thing, but each person has to assess his/her own situation & susceptibility and take responsible action accordingly. I'll still continue to mock the "One size fits all to a T and anyway we're in charge so you're doing it whether you like it or not!" mentality.

Now, can I get an "OK, Boomer!" please? :)
____________
* that makes one advantage of gettin' grey!
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the inverse relationship with age is very true. Has more to do with developmental biology/physiology than age specifically but same difference. Lead is teratogenic during fetal development. Obviously the worst possible exposure stage as here almost no bodily system has fully formed yet, much less matured and so hazards can result in malformation and host of cellular and physiological dysfunction.

Once born, system are mostly now there but growing and maturing. After puberty, risks are essentially just poison, possible increased risk profile for some other adult onset things like cancer,but most importantly as a source of contamination for others.

like cigarettes, alcohol, heroine, crack, whatever...millions of people do it and even while pregnant with many millions of babies born fine, but comparatively also millions more with various disorders than the rest of population. We choose which cards we play, but at end of day everything is gambling with odds.
 
As far as ranges getting shut down for stuff happening though, well, that’s just absurd.

So long as the place isn’t a serious health hazard, they should not be liable for the ignorant, uninformed, complacent, lazy and/or unconcerned actions of individuals outside of the establishment. That said, the public DOES EXPECT professionals and experts to know more than they do regarding their safety, but barring not meeting those regulations, it becomes a matter of educational outreach (doctors, teachers, non-profits whatever), or self-learning. Honestly if compliance is met I see the NRA as more to blame for people not understanding than the friggen gun range. Anyway, stupid litigious society we live in.
 
It's the finer points that matter.

swallowing a lead fishing weight is less harmful than inhaling the airborne dust that helps make the smell of cordite.

YMMV on the after-effects of swallowing. Based on the context of the conversation.
 
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Sigequinox220 said:
As far as ranges getting shut down for stuff happening though, well, that’s just absurd.

So long as the place isn’t a serious health hazard, they should not be liable for the ignorant, uninformed, complacent, lazy and/or unconcerned actions of individuals outside of the establishment. That said, the public DOES EXPECT professionals and experts to know more than they do regarding their safety, but barring not meeting those regulations, it becomes a matter of educational outreach (doctors, teachers, non-profits whatever), or self-learning. Honestly if compliance is met I see the NRA as more to blame for people not understanding than the friggen gun range. Anyway, stupid litigious society we live in.
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Almost liked your post, until you bit your own tail.

Good boy...
 
When you have a second Google Kent Lomont. The greatest magnum handgun shooter of all rime. When you read the stuff he did it is just amazing. He regularly Wore Out model 27s and 29s. S&W rebuilt them for him on a regular basis. He did long range shooting with the 500 S&W that legends are made of. Ten of thousands of full magnum power ammo a year.

He died at an early age with Many Times the lethal dosage of several metals in his system. Check it out!! Great reading!!!
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
When you have a second Google Kent Lomont. The greatest magnum handgun shooter of all rime. When you read the stuff he did it is just amazing. He regularly Wore Out model 27s and 29s. S&W rebuilt them for him on a regular basis. He did long range shooting with the 500 S&W that legends are made of. Ten of thousands of full magnum power ammo a year.

He died at an early age with Many Times the lethal dosage of several metals in his system. Check it out!! Great reading!!!
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Great point of reference.
 
I just recently had a heavy metal screening done because I worked in the circuit board building business for several years, wave soldering, screen printing boards with solder paste, hand soldering under a microscope and often times holding the solder in my mouth, worked around colorant with all kinds of heavy metals, shooting and reloading.

I brought it up to the doctor and he did the screening and everything came back well below acceptable levels. Now I have a baseline to compare to down the road. The cost of the screening was over $850.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
When you have a second Google Kent Lomont. The greatest magnum handgun shooter of all rime. When you read the stuff he did it is just amazing. He regularly Wore Out model 27s and 29s. S&W rebuilt them for him on a regular basis. He did long range shooting with the 500 S&W that legends are made of. Ten of thousands of full magnum power ammo a year.

He died at an early age with Many Times the lethal dosage of several metals in his system. Check it out!! Great reading!!!
Click to expand...

http://frankwjamesgunwriter.blogspot.com/2013/04/knob-creek-weekend.html

I ran into Kent Lomont's ex-wife, Kathy, at the show today and she helped explain some things surrounding Kent's death. In 2008 they tested Kent's hair and found it contained 7 heavy metals. Each was at a level unknown to sustain human life. In fact some of them were well over 30 times that considered lethal!!!! The medical professionals wanted desperately to meet this man just to make sure he was still alive.

