XIII. Safety and Security

A. Safety

5. Hazards of Lead Exposure

a. Introductory Article

Lead exposure and the potential for its ingestion (without proper care and cleansing) normally (absent use of "lead-free" primers and/or totally jacketed bullets -- such as CCI's "Lead Safe" ammo) has two sources: lead vaporization and particulate scrapings from the fired bullet; gun smoke, which is saturated with lead oxide from the combustion of the lead compound (eg. lead styphenate) in the primer. The latter is the greater hazard

(a) because lead oxide is more easily ingested because

1. it is easily aspirated,
2. it covers everything the gun smoke covers (hands, face, hair, clothes, gun, empty brass), and
3. lead oxide versus solid particulate or lead vapor (lead per se) is more readily assimilated into the bloodstream,

and (b) because there is more lead oxide residue at the shooter's end and all over the shooter and equipment than lead from the bullet.

In policing brass and cleaning the gun, the lead oxide is everywhere the gun smoke residue is. It is also assimilable to some degree through the skin/pores. It is recommended to wash hands, face with cold versus hot soapy water (to keep pores tight) and not with oil-based soap (which can help the residue spread and adhere to skin/pores).