Personal Defense for Women by Hayes Gila

Author:Hayes, Gila [Hayes, Gila]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Gun Digest Books
Published: 2009-08-31T22:00:00+00:00

Lost vision and hearing are irreplaceable. Protect both carefully while on the firing range.

Invisible Hazards

A less apparent shooting hazard is the lead particulate matter generated when ammunition is discharged. Shooters need to protect themselves against lead contamination and take steps to avoid being poisoned.

With a few limited exceptions, firing a cartridge of ammunition releases lead into the air in two ways. If the projectile is a bare lead bullet or had exposed lead portions, lead shavings are created when the bullet is discharged. Even if the bullet is fully encased in copper, nylon or another covering, lead is expelled during the firing process, because most primers contain lead styphnate. When it is detonated, a cloud of molecular lead compounds is released. Lead is airborne when firearms are discharged, and settles on horizontal surfaces like the floor, shooting benches, window sills, and even the hair, clothing and skin of shooters present on the range.

If you pick up empty cartridge cases from the floor—either in pursuit of range cleanliness or to reload the cases—take special care with hygiene. Put the brass into a sealable plastic bag, and wash carefully when the job is done. During range time, make a conscious effort to keep hands and objects away from the mouth, and when you leave the firing line, wash your hands and around your mouth without delay. Do it immediately, before you unconsciously touch your face or eat, drink or smoke. At the same time, take a tissue and vigorously blow your nose to discharge the dust and particles captured by the small nose hairs.

Like many shooting professionals, 99% of the ammunition I shoot is loaded with full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets. This eliminates much of the lead particulate in air and on surfaces. I think avid shooters who are on the range more than once a week are crazy if they continue to shoot unjacketed lead bullets. Lead-free primers are also marketed, though they are far less common than fully jacketed bullets, cost more and are reputed to be subject to degradation from humidity as well as somewhat prone to misfires. In short, so-called nontoxic primed ammunition is a small percentage of what most people shoot.

Women of child bearing age owe it to themselves to be particularly careful about lead contamination, as lead can be stored in the bones to later be mobilized by a variety of physical conditions including pregnancy and lactation.1 Research by the Reproductive Toxicology Center of Columbia Hospital for Women Medical Center cites studies that give a severe warning about lead exposure in pregnant women. “Lead can be readily transferred across the placenta to the fetus.”2 Stillbirth and miscarriages are common problems associated with lead poisoning.

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