Kent died in 2011 and it is easy to understand the cause of his death in hindsight, but the fact remains that although Kent was only 5'9" tall he truly was a Paul Bunyan of the Gun World. Hell, even Elmer Keith wrote about him when he was a teenager!!! You can find him if you have a copy of Keith's Gun Notes on your shelves.

Essentially, Kent died of cancer, but although he was a lifelong smoker his lungs were clear. However, considering he had been casting bullets since he was 12 years old in an unventilated barn, cooked his food in the can it came in (with no consideration for the soldered lids), often ate his meals while shooting and casting bullets and never wore a respirator when shooting a 10,000 round belt through a MAG -58, or even gloves, is it any wonder his body absorbed an inordinate amount of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, antimony, copper and other things????
 
wvsig said:
http://frankwjamesgunwriter.blogspot.com/2013/04/knob-creek-weekend.html

I ran into Kent Lomont's ex-wife, Kathy, at the show today and she helped explain some things surrounding Kent's death. In 2008 they tested Kent's hair and found it contained 7 heavy metals. Each was at a level unknown to sustain human life. In fact some of them were well over 30 times that considered lethal!!!! The medical professionals wanted desperately to meet this man just to make sure he was still alive.

Kent died in 2011 and it is easy to understand the cause of his death in hindsight, but the fact remains that although Kent was only 5'9" tall he truly was a Paul Bunyan of the Gun World. Hell, even Elmer Keith wrote about him when he was a teenager!!! You can find him if you have a copy of Keith's Gun Notes on your shelves.

Essentially, Kent died of cancer, but although he was a lifelong smoker his lungs were clear. However, considering he had been casting bullets since he was 12 years old in an unventilated barn, cooked his food in the can it came in (with no consideration for the soldered lids), often ate his meals while shooting and casting bullets and never wore a respirator when shooting a 10,000 round belt through a MAG -58, or even gloves, is it any wonder his body absorbed an inordinate amount of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, antimony, copper and other things????
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Not directed at you @wvsig,

Its a lot of speculation on that post.

The man's life was full of awesomeness and a professional chemist BEFORE he switched over to a ballistic expert.

The point I make is this. IF and IF I want to see my child turn 50, "she is under 18 now" I need to take steps to prolong my health. Being smart around heavy metals might not take ALL the risk away, but it damn sure mitigates them to a level of survivability.

It's like Mr. Boone told me when developing a 9mm load at WSI after he retired from the FBI. " I will not die because if it, I will die with it on my body"

Its a thought.
 
JBoyette said:
Not directed at you @wvsig,
I need to take steps to prolong my health.
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And friend, you are of course welcome to take whatever steps you feel are necessary- that no one can deny you. All one can hope for is that whatever one decides to do proves to be worth the effort and gives the desired result. We know that there is no guaranteed results in life, but if there's an opportunity to tilt the scales, why not take it ?

There's a ton of stuff that if I knew then what I know now...
 
Most of you that know me know that I shoot Every day, without fail. I have done this for the last 15 years now. You also know I am past the appointed 3 score and 10. While I have not Always followed my advice, please, take a minute to clean up. Wash up, why take chances with your family's future? As a few more on here can attest to, life is still sweet on the other side of 70. I want all of you to be shooting with the same zeel I do daily. Why take the chance??
 
I think less exposure for the vast majority of shooters is mitigated by general decent hygiene and practices. Wash hands, don’t eat while shooting, etc.

During my last indoor range trip I recall hearing the people beside me complaining of the cold air being blown in from behind the firing line towards the targets. I wanted to explain to them the concept of hazardous gasses and so forth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Range days just aren't as fun as they used to be...

600px-M1_carbine_5.jpg
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
When you have a second Google Kent Lomont. The greatest magnum handgun shooter of all rime. When you read the stuff he did it is just amazing. He regularly Wore Out model 27s and 29s. S&W rebuilt them for him on a regular basis. He did long range shooting with the 500 S&W that legends are made of. Ten of thousands of full magnum power ammo a year.

He died at an early age with Many Times the lethal dosage of several metals in his system. Check it out!! Great reading!!!
Click to expand...

had forgotten all about Kent Lomont. I have all those Gun Digest Annuals that some of his articles were in. I did not do a deep dive but one obit said bone cancer. Sounds like he lived 3 lifetimes in his 60+ yrs on the planet.
 
georgel said:
Range days just aren't as fun as they used to be...

600px-M1_carbine_5.jpg
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The next tactic from the haters will be passing laws requiring everyone change in to a hazmat suit before entering a gun store.

I ran in to the guy who taught my CHP class and he was working in another store, not an LGS. In a department away from the guns. He only comes to the gun counter if they are busy and he has time. Lead level was his issue.
 
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