4 ms·

Workers at a firing range I used to go to were sent home for weeks if they were exposed to too much lead. I am shocked a well funded army couldn't do the same.

AllegedAlec 8y ago
Do you mean particulates from shattered rounds, or that they were sweeping the range while someone was still firing at their target?
- pandemicsyn 8y ago
  Its mostly because of two things. The primer that detonates and starts the powder burn is made up of lead and other metals. Thats great and getting in the air. Second, the copper jacket on rounds like the cheap stuff you train with tend not cover the back of the round leaving exposed lead - so a lot of lead fouling gets generated by the hot gases atomizing the lead on the tail of the bullet. That makes it into the air, ground, and surroundings when you fire. So you breath some in before the range ventilation ever has a chance. I feel that's probably especially bad at indoor ranges because you've got partitions on either side of you. lead's also great at sticking to shoes, clothes, etc and going home with you. So - de-leading soap ftw! Some rifles make this worst (especially if shooting suppressed or if you're a lefty) because the gas is much closer and much more in your face). Most indoor ranges also have subpar ventilation. So if shoot at the indoor range i try to limit my time, ask to be on a range with less other active shooters, use fully enclosed metal jacketed round's, use de-leading wipes when I'm done, and don't bring my shoes into the house when I get home. Really, I just stick to outdoor ranges where I can snag a big private bay. Even then, I still use de-leading wipes on all the things.
  - hedvig 8y ago
    Makes me wonder about gun people that go to the range a lot have altered thinking from the lead exposure, seriously.
    - thrownblown 8y ago
      That's why they wear the tinfoil hats.
- stronglikedan 8y ago
  > were sweeping the range while someone was still firing at their target? That costs extra.
adizzledog 8y ago
The difference being people are expendable in the army. Source: Bitter veteran
mistrial9 8y ago
heavy metals bio-accumulate over an entire lifetime AFAIK; going home for any number of weeks doesnt stop that. Is lead exposure this way somehow different ?
- AllegedAlec 8y ago
  You can do chelation to get rid of most of it, in most cases.
- kurtisc 8y ago
  I wondered the same but never got the exact answer.

AllegedAlec 8y ago

Do you mean particulates from shattered rounds, or that they were sweeping the range while someone was still firing at their target?

pandemicsyn 8y ago
Its mostly because of two things. The primer that detonates and starts the powder burn is made up of lead and other metals. Thats great and getting in the air. Second, the copper jacket on rounds like the cheap stuff you train with tend not cover the back of the round leaving exposed lead - so a lot of lead fouling gets generated by the hot gases atomizing the lead on the tail of the bullet. That makes it into the air, ground, and surroundings when you fire. So you breath some in before the range ventilation ever has a chance. I feel that's probably especially bad at indoor ranges because you've got partitions on either side of you. lead's also great at sticking to shoes, clothes, etc and going home with you. So - de-leading soap ftw! Some rifles make this worst (especially if shooting suppressed or if you're a lefty) because the gas is much closer and much more in your face). Most indoor ranges also have subpar ventilation. So if shoot at the indoor range i try to limit my time, ask to be on a range with less other active shooters, use fully enclosed metal jacketed round's, use de-leading wipes when I'm done, and don't bring my shoes into the house when I get home. Really, I just stick to outdoor ranges where I can snag a big private bay. Even then, I still use de-leading wipes on all the things.
- hedvig 8y ago
  Makes me wonder about gun people that go to the range a lot have altered thinking from the lead exposure, seriously.
  - thrownblown 8y ago
    That's why they wear the tinfoil hats.
stronglikedan 8y ago
> were sweeping the range while someone was still firing at their target? That costs extra.

adizzledog 8y ago

The difference being people are expendable in the army. Source: Bitter veteran

mistrial9 8y ago

heavy metals bio-accumulate over an entire lifetime AFAIK; going home for any number of weeks doesnt stop that. Is lead exposure this way somehow different ?

AllegedAlec 8y ago
You can do chelation to get rid of most of it, in most cases.
kurtisc 8y ago
I wondered the same but never got the exact answer.