Decapping and Lead Exposure?

[bowzette]

I won't start reloading until the spring but I've dry tumbled some brass and thought I would decap when I have time and the weather warms up-central Texas so we will have better weather soon My reloading bench is in the garage-powder and primers are in the house. I dried tumbled outside to keep dust and potential lead residue from contaminating the garage reloading area. Should I be concerned about decapping in the garage due to lead exposure and lead residue remaining in the garage? I have a Lee turret press but I also have a Lee hand press and a separate decapping die I could use outside in good weather.

 

[Regaj]

Nah, I think you're perfectly fine. You've already covered the activity (dry tumbling) where most lead exposure risk would lie. De-capping should pose little-to-no risk. I'm happy to sit in the living room with my wife and use my own (new!) Lee hand press to size and de-cap.

Kudos, though, for thinking through these things. Most of us who grew up in the shooting sports came up in an era when such things as lead exposure were hardly on anyone's radar. Now we know better.

Welcome to the world of handloading! It's such a fine hobby in its own right... I love it nearly as much as shooting!

 

[OKFC05]

Well, it depends on your housekeeping in the loading area. If you catch the primers and treat them like toxic waste, you will be fine (they can be sold for copper scrap). However, unless you are using NT primers the black residue dust from the primers is toxic and should not be allowed to scatter all over or accumulate in carpet.
No baby is going to be allowed to crawl around my loading area, but inside the living area, who knows?

 

[RGVshooter]

I wouldn't worry about it as long as you don't snack on food while reloading or have open beverage containers on your work table. Wash hands often.

 

[H Richard]

Just a hint. A "used" dryer sheet in the tumbler soaks up any dust. I use one about every 2nd or 3rd trip through the tumbler.

 

[stavey]

Wet tumble before depriming this way all the lead etc. Is carried away with the water. Not to mention your dies will thank you .

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

All primers made or imported after Jan 1,1999 are lead free! It was an EPA thing! Surplus ammo made before that could be imported, but that has been 19 years now, the stockpiles are pretty emptied out.

Ivan

 

[MichiganScott]

I had my blood tested for lead a few years ago, figuring that after 50 years of shooting and reloading I probably had elevated levels. When the results came back my physician explained to me that my levels were effectively zero and lower than normally found in someone living in the big cities where lead had accumulated in the soil from all those years before unleaded gasoline.

I don't eat or drink anything while reloading and wash my hands when finished. I think that some of us get over concerned about lead contamination. For many years I fed my family solely on game shot with cup and core bullets, lead shot, or solid lead projectiles. No lead build up from that source either.

 

[Rule3]

All primers made or imported after Jan 1,1999 are lead free! It was an EPA thing! Surplus ammo made before that could be imported, but that has been 19 years now, the stockpiles are pretty emptied out.

Ivan

That is just so totally Incorrect!

You posted the same thing in this thread and it was incorrect then as well.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/542940-high-lead-levels.html#post139838263

 

[robertrwalsh]

I have been reloading for a lot of years, and used to do a lot of bullet casting. Also, while I was working on the range a lot at work I used to get a lead exposure test every year. I always tested well within acceptable limits.

 

[stavey]

Lead isn't all that's in that dust.

 

[bluetopper]

I find that the processes of reloading and shooting elevate my testosterone levels dramatically. That alone is worth the risks.

 

[Rule3]

Well ... I don't love reloading the way I used to.
I no longer soul kiss the cases, and I don't collect the primer pocket dust to use in homemade soap either.
You shouldn't sweat these details so much as many seem to in our alarmist society.
You will eventually fire your ammo, new or born again, which will expose you to far more readily absorbed lead than the whole of the reloading process

If you wear a aluminum (tin foil) hat, you will be protected from all these hazards especially the sinister lead!

The OP has a good question however.

All those who want "surgically clean brass and primer pockets" USUALLY deprime the cases BEFORE cleaning.

Think about that procedure: It may be on the press or on a dedicated universal depriming, In the process the depriming die/pin goes in and pops out the deadly primer. This surely releases toxic lead particles. Then on the up stroke it acts kinda like a suction and spews loosen lead particulates into the air!

Therefore I would think a Haz Mat suit should be worn and all depriming done inside a sealed chamber much like a sand blasting of biological hazard containment.

Bottom line, wash your hands, do not eat drink or smoke,

 

[joeintexas]

I really think that if the danger from lead in the primers was as bad as some want us to believe there wouldn't be many of us old timers alive today. Just saying.

 

[hdwhit]

bowzette asked:
Should I be concerned about decapping in the garage due to lead exposure and lead residue remaining in the garage?

In short, no.

The lead amounts in primer residue are tiny. Inhalation is not a major exposure risk. Lead does not readily enter through the skin, so through hand washing should be observed so that dirty hands don't get it into your mouth. It is best not to eat or drink while decapping to avoid injesting the dust. Follow the recommendations of your local waste disposal service for how to put used primers in the trash.

Personally, I recommend decapping brass as the first step. This gets the primer out of the case. It takes the bulk of the lead residue with it. This means less lead in your tumbling media (if you dry tumble) or less lead in your wash water (if you wet tumble). Also, having the flash hole open promotes air circulation and helps the case dry out quicker.

I've been reloading for 40+ years and since I live near a recently decommissioned lead smelter (a consequence of what I regard to be lead hysteria), I have to have my blood and hair checked periodically. Between living within sight of the smelter for 30 years and processing tens of thousands of rounds of brass, I have yet to test positive for elevated lead levels.

Children are uniquely sensitive to lead in the environment, so reasonable care would dictate that you keep them out of the garage when you decap and handle spent primers and it would be prudent to regularly vacuum around the bench when spent primers have been handled. I also wear disposible gloves when I handle unprimed cases and spent primers and remove the gloves the same way they teach you to do in bloodborne pathogen training. It just makes everything neater and simpler.

As I see it, lead is potentially toxic. Reasonable people will recognize that and follow common-sense housekeeping and hygiene procedures to protect themselves against the potential risk, but that's all that is needed and there is no need to give in to hysteria.

 

[fredj338]

Again, just maintain good hygiene. Don't smoke or eat & wash your hands. Your potential risk to lead exposure will be diff person to person. Shooting indoors is far more toxic than reloading.

 

[Twoboxer]

Mouth and eyes are the entry points for lead. You've already minimized/eliminated one source of (airborne) lead by dry tumbling outside.

I also assume you do not smoke, eat, or snack while reloading and wash hands when done. Clean any press residue from decapping with a damp paper towel rather than blowing it off which spreads and makes lead airborne for a time.

The biggest source of lead exposure will likely be shooting indoors at many ranges, especially when sweeping brass up off the floor then bending to pick some up.

Some Doctors (like my cardiologist) will freak out at lead levels (eg) of 8. Sometimes they can be assuaged by telling them you don't plan on getting pregnant, and your brain has pretty much stopped all development .

More helpful perhaps is to remind them that the OSHA "max" blood lead level for folks in the lead industry is 35 IIRC (look it up yourself). Lead levels for others are set so low because, outside the lead industry, you aren't supposed to be exposed to lead so the source should be identified.

 

[bowzette]

Thanks for the comments. The past year I've been shooting at an indoor range a couple of times a week. It is suppose to be "well ventilated". I shoot revolvers as much as semi-autos and .22lr often. I suspect the revolvers especially the .22 are spreading some lead. I'm careful not to stick fingers, hand, fist or arm in my mouth. But I have been known to stick a foot in there . I immediately wash carefully with D-Lead soap at the range. Have some at home as well. I have tumbled my first batch prior to decapping. Next time I will decap first and determine which I like best. I have a Lee Universal decapping die I could use so as not to run dirty brass in the decapping/resizing die.
Thanks

 

[Rule3]

Thanks for the comments. The past year I've been shooting at an indoor range a couple of times a week. It is suppose to be "well ventilated". I shoot revolvers as much as semi-autos and .22lr often. I suspect the revolvers especially the .22 are spreading some lead. I'm careful not to stick fingers, hand, fist or arm in my mouth. But I have been known to stick a foot in there . I immediately wash carefully with D-Lead soap at the range. Have some at home as well. I have tumbled my first batch prior to decapping. Next time I will decap first and determine which I like best. I have a Lee Universal decapping die I could use so as not to run dirty brass in the decapping/resizing die.
Thanks

Indoor ranges are THE major source for lead contamination.

Some ranges have "good" ventelation others not so much. Some indoor ranges are lead free as in lead free primers and no exposed lead bullets.

In ranges that allow lead, the "dust" is on everything, sweeping the brass off the floor stirs it up. It settles on your range bag, your clothes and you do breath it in.

Wash your range clothing , take a shower wash hair and don't bounce your range bag around in the living areas of the home.

Primary source of entry is breathing, eyes and mouth.

The amount of lead from de priming is very small in comparison. If your dry tumble with the lid on (should be in the garage) and use a closed media/brass sifter you are not gonna get exposed to lead dust.

Blood lead levels

 

[SMSgt]

The risk are over-rated. The simplest of safety measures work well. Don't eat, don't drink, and wash hands. You'll be fine.