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Do you wear a mask to the range?

BostonVI said:
Shooting at an indoor range today and noticed one of the guys shooting was wearing a dust mask. Now I'm aware that a lot of indoor ranges have inadequate ventilation systems, but does anyone out there wear a respirator/dust mask on a regular basis?

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I only used an indoor range on a couple of occasions and that was with my air rifle and air pistol. The firearms that I own are much too powerful and would never be allowed on any indoor ranges that I know of. I also made sure that I was the only one on the range that day. If others showed up, I left. Not that I am anti-social, but I was there for a specific purpose. I would much rather dress comfortably, depending on the season, and use my club's outdoor range. Never used a mask. Eye and ear protection only for me.
 
Lead exposure is a serious issue. Your body treats lead like calcium and deposits it in your bones. It takes a long time for the lead in your body to go away. If you are exposed to lead dust on a regular basis I highly recommend wearing a respirator. Keep in mind, it will land on your clothes and skin. And, typically aside from inhalation, ingestion is a common way lead gets in your system. After shooting indoors I would shower and wash your clothes.
 
Mr_Irritating said:
Lead exposure is a serious issue. Your body treats lead like calcium and deposits it in your bones. It takes a long time for the lead in your body to go away. If you are exposed to lead dust on a regular basis I highly recommend wearing a respirator. Keep in mind, it will land on your clothes and skin. And, typically aside from inhalation, ingestion is a common way lead gets in your system. After shooting indoors I would shower and wash your clothes.
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make sure you wash them separately from all other clothes too!
 
Garys said:
I'm going to guess that you are too young to remember when no one wore gloves on the ambulance? Frankly the whole glove thing has gone overboard, some people put gloves on to answer the radio. But, I digress.
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I know. My doctor even wears gloves when he checks my prostate. Some people.
 
drgrant said:
If I have to wear a particle mask to a gun range it's a sign that I shouldn't be there.

Nearly all the reports of shooters with lead level problems are inextricably linked to frequent use of inadequately vented indoor ranges. If you're going to get lead poisoning from shooting, that's how it's going to happen.

-Mike
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It's worse if you actually get shot. I hear that it is fatal sometimes.
 
Grimlock said:
People are so funny when they protect themselves from risk. Next time I go to a stabbing scene I'll make sure I don't wear any gloves when I treat them in the ambulance.
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back when i was working for a large electronics retailer (that now mainly sells cell phones and nothing else) i had a guy come in with a diabeetus meter needing a new battery.... thing was covered in blood (dried... but still)
he got pissed when i said i wasn't going to change the battery, and that he could change it himself...

"what? i don't have any diseases!"

"i don't know what you have and i don't care to take the chance, or your word for it, change it yourself, i'm not touching that thing.... and by the way... diabetes *IS* a disease..."

not a communicable one... but still.....
 
If you get tested, you'll have a better idea of whether your current practices are adequate. If you don't get tested, you'll never know.
 
SR556 said:
I shoot thousands of rounds every day at an indoor range over a 10-12 hour period, 5 days a week, and I don't use a mask/respirator. If you have elevated lead levels from shooting a couple hours a day/week you should find another range immediately.

Most people are worried about breathing in lead particles, but it's the lead on your hands you should be worried about. Even if you can't see it, it's still there. How many times do you touch your face or rub your eyes at the range? EVer go out to eat immediately after a range trip? Use soap designed to remove lead.
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Wow. At least a half a million rounds a year indoors? What range can you do this in without elevated lead levels?
 
TY43215 said:
When I shot Gallery on a regular basis and my lead levels were elevated, I wore a respirator rated for lead. Practice for me was 2 to three hours on a Saturday and match on Monday night. I also wore it when I shot the BUAS Indoor winter USPSA matches for reasons that are obvious to anyone that has been there.

If you have had your lead levels checked and have suffered the effects of lead poisoning, you do what you need to do to keep shooting and lower your exposure.
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This.

There are several good threads on here about lead levels.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/general-discussion/114138-lead-levels.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/reloading/155029-lead.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/equipment/91872-lung-protection.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...ion/84741-blood-lead-check-am-i-only-one.html

I had mine checked 3 years ago and they were slightly elevated (12 mcg/dL). Anything over 10 is considered high, anything over 20 is reported to the state. When I shoot BUAS I wore my 3M respirator with P100 filters religiously. I haven't been using as regularly when I shoot indoor 22 bullseye. Unlike Gary or Dick my indoor range exposure has been limited to shooting weekly in my league, who has time for practice. Some ranges are better than others. Some of them in the NVPL really suck. I just had mine checked this week and got the results back today. They are at 13 mcg/dL so I will be using my respirator in my league this winter.

Do yourself a favor, when you have your annual physical and getting your regular blood work ask your doctor to test your lead levels.
 
eisenhow said:
This.

There are several good threads on here about lead levels.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/general-discussion/114138-lead-levels.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/reloading/155029-lead.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/equipment/91872-lung-protection.html
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...ion/84741-blood-lead-check-am-i-only-one.html

I had mine checked 3 years ago and they were slightly elevated (12 mcg/dL). Anything over 10 is considered high, anything over 20 is reported to the state. When I shoot BUAS I wore my 3M respirator with P100 filters religiously. I haven't been using as regularly when I shoot indoor 22 bullseye. Unlike Gary or Dick my indoor range exposure has been limited to shooting weekly in my league, who has time for practice. Some ranges are better than others. Some of them in the NVPL really suck. I just had mine checked this week and got the results back today. They are at 13 mcg/dL so I will be using my respirator in my league this winter.

Do yourself a favor, when you have your annual physical and getting your regular blood work ask your doctor to test your lead levels.
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My highest was 37
 
LenS said:
My first club had no real air intake and it got bad with only 1 or 2 people shooting indoors. I should have worn a mask!

It's part of why I quit that club after 24 years. They only talked about fixing it and never did anything during all those years.

Now spin forward some years from my quitting and I am speaking with the club's pistol chairman who told me that his lead levels were elevated to the point of "reportable"!!

At BR&P I did see one person once with a mask on. However the HEPA system in there creates negative pressure so that if it is working properly this should not be an issue at all.
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BR&P's systems are well maintained. Others that I've been to as a guest. Not so much. Will only shoot outside at the latter.
 
I shoot indoors a fair bit in the winter (at least once, sometimes twice a week). I had my lead level tested and it was 21 mcg/dL. I started wearing the pink particle mask, and 3 months later my level was down to 12. Same amount of indoor shooting, same post-shooting cleanup habits. I will personally continue wearing a mask when shooting indoors, no matter how silly it looks or uncomfortable it is.
 
I probably did more damage to myself stripping all the lead paint from my house than smelling gunpowder for a day at the range.
Wasn't there talk about replacing lead in ammo from environmental moonbats recently? They were concerned that it was contaminating the ground. Ridiculous.
 
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