After Range Clean Up...

[BaiHu]

A while back I was reading a thread about reloading and the dangers of spreading lead throughout the house and how some of you handled your clothes, boots, etc in order to prevent lead levels from rising.

Some questions to get the thread started:

1. Range to car: do you change clothes? Wipe car down?
2. Car to home: do you wipe your shoes down? Leave them somewhere? Bag your clothes?
3. Home to laundry: do you separate your clothes in a bag until you wash? Wash separately? Have a particular detergent? Do you rinse your washer out after you've washed those clothes?

My current routine is relatively lax IMO. I just collect 'gun' clothes and wash them separately from other clothes and the move along, but I was interested in how some of you handle your clothes afterward. Especially those who shoot indoors often as I primarily do.

TIA

[SAWBONES]

I don't do any of that, and I don't separate post-shooting clothes from other clothes before washing, but then I typically only shoot between 50 and 200 rounds per practice session, and I shoot indoors at a well ventilated range.

I don't mean to make light of the dangers of lead poisoning, but as a doc I'm certainly aware of the issues, and unless you're shooting 1000 rounds in a short time and standing next to people on either side of you shooting 1000 rounds each, all in a non-ventilated area, and doing it daily, it's probably not a serious safety issue as regards blood lead accumulation.

(I'm exaggerating, of course, but if you're a typical range shooter like me, shooting less than weekly, you're not expected to be at significant risk of lead poisoning effects. Airborne lead is the main issue, though obviously you shouldn't lick your fingers or eat without washing your hands after shooting. )

[Trooper224]

1. Range to car: do you change clothes? Wipe car down?

No, but I always wash clothes after a range session, before wearing them again.

2. Car to home: do you wipe your shoes down? Leave them somewhere? Bag your clothes?

No, that's going overboard.

3. Home to laundry: do you separate your clothes in a bag until you wash? Wash separately? Have a particular detergent? Do you rinse your washer out after you've washed those clothes?

No. I've been shooting, not handling uranium.

Honestly, all of this paranoia over lead exposure is just that. Breathing in lead vapors on an indoor range is the most hazardous thing you can do in terms of lead exposure and I've been doing that for over thirty years and the vast majority of my shooting is done with cast bullets. I always have my lead levels checked during my yearly physical and there's never been a cause for concern. You're in more danger driving to and from the range, or changing a light bulb in your house than you are from lead exposure through shooting. The best thing you can do for yourself post shooting is simply wash your hands.

[SecondsCount]

I shoot, reload, go to indoor ranges, volunteer at an outdoor range, etc. and my lead levels were in the normal range last year when I had them checked. All I make sure of is that I wash my hands after doing anything with firearms or reloading.

YMMV.

[TGS]

I don't do anything other than wash my hands (and usually face) with cold water before leaving the range, if I'm at an indoor range. If I'm at an outdoor range, I just non-urgently wash my hands when I get a chance.

Clothes get worn for the rest of the day and then thrown in the hamper with everything else.

No special procedures for my shoes.

[Sigfan26]

The only folks I strongly encourage to do more than was their hands after shooting are people with young kids. Former coworker had his young child get elevated lead levels from exposure due to improper clean up after shooting/work. While we were exposed to higher than normal levels, it's not a bad precaution to change clothes and shower after going shooting if very young children are around. And, don't let them play with your shoes/ clothes post range session. Separating laundry is a bit much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jared]

I shoot outdoors. I do wash my hands at the first available opportunity. I do shower after everything is put away at home. I do not let my daughter play with my shoes. I do wash my clothes separate from my wife and daughters, but that really only started when my wife was pregnant.

All that said... I've been shooting since I was ten and used to be a LOT less diligent about post shooting clean up. When my wife got pregnant I got really worried about my child's potential for exposure so I had my doc test my blood lead levels. Everything came back completely normal.

One thing I absolutely quit doing after a thread on PF was tumbling brass in the house. That process got moved out, and I did a lot of cleaning before my daughter was born, plus had some carpet replaced.

ETA: on the laundry thing, I do wash all of my clothes together. I dont separate my shooting clothes from my regular stuff. There is an order to it. It goes:. Wife and daughters clothes, then mine, then whites, then towels. Each is a full load. That give the machine a couple loads before my daughter's clothes are in there again. Keep in mind that I'm perhaps a bit OCD with my kid because she's only 15 months old.

[voodoo_man]

I don't do anything other than wash my hands (and usually face) with cold water before leaving the range, if I'm at an indoor range. If I'm at an outdoor range, I just non-urgently wash my hands when I get a chance.

Clothes get worn for the rest of the day and then thrown in the hamper with everything else.

No special procedures for my shoes.

This, emphasis on cold water.

I also blow my nose a bunch of times.

[hufnagel]

Here is how I frame it from a shooting only stand point, as I don't reload:
Is there lead in the powder or primers?
Is there exposed lead from plated or jacketed projectiles?
Where is the highest concentration of lead located in the range?

Since I only shoot jacketed or plated projectile ammunition, my understanding is that all or nearly all of the lead contamination is in or on the back stop and the immediate area surrounding it. While i'm not saying you should eat a heavy mayo'ed ham and cheese sammich in the range proper, I'm pretty confident my actual lead exposure concerns are highly minimized. Most of the contamination I find on my hands seems to come from powder residue as well as case lube left on the .22lr ammo from manufacturing (specific vendor, which i'll never buy again, FYI.)

I don't do anything special with my clothes after shooting. I wouldn't consider it smart to visit an airport shortly after a session though, especially if going into the sanitized areas.

If i'm wrong on any of this, please let me know.

[GardoneVT]

I don't know about the rest,but definitely wash your hands and clothes after a Range trip. You might be shooting clean ammo....but Cletus next to you might not. Every time I've washed my hands post shooting the rinsewater was tinted black.

The clothes one I learned the hard way. I flew on spring break years back,and as most college bachelors tend to do I tossed some clothes basically at random in the suitcase before flying out. Fast forward a week,and I get picked for special attention at the TSA counter on the trip out.

After swabbing my clothes the TSA agent sticks the cardboard sample into the grey test box. It was at that moment I remembered the jacket and jeans I was wearing were the same ones I wore 8 days earlier at the range: I hadn't washed them before packing , which meant .....

"Beep"

Fuck.

"Sir you tested positive for explosives presence. We're gonna need to search you in the next room .Come follow me please ...."


Note to self- don't fly out of LAX with gunpowder contaminated clothes next time......