Precautions when cleaning a leaded barrel?

[tacotime]

Never paid much attention, but I suppose it's a risk - cleaning a bore that uses cast bullets if any lead deposits are present, especially if you have to scrub it a bit with a brush... do you guys take any safety steps here?

I suppose particles go everywhere - in the air, on clothing, furniture, the floor, the dog. etc.

 

[gunnails]

None at all.

 

[arjay]

Just wash your hands when done.

 

[aphelion]

You mean besides making sure it isn't loaded? I avoid eating the used patches and licking my fingers or the brush.

 

[S&WIowegan]

You mean besides making sure it isn't loaded? I avoid eating the used patches and licking my fingers or the brush.

This is extremely good advice and could apply to lots of other situations too!!

 

[jmmitc06]

I don't think there is much to worry about here. Sure there is a 'risk' but a trivial one.

Yes, *some* amount of lead probably does make it in the air when you scrub a leaded barrel but the lead particles won't aerosolize very well especially since you are probably scrubbing with some fluid in the barrel as well. Furthermore, the fraction of the aerosolized lead you are probably going to inhale is rather small unless you are right up breathing through the barrel.

Shooting the lead bullets has exposed you to more lead than cleaning out the leaded barrel. So if you don't wear a mask or something when shooting lead bullets or casting (this has been discussed plenty on here) don't worry about it when cleaning.

The majority of lead exposure comes from inhalation, but the majority of lead poisoning / pathology comes from ingestion of lead (mainly in children). Therefore, the only concern I would take would be to wash your hands after cleaning.

 

[Rahjerz]

I don't know if it's the primers or the lead, but every time I shoot at an indoor range I get a nasty taste in my mouth. But don't have any problems when I'm cleaning a firearm.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

You don't???!!!

You don't eat the used patches?

What do you do with them if you do not eat them????

Well, you can just squeeze them dry, I guess, and make a new kind of coffee.....



***GRJ***

 

[jtcarm]

I never worried about...wait, what was the topic?

 

[Hapworth]

I use eye protection when I clean only because solvent mist kicks a little when I'm using a bronze bore brush or scrubbing nooks and crannies with a nylon brush -- irritates my eyes.

 

[snubbiefan]

This is sure evidence that society (or the people in charge of it) have scared the bejesus out of people to the point of being ridiculous. I don't want to oversimplify it, but these same people say smoking is bad for you (which it is)...BUT, we'll let you smoke in certain places if you'll spring for the $8-plus tax per pack. Marijuana is illegal and makes you do crazy things, but we'll legalize it and let you smoke it in certain places as long as you pay the price and we collect the taxes. Now.....incandescent light-bulbs are practically a thing of the past.

Surely....I must be getting old.

 

[JSR III]

I have been cleaning the lead out of barrels for many years and I have never noticed any issues as a result and I have never noticed any issues as a result nor have I noticed any issues as a result. Just saying.

 

[dfariswheel]

One way to keep lead out of the air and your system is to use a Lewis Lead Remover.
It pulls the leading out in chunks, not in a fine spray like a brush can.
If you do brush, use a bore solvent so the lead will combine with the solvent and not turn into a fine air-borne dust.

 

[Doug M.]

My eyes are covered because I have to wear glasses. I use medical gloves on my hands for most cleaning to keep the worst of the crud off them - some of it is hard to wash off and I have noticed that there is some absorbed through the skin, depending on the cleaner. I'm not using the heavy bloodborne pathogens/crime scene clean up gloves.

 

[islamoradamark]

never really thought about it on our way home from the range all we thought about was drinkig beer and cleaning guns

 

[mtelkhntr]

This thread could turn into one of those "Can you believe we used to do that and still lived!" deals. The O.P. brings up a good point now that we're all lead aware. I mean my goodness all that lead based paint I ate as a child could have killed me. Or, when I took up fishing I used to (O.K. still do) tighten lead split shot with my teeth. Then if I wanted to save it, I'd try to bite it back open. How I ever lived to be as old as I am is a true miracle.

So much for this lead stuff, I'm headed to the hardware store to stock up on some real light bulbs.

 

[JSR III]

"I'm gonna run with sissors" "I'm gonna run with sissors"

 

[autocar56]

I use nitrile gloves, really don't care for solvents getting on my hands, dries them out. I would think some of the cleaning solvents out their would be more toxic than lead, just my thoughts